Top Headlines

Feeds

Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen Defends Role While Operating From Kangpokpi Amid Protests

Updated (9 articles)

New tri‑community coalition ends President’s Rule coalition government formed on Feb 4 2026 ended a year of President’s Rule in Manipur. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh (Meitei) leads the cabinet alongside Deputy Chief Ministers Nemcha Kipgen (Kuki‑Zo) and Losii Dikho (Naga), ensuring representation of the three major ethnic groups [1]. The arrangement reflects a power‑sharing deal intended to stabilize the state after prolonged unrest [1].

Kipgen sworn in Delhi, still without a ministry Nemcha Kipgen took her oath at Manipur Bhawan in New Delhi on Feb 4, 2026 [1]. She has not been assigned a specific portfolio and has not travelled to Imphal to assume office, continuing to work from her home district of Kangpokpi [1]. The lack of a ministry has drawn criticism from local groups demanding active participation in the state administration [1].

She stresses service motive over personal ambition In an interview, Kipgen said she joined the government “in good faith” driven by a “sense of long‑term responsibility” to serve the people rather than pursue personal gain [1]. She framed her role as a constitutional duty that does not require physical presence in the capital [1]. This narrative aims to counter accusations that her appointment is politically motivated [1].

Kuki‑Zo civil‑society groups protest her appointment Following her oath, protests erupted in the Kuki‑Zo‑dominant district of Churachandpur, where local organisations passed a resolution opposing any community legislators joining the elected government [1]. Demonstrators argued that participation could undermine community bargaining power in post‑conflict negotiations [1]. The protests highlight lingering mistrust between ethnic groups despite the coalition’s inclusive design [1].

2023 ethnic violence still shapes policy debates The May 3, 2023 clashes between Kuki‑Zo and Meitei groups left more than 250 dead and displaced around 60,000 people [1]. Kipgen noted that buffer zones established after the violence may need to continue where wounds remain deep [1]. The legacy of the conflict continues to influence security and governance discussions in the new administration [1].

Sources

Related Tickers

by TradingView

Timeline

May 3, 2023 – Ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki‑Zo groups erupt, killing more than 250 people and displacing roughly 60,000 residents, a trauma that continues to shape Manipur’s security and political calculations[1].

Early 2024 – Violence spikes after the Tribal Solidarity March, a protest by Kuki groups against Meitei demands for Scheduled Tribe status, pushing the death toll above 260 and deepening communal mistrust[9].

July 31 – August 12, 2024 – The sixth session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly convenes, marking the last legislative activity before the assembly is suspended amid escalating unrest[3].

January 13, 2025 – Kuki‑Zo civil‑society representatives adopt a resolution demanding a time‑bound written commitment from the centre for a Union‑Territory‑type arrangement with a legislature before the assembly term ends in February 2027[7].

January 24, 2025 – Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla issues a summons for a February 11 assembly sitting, a move later challenged as unconstitutional because it breaches Article 174(1)’s six‑month rule[6].

February 9, 2025 – Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigns amid intensifying Meitei‑Kuki violence, creating a power vacuum that precipitates central intervention[5].

February 13, 2025 – President’s Rule is imposed, placing the 60‑member assembly under direct central administration and setting a statutory one‑year limit for its continuation[5][8].

August 5, 2025 – Parliament passes a six‑month extension of President’s Rule, pushing the deadline to February 13, 2026 and buying the centre time to seek a political solution[8].

December 8, 2025 – Chief Minister‑designate Yumnam Khemchand Singh tours Kuki‑Zo villages in Ukhrul and Kamjong and a relief camp, signalling a push for reconciliation with displaced communities[5].

December 31, 2025 – Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh declares that “dissolution of the Assembly is the only solution” to restore peace, urging a fresh mandate in the New Year[9].

January 29, 2026 – Congress files a petition in the Manipur High Court seeking dissolution of the suspended assembly, arguing the Governor’s February 9, 2025 order violated Article 174(1)[6].

January 2 & 5, 2026 – Union Home Minister Amit Shah chairs two security‑review meetings on Manipur, assessing force deployment, displaced‑person rehabilitation, and highway movement as the one‑year President’s Rule deadline looms[8].

January 14, 2026 – BJP MLAs plan a strategic meeting with national general secretary B. L. Santhosh in Guwahati to coordinate a path forward for forming a state government before the constitutional deadline[8].

February 2, 2026 – The BJP Parliamentary Board appoints national general secretary Tarun Chugh as central observer to oversee the Manipur Legislature Party leader election, a key step toward ending President’s Rule[7].

February 3, 2026 – The BJP elects Yumnam Khemchand Singh as Legislature Party leader, clearing the way for his swearing‑in as chief minister; sources anticipate Nemcha Kipgen becoming the first woman Kuki‑Zo deputy chief minister[5].

February 4, 2026 – President Droupadi Murmu revokes President’s Rule; Yumnam Khemchand Singh is sworn in as Manipur’s 13th chief minister, with Nemcha Kipgen (Kuki‑Zo) and Losii Dikho (Naga) as deputy chief ministers, restoring an elected government[2][4].

February 4, 2026 – Deputy Chief Minister‑designate Nemcha Kipgen takes her oath at Manipur Bhawan in Delhi but remains in Kangpokpi without an assigned portfolio, pledging to fulfil duties from her home district through coordination with officials[1].

February 4, 2026 – The new cabinet holds its first meeting at the chief minister’s bungalow in Imphal, marking the start of collective decision‑making for the restored ministry[3].

February 5, 2026 – The seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly convenes, the first sitting since President’s Rule was lifted, as legislators gather to address governance and security challenges[3].

February 19, 2026 – Amid protests in Churachandpur, Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen tells The Hindu that she joined the government “in good faith, not for personal ambition” and warns that “buffer zones may need to continue where wounds remain deep”[1].

All related articles (9 articles)

External resources (1 links)