Mission Manipur - A Frontline Podcast

Episode 16 of Mission Manipur, titled “Three Years”, centres on what prolonged ethnic violence has done to everyday life, especially for children growing up amid displacement, fear, and constant uncertainty, with psychiatrist Dr R.K. Lenin Singh explaining the psychological toll. It moves through Manipur’s buffer zones—militarised spaces where burnt homes are being rebuilt but life remains unliveable, schools and markets are absent, and movement is tightly controlled—while fresh clashes in Ukhrul add another layer of displacement. Through conversations with residents such as Lalam Vaiphei and singer Birbal Meetei, the episode captures how “return” does not mean recovery, and how the closing of relief camps leaves families with shrinking choices. It also documents contested property and control in Imphal, the shadow of groups like Arambai Tenggol, and the way public commemorations of May 3 coexist with provocative rhetoric and stalled accountability. The episode closes with the voice of Vungngaimang, a displaced survivor living with PTSD, drawing attention to the silent crises—mental health, stigma, and abandonment—that deepen as the conflict drags on.

Episode 15 of Mission Manipur tracks how the BJP moved to restore an elected government in the state after months of political paralysis, and how that “return to normalcy” quickly unravelled on the ground. As Manipur got a new Chief Minister in February 2026 and the party tried to project stability through high-profile visits and carefully staged messaging, fresh faultlines opened up—first in Ukhrul, where violence between Kuki and Tangkhul groups escalated into an insurgent tussle, and then in Bishnupur, where a bomb blast in Tronglaobi killed two Meitei children, five-year-old Tomthin Oinam and five-month-old Oinam Leisana.

The episode follows how their deaths became the emotional and political centre of protests across the Imphal valley, triggering blockades, curfews, and a widening breakdown of trust in both the State government and Central forces. It also examines the unanswered questions around accountability, the role of security camps in sensitive border villages, and the competing narratives along with disinformation that spread rapidly even under internet shutdowns. One such incident almost led to an Assam Rifles officer being lynched by an agitated mob. Through ground reporting, eyewitness audio, and voices from within the protest movement, this episode captures a Manipur where governance is being performed as spectacle, while violence, rumours, and public rage continue to set the terms of everyday life.

The latest edition of Mission Manipur turns its attention away from official visits and political posturing to the lives of the women who continue to bear the weight of Manipur’s unending crisis. The episode travels through relief camps and resettlement sites of the Vaiphei tribe—one of the worst-hit communities in the hill districts—to understand what it means to remain uprooted for nearly three years. Their accounts reveal a landscape shaped not by state support but by fraying supplies, premature talk of dismantling camps, and a daily grind of uncertainty. Yet within this harsh terrain, listeners encounter vivid expressions of self-reliance and quiet determination, voiced by displaced women who refuse to let neglect define their futures.

From the shrinking resources at Lanva camp to the church-funded resettlement efforts on Saron hills, these conversations expose the stark gap between official claims and the lived conditions of more than 60,000 people pushed out of their homes. The episode lingers on the story of Hoichong Vaiphei, a farmer who once grew ginger on her land in Kamuching and now transforms a tiny 200-square-foot shelter into a flourishing patchwork of plants. Her makeshift garden—with Roselle shrubs and crops coaxed out of clay-heavy soil—is representative of a form of defiance that stands in contrast to the state’s abdication of responsibility. Through these voices, the episode asks what survival looks like when institutions fail, and how communities carve out dignity and continuity in the face of abandonment.

Credits:

Reported and narrated by Greeshma Kuthar

Edited by Abhijeet Parimi

Team Frontline

Saatvika Radhakrishna

Siddarth M

Mridula V

Kavya Pradeep M

Shruti Paliwal

Produced by Frontline

In this special episode of Mission Manipur, research scholar Teshangran Tontang turns host and delves into Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to the State in years. Travelling across Churachandpur (Lamka), Imphal and other districts, Tontang gathers voices of internally displaced people, teachers, writers, and young scholars who speak candidly about their hopes, frustrations, and disillusionment. While the Prime Minister highlighted development projects and budgets, many felt the silence on the continuing conflict and the plight of displaced communities was stark. The episode also reflects on the unequal distribution of resources between the hills and the valley, the alienation of Naga buffer-zone villages, and the omission of concerns such as the issue surrounding the India–Myanmar border fence from the Prime Minister’s address. With the help of these perspectives, the episode offers a textured understanding of how Manipur’s diverse communities are interpreting this long-awaited visit.

In Episode 12 of Mission Manipur, Greeshma Kuthar discusses the findings of the "Independent People's Tribunal on the Ongoing Ethnic Conflict in Manipur", an extensive report released by the human rights advocacy group People's Union for Civil Liberties in August 2025. Kuthar speaks to two members of the jury who were part of the Tribunal: Justice (Retd) Anjana Prakash, former judge of the Patna High Court; and Navsharan Singh, writer, researcher, and activist. Justice Prakash and Navsharan Singh break down the report's findings, the tribunal's process and intentions, and the brutal nature of violence perpetrated during the conflict ongoing since May 2023. They also talk about the strong reactions to the report and the difficult road that lies ahead towards possible justice, peace, and reconciliation.

