Manipur Crisis: Amit Shah to Review Security as CM Plans Historic Visit to Churachandpur

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to review the security situation in Manipur on July 4, 2026, amid expanding violence in the northeastern state. The meeting, to be held in New Delhi, comes as Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh is expected to visit the Kuki-Zo-majority district of Churachandpur on the same day — his first visit to the area since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023.

According to government officials, Mr. Shah will meet with Manipur's Security Adviser Kuldiep Singh, state Director General of Police Mukesh Singh, the Director General of Military Operations, and the heads of the Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force, and Border Security Force. The discussions will focus on emerging pockets of violence, adherence to ground rules by insurgent groups in peace talks, recovery of looted police weapons, and the fresh influx of refugees from Myanmar.

The review follows a surge in violence since the revocation of President's Rule on February 4, 2026, which has claimed at least 40 lives. Mr. Shah last reviewed the situation on March 20, when he urged the Chief Minister to crack down on drug cartels and prioritise resettlement of those displaced by the conflict.

Chief Minister Khemchand's proposed visit to Churachandpur is significant. He is expected to meet the family of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Vungzagin Valte, who died on February 21 after being assaulted by a mob in Imphal on May 4, 2023. The last rites of Valte, a Zomi tribe member, are scheduled for July 4, as the family had delayed burial until the attackers were arrested. The funeral is expected around 1:30 p.m., organised by the Zomi Council.

Security has been tightened for the Chief Minister's visit, though Kuki civil society organisations have decided to boycott his arrival. The visit, if it materialises, will be the first by a Manipur Chief Minister to the hill district since the ethnic violence began on May 3, 2023, which initially spread from Churachandpur during a tribal solidarity rally protesting a High Court order on Scheduled Tribe status for Meiteis.

Manipur is home to three major communities: Meiteis, tribal Kuki-Zos, and Nagas. Since May 2023, around 300 people have been killed in ethnic violence. Since February 9, 2026, the conflict has expanded to involve Naga and Kuki communities in areas like Ukhrul and Noney districts, which previously saw no such tensions. In Kangpokpi, a Kuki-dominated district, the killing of three Thadou-Kuki pastors on May 13 led to a severe economic blockade by Naga volunteers, restricting essential supplies.