Fields of fear: Manipur’s farmers struggle amidst ethnic tensions

Jul 29, 2025

Churachandpur / Imphal (Manipur), 29 July, ANI: Manipur’s lush green fields, once the lifeblood of its farming communities, now bear the scars of conflict. Since May 2023, ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki groups have turned these fertile lands into zones of fear — where once-bountiful harvests have faded into painful memories. In Ujungmakhong village, located in Churachandpur district, we met Kaiminlien — a farmer who hasn’t cultivated his one-hectare farmland in nearly two years. His land lies within the buffer zone demarcated after the violence, making it unsafe to farm. Around 30 families in the village own nearly 15 hectares of farmland — all of it now abandoned due to ongoing tensions. The impact has been devastating, robbing farmers of their livelihoods and dealing a severe blow to the region’s rural economy and social fabric. Over 60 percent of Manipur’s population depends on agriculture to survive — with the sector forming the backbone of the state’s economy, contributing nearly 22 percent to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). But that backbone is now under strain. Ethnic tensions between the Kuki and Meitei communities have cast a long shadow over farming. Fields once full of promise now lie still, caught in the grip of fear. On both sides of the buffer zone, farmers are unable to till their land — not due to drought or poor soil, but because of security concerns. It’s as if the plough has been replaced by uncertainty, and crops by caution. The ongoing conflict has left Manipur’s agrarian backbone bruised and brittle. Without urgent resolution and support, thousands of farmers may remain trapped in uncertainty—threatening both food security and long-term rural stability.