Displaced by Manipur Ethnic Violence, Kuki-Zo Survivors Face Another Christmas Away from Home

Delhi, December 26, 2025: In the faint glow of a single string of fairy lights inside a cramped rented apartment in Delhi, Mary (32, name changed) struggles to hold back tears as she recalls Christmas celebrations back home in Manipur. This December 24 marks her third Christmas away from home since ethnic violence tore through the state in May 2023.

Outside, the city hums with seasonal cheer—carols from passing cars, families wrapped in shawls heading to church, and vendors selling Santa hats beneath neon-lit malls. Inside, Mary shares a subdued evening with her two younger brothers. A small Christmas tree from a roadside stall leans against the wall, decorated sparsely. WhatsApp messages arrive intermittently from relatives scattered across relief camps and distant cities.

“In Manipur, Christmas was a feast for the soul,” Mary says. “The whole community gathered—singing, dancing around bonfires, sharing food till dawn. Now, this is survival, not celebration.”

John (30, name changed) shares a similar reality. Living in Delhi with his younger brother, his Christmas consists of a crackling phone call to parents in a remote Manipur village and a quiet prayer for peace. Both belong to the Kuki-Zo community, thousands of whom fled their homes after violence erupted following a protest over land rights and tribal status. The clashes claimed over 260 lives, displaced more than 60,000 people, and fractured once-integrated neighbourhoods.

Predominantly Christian and hill-dwelling, the Kuki community saw not only homes destroyed but also trust and festivity eroded. Christmas—central to Kuki culture—now evokes memories of what was lost.

Recent high-profile visits to Manipur by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with appeals for healing and harmony, have done little to reassure survivors. Many, including Mary and John, refuse to return home even for the festival.

The violence began on May 3, 2023, in Churachandpur, when a tribal solidarity march escalated into widespread attacks. Mobs torched churches, schools and homes as security forces struggled to respond. Buffer zones enforced by the Army later divided communities, deepening mistrust.

Mary, a schoolteacher in Imphal at the time, escaped narrowly and later found her home destroyed. “There was not even a single spoon left,” she recalls. She salvaged her documents and left, deciding never to return. John’s family fled through army camps and relief shelters before dispersing across states.

In Delhi, safety comes with isolation. High rents, language barriers and anonymity weigh heavily. Community carol services offer little solace. “The zeal is gone,” John says. “In Manipur, the whole village celebrated as one.”

As midnight approaches, Mary and John light candles—not in celebration, but in quiet resilience. For them, home is no longer a place, but the fragile bond of faith, family and hope they carry into another Christmas in exile.

Displaced by Manipur Ethnic Violence, Kuki-Zo Survivors Face Another Christmas Away from Home

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