In Episode 11 of Mission Manipur, Greeshma Kuthar looks at the extension of President’s Rule in the State and the stark reality that little has changed on the ground. Less than a week after the extension, a new report attributed the continuing violence to ethnic divisions deepened by state actors. Despite the heavy presence of security forces and multiple checkpoints, the buffer zones remain tense, with communities unable to cross and mutual suspicion entrenched. In the valley, the Kuki-Zo tribes are still labelled “illegal”, while the hill communities remain scarred by the violence they suffered in the initial days of the conflict. Political leaders, including former Chief Minister Biren Singh, continue to exploit divisions with inflammatory rhetoric, with little accountability in sight. Against this backdrop, the episode highlights voices of resilience—a journalist and social worker who has been creating livelihood opportunities for displaced families in relief camps, and a writer-activist who provides counselling to displaced children and livelihood support to women. Their work underscores how, in the absence of effective governance, it is ordinary citizens—especially women—who sustain hope in a fractured Manipur.

In Episode 10 of Mission Manipur, host Greeshma Kuthar explores life in the border district of Tengnoupal which includes the famous border town of Moreh in Manipur, on the volatile India-Myanmar border, where civil war in Myanmar and ethnic violence in Manipur have upended daily existence. "Borderlands" details how communities on both sides of the border—often sharing ethnic ties—have been torn apart by military coups, displacement, and political narratives linking refugees to illegal immigration and drug trade. Villagers who fled bombings in Myanmar now live in makeshift shelters along the border, relying on sparse local aid.

In Moreh, once a vibrant trading town, ethnic violence has forced Meitei residents to flee and triggered recurring clashes. The collapse of essential services is stark: medical care is crippled, with under-resourced primary health centres and broken immunisation routines leading to preventable infant deaths. The voices of displaced traders, overworked health workers, and community leaders from Tengnoupal and Moreh reveal the human cost of failed governance, and neglected peripheries. Through these stories, the episode urges listeners to reconsider what it means to live on India’s often-forgotten frontiers.

Two years since violence engulfed Manipur, residents remain in a prolonged state of uncertainty, grief, and anxiety. In Episode 9 of Mission Manipur, journalist Greeshma Kuthar travels across the State to understand what people are focussing on May 3. She finds that while the initial panic has faded, people are now grappling with the long-term fallout—parents worry about their children's futures, teachers battle rising drop-out and drug use among students, and displaced families still search for livelihoods.

In Churachandpur, at a memorial for victims, the Kuki-Zo reflect on continued marginalisation, while displaced Meiteis in Bishnupur express deep feelings of abandonment by the State and Central government. Armed groups such as Arambai Tenggol and insurgent groups continue to stir fear, and the government's response—more soldiers, stricter controls, but little justice—adds to a growing sense of despair. Across communities, a quiet exhaustion has replaced open protest, hinting at a population worn down by unrelenting violence and state inaction.

In Episode 8 of Mission Manipur, Greeshma Kuthar delves into the use of the term "refugee" as a tool to incite hatred and division in the ongoing Manipur conflict. The episode highlights how the label "refugee" has been forced onto the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur which in turn has been weaponised by civil society organisations in Manipur, including former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.

The situation intensified after Myanmar's military coup in 2021, leading to an influx of Burmese refugees into Manipur. A campaign was constructed to target these refugees and their identity, which started from branding them as "illegal immigrants" to using them as fuel to exacerbate existing ethnic tensions between Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo.

Kuthar underscores the precarious living conditions of the refugees, particularly in makeshift camps, and examines the broader implications of India’s refugee policy, especially in the north-eastern region. The episode questions why politicians use the plight of refugees to manipulate public opinion and ignite fear, pointing to the complex and often overlooked discussions surrounding refugee policies in this region. It also features insights from experts like Manoranjan Pegu and Angshuman Choudhury on the issue.

While Pegu highlights the historical discomfort that has existed in the region when it comes to refugees and questions the idea of tribal solidarity, Choudhury draws stark parallels between the situation playing out in Manipur today with that of Assam (and its National Register of Citizens exercise) in the recent past, pointing at imagined anxieties, alarmist tendencies, and xenophobia towards refugees.

Episode 7 of Mission Manipur (“Separation”) explores the harrowing experiences of individuals caught in the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur. The episode sheds light on the plight of families torn apart due to inter-community marriages and mixed parentage, highlighting their struggle for survival in a deeply divided society.

We meet a young man of Meitei and Kuki-Zo descent, who finds himself trapped in Imphal and unable to reunite with his displaced mother in Churachandpur. His identity makes him a target in both communities, forcing difficult choices upon his family. Similarly, the tragic death of a seven-year-old boy of mixed parentage, who was burned alive in an ambulance attack, underscores the brutal rejection of those caught between warring factions.

Women are forced to make heartbreaking decisions—separating from loved ones to ensure safety or financial survival. Children, too, bear the burden, as seen in the case of an 11-year-old who prioritises education despite displacement. These deeply personal narratives reveal the immense suffering of those whose identities blur rigid communal lines, exposing them to violence, alienation, and an uncertain future.