Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Praveen Kumar on Tuesday, 13 October held a high-level meeting at the Secretariat in Babupara, Imphal, to review the prevailing law and order situation in the state. Simultaneously, Director General of Police Mukesh Singh undertook a two-day ground assessment of security arrangements and rehabilitation measures in the violence-affected Jiribam district, officials said.

BSF Chief's Meeting with the Chief Minister

During the Imphal meeting, Chief Minister Khemchand Singh and BSF DG Praveen Kumar deliberated on the ongoing security situation across Manipur's conflict-hit districts. The two officials also discussed preparations for the upcoming BSF Raising Day celebrations on 1 December. According to a senior official of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the Chief Minister 'appreciated the BSF for its dedicated service and invaluable role in maintaining peace, security and border management.'

BSF DG Kumar was accompanied by Sumit Sharan, Additional Director General of BSF, Eastern Command, and Ravi Kant, Inspector General of BSF, Mizoram and Cachar Frontier headquarters. The visit underscores the Centre's engagement with state authorities as ethnic tensions continue to simmer.

Backdrop: Ethnic Violence Across Hill Districts

The meeting carries added weight against the backdrop of fresh ethnic clashes. More than 50 people have reportedly been killed and dozens of houses torched in clashes between the Naga and Kuki-Zo communities since February 2026. The violence has been concentrated in Ukhrul, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Tamenglong, Noney, and parts of Senapati district.

This comes on top of the longer-running conflict between the Imphal Valley-based Meitei community and the hill-based Kuki-Zo tribal communities, which has left more than 300 people dead, with 49 still missing and thousands displaced from their homes. Manipur's multi-front ethnic crisis is now among the most protracted internal security challenges in Northeast India.

DGP's Jiribam Visit: Security and Rehabilitation Review

DGP Mukesh Singh travelled to Jiribam via National Highway-37 and inspected resettlement localities for those displaced by ethnic violence in Jiribam and Borobekra. He reviewed security deployments with senior officers and personnel from the Manipur Police, Manipur Rifles, Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and other security formations.

The DGP emphasised Jiribam's strategic importance as the eastern gateway to Manipur and issued directions to intensify measures against illicit drug trafficking through the region. He also inspected the Superintendent of Police's office, the headquarters of the 7th Indian Reserve Battalion, Jiribam Police Station, and Borobekra Police Station.

Civil Society Outreach and the Road Ahead

During the Jiribam visit, DGP Singh met leaders of civil society organisations representing the Meitei, Hmar, Naga, Kuki, and Paite communities at the District Police Headquarters. He commended their efforts to sustain inter-community dialogue and maintain local peace. The outreach signals an acknowledgement that security operations alone are insufficient without community buy-in in ethnically mixed districts like Jiribam.

With senior officials from the Centre and the state now conducting concurrent reviews, the focus will shift to whether rehabilitation measures gain traction on the ground and whether the security deployments can prevent a further escalation of hostilities ahead of the winter months.