The burning of Tangkhul Naga houses on Sunday night on the 8th of February 2026 at Litan Sareikhong at around 11:30pm was a calculated move by the Kukis.
On the evening of Sunday, before the two communities started setting fire to the houses at Litan Sareikhong, the security forces safely evacuated Kuki employees at Ukhrul Headquarters. The next day, they evacuated school going children.
On the evening of Sunday, the 8th of February 2026, at around 8pm, the Kuki employees at various departments operating at Ukhrul Headquarters were safely evacuated by the security forces late in the evening and given shelter at their camp. Some employees took refuge at the army camp on their own accord.
In another evacuation exercise at around 1:30am on Monday, the 9th of February 2026, the security forces also evacuated school going children from the Kuki community from their school hostel.
These preemptive measures taken by the security forces should be appreciated considering that their primary duty is to give protection to the people. These evacuation measures have prevented likely tension that could have erupted in Ukhrul Headquarters.
On the other hand, this move also reflects the preparedness of the Kuki community. Because, it was only after confirming that their people at Ukhrul Headquarters are safe or have been evacuated safely, that they resorted to arsoning Tangkhul Naga houses at Litan Sareikhong from around 11:30pm. This shows that the burning of houses belonging to Tangkhul Nagas was intentional, a calculated move.
Police informed that on 8 February 2026, at around 11:30pm, a total of 24 houses were set on fire by both the communities at Litan Sareikhong, Ukhrul District, Manipur. Out of 24 houses burnt, 21 houses belonged to the Tangkhul Nagas and 3 houses belonged to the Kukis.
Police informed that “since the eruption of violence on 7 February 2026, more than 70 houses have been razed to the ground.
