Ukhrul, March 11: A reported scuffle between villagers and the Kangpokpi District Police on Tuesday regarding the destruction of poppy cultivation at Sinakeithei, Ukhrul District, has quickly attracted significant attention.
Videos shared widely on X, purportedly showing the incident, depict police personnel and villagers engaged in a heated argument over the destruction of poppy fields. Kangpokpi police officers reportedly asserted that they were the law enforcement authority and had the right to carry out the operation. However, the villagers maintained that while they had no objection to the destruction of poppy cultivation, it should be undertaken by the appropriate authorities, as the village falls under Ukhrul district. The situation, though tense, was reportedly brought under control following the intervention of Ukhrul district police.
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This altercation between the Sinakeithei villagers and the Kangpokpi police, led by SDPO Lunthang Vaiphei, has generated varying narratives on social media.
In this context, it is paramount to set the record straight based on the ground report.
As per the Sinakeithei Village Secretary, Kachui Wunganing Zimik, the Ukhrul Police DSP Syed Ajijur Rahman had informed the village authority about an upcoming poppy destruction drive, which the villagers agreed to. He noted that the village youths were waiting for the Ukhrul police team to assist when Kangpokpi police, led by SDPO Lunthang Vaiphei and accompanied by around 200 personnel, including members of the BSF, arrived unexpectedly.
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He stated that the confrontation ensued when SDPO Lunthang Vaiphei claimed that Sinakeithei falls within Kangpokpi District and that they had the authority to act there. In the ensuing scuffle, a villager was also assaulted, he alleged. Also, he clarified that the villagers were not against the destruction of the plantation but were against the claim that Sinakeithei falls under Kangpokpi District.
The village secretary further claimed that while the Ukhrul District police have periodically conducted poppy destruction operations, this has not occurred in the surrounding Kuki villages under Kangpokpi District for nearly 18 years.
On the otherhand, the Manipur Police reported that on March 10, 2026, security forces, along with the NCB and the Forest Department, destroyed approximately 10 acres of poppy plantations at multiple locations between Tingpibung and Leplen villages under the Saikul Police Station in Kangpokpi District.
Also, it reported that approximately 25 acres of illicit poppy plantation at Sinakeithei under Litan-PS, Ukhrul District, were also destroyed.
This raises the question: why has this particular instance of poppy destruction, which is legal and conducted under the government’s “War on Drugs” campaign, caused such a stir? Analysis of the narratives from both sides suggests that the conflict is rooted in territorial jurisdiction. In a state like Manipur, where territorial issues are sensitive, this incident exemplifies the complexities involved. If the situation were merely about poppy destruction, such a confrontation would likely not have occurred. Furthermore, it would be unjust to generalize the entire community as poppy planters.