Curfew Imposed in Manipur's Churachandpur as Tensions Flare

An indefinite curfew was enforced in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Monday following escalating tensions after a brutal assault on Richard Laltanpuia Hmar, a prominent Hmar tribal leader and General Secretary of Hmar Inpui, by unidentified assailants on Sunday evening. The attack, which occurred around 7:30 p.m. at the VK Montessori School campus in Zenhang Lamka, has sparked outrage among locals, prompting authorities to clamp down to prevent a potential breach of peace.

Churachandpur Additional District Magistrate Thangboi Gangte issued the curfew order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, citing a “serious apprehension of law-and-order breakdown” based on a report from the district’s Superintendent of Police. The order bans unauthorized gatherings of five or more people and the carrying of weapons or objects like sticks and stones, aiming to avert violence amid reports of stone-pelting and attempts to enforce a shutdown by Hmar community members demanding justice.

The assault on Hmar, who was reportedly blindfolded and beaten despite identifying himself, has deepened tribal fault lines in the Kuki-dominated district. Hmar Inpui, the tribe’s apex body, condemned the “heinous” act and had called for the perpetrators to surrender by Monday morning, a deadline that passed unmet, intensifying local unrest. Deputy Commissioner Dharun Kumar S appealed for calm, urging community leaders to pursue peaceful dialogue, stating, “Violence won’t solve this; our law enforcement is fully deployed to maintain order.”