Demographical Dynamics in Manipur State: An Insight into the Ethnic Conflict

By : Kuntal Kanti Chattoraj

Page No: 406-421

Abstract
This study explores the embryonic demographic landscape of Manipur and its complicated link to the unending ethno-political conflict, with a special focus on the 2023 violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities. Drawing on census data from 1991 to 2011 and secondary sources, the research analyses patterns of ethnic distribution and their change over time, region-based tribal and non-tribal dominance, and migration-induced demographic shifts across key districts. The paper categorises Manipur’s population into three major ethnic groups - Meitei, Naga, and Kuki-Chin-Mizo - while also identifying an intermediate group with overlapping affiliations. The geographic concentration of tribes in the five hill districts and Meitei dominance in four districts in the central Imphal valley, which is only 10 % of the land area of Manipur State, compounded by asymmetrical land ownership rights, religious distinctions, and political empowerment, have contributed to escalating tensions. The role of post-independence insurgencies, refugee infiltration, and poppy cultivation further aggravates the region’s instability. The study argues that the 2023 conflict is not an isolated incident, but rather a culmination of demographic imbalances, political marginalisation, and ethnic assertions. It concludes with policy recommendations for inclusive governance, equitable land reforms, and inter-ethnic reconciliation to restore peace and harmony in this geopolitically sensitive border state.

Author
Kuntal Kanti Chattoraj: Associate professor, Department of Geography, Kazi Nazrul University, Asansol, West Bengal.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/ATNAGI.2025.45.02.11