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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Sharkaphung say to his date? You're jaw-some.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sharkaphung
Sikibung
Village
Map
Interactive map of Sharkaphung
Sharkaphung is located in Manipur
Sharkaphung
Sharkaphung
Location in Manipur, India
Sharkaphung is located in India
Sharkaphung
Sharkaphung
Sharkaphung (India)
Coordinates: 24°56′43″N 94°11′00″E / 24.9454°N 94.1832°E / 24.9454; 94.1832
Country India
StateManipur
DistrictKamjong
Elevation
945 m (3,100 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
1,084
Languages
 • SpokenTangkhul (Sarkaphung tui)
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
795142
Vehicle registrationMN
Nearest cityUkhrul Imphal
Literacy74.03%
Lok Sabha constituencyOuter Manipur
Vidhan Sabha constituencyPhungyar

Sharkaphung, also known as Sikibung,[a] is a village in Kamjong district, Manipur, India. It is on the bank of the Thoubal River, along the Imphal–Ukhrul Road (NH-202), about 35 kilometers (22 mi) from Imphal and 45 kilometers (28 mi) southwest of Ukhrul. The village is flanked by Thawai Kuki on the west and Litan in the east (the latter in Ukhrul district).

History

[edit]
The Litan area in a 1944 survey map; Sharkaphung is marked as "Sagabung"

Sharkaphung, originally called Sikibung, was a village in the Ukhrul Sub-Division prior to Indian independence. The 1944 survey map shows it located on a stream called Habu Lok, a left tributary of the Thoubal River. The original location was on the hill slope, about 200–300 m above Thoubal valley floor. The village was acknowledged as a hill village in the Manipur Hill People's (Administration) Regulation (1947), in Circle No. 2 of the Ukhrul Sub-Division, which corresponds to the modern Kamjong district. It was listed as having a Kuki subvillage with 21 houses and a Tangkhul subvillage with 7 houses.[1]

In 1956, the subvillages were listed as separate villages: "Sikibung Tangkhul" or Sikibung (T) and "Sikibung Kuki" or Sikibung (K).[2] While Sikibung (K) stayed at the original location, Sikibung (T) moved down closer to the Thoubal River valley, which also carried Imphal–Ukhrul highway (present NH-202).[3] The 1961 census gave the population of Sikibung (T) as 147 people with 28 households, and the population of Sikibung (K) as 73 people with 14 households.[4][b]

In the next census in 1971, Sikibung Kuki was not listed,[5] even though the Survey of India maps continue to show its location.[3] It is possible that Sikibung Kuki has affiliated itself with the neighbouring Sareikhong village.

By 1991 census, Sikibung Tangkhul had grown to a population of 757.[6][c] It now controlled the entire course of the Habu Lok stream and presumably attracted settlers from the neighbouring Tangkhul villages. By 2001, it was simply called "Sikibung" without the "Tangkhul" suffix.[7]

Relations with Sareikhong

[edit]

Sareikhong was another "Kuki village" about 3 km east of Sikibung (T) by aerial distance, which expanded towards the Litan bridge after the Imphal–Ukhrul highway became functional. The Chepu village to the north of the Thoubal River also moved down to the valley next to the bridge. By 1961, there was a large village complex near the bridge, which was listed as "Litan Shepumongkot and Sareikhong" in the census with a population of 530 people.[4] This village cluster was moved to the Ukhrul subdivision (which remains in present-day Ukhrul district), while Sikibung remained in the Phungyar subdivision (now Kamjong district).[6]

Soon after its formation, Sikibung Tangkhul seems to have campaigned for its territorial demarcation. The Court of the Subdivisional Officer of Ukhrul determined in 1947–48 that the boundary between Sikibung and Sareikhong was at the Khoirulok stream.[8][d]

In recent times, Sikibung Tangkhul apparently has laid claim to the Litan Bazar area, which is part of the Litan Sareikhong village. This led to a dispute between the two villages. Sikibung Tangkhul has claimed that there was "1973 settlement agreement", by which Sareikhong was required to pay Rs. 20,000 for control of the area, but paid only half of it, leaving the remainder unpaid. Hence it claims that the agreement was aborted and Litan Bazar reverted to its own territory.[9][10] Sikibung Tangkhul's claims are backed by Tangkhul Naga Long, the apex body of the Tangkhul community,[11] and the parallel government run by the insurgent group NSCN (IM).[12]

The Sareikhong village did not separate into Kuki and Tangkhul portions, but an essential split seems to have developed there too, with the Kukis moving down to the settlement near the bridge and the Tangkhuls remaining on a hill. The hill subvillage, called Leingangching or S. Laho, is said to have had its "constitution" (Riyan) enacted by Sharkaphung.[13] This seems to indicate that Leingangching had been turned into a subvillage of Sharkaphung, even though it was originally part of Sareikhong.[e]

Demography

[edit]

According to 2011 census, Sharkaphung has 202 households with the total of 1084 people, of which 560 are male and 554 are female.[14] Of the total population, 156 were in the age group of 0–6 years. The average sex ratio of the village is 936 female to 1000 male, which is lower than the state average of 985. The literacy rate of the village stands at 74.03%, which is lower than the state average 76.94%. Male literacy rate stands at 80.46%, while female literacy rate was 67.26%.[15]

The inhabitants speak Sarkaphung Tui, which belongs to the Tangkhulic (Naga) language family.[citation needed]

People and occupations

[edit]

The village is home to people of Tangkhul Naga tribe. The majority of the inhabitants are Christians. Agriculture is the primary occupation of the inhabitants. Sharkaphung is one of the 44 villages considered likely to be affected as a catchment area when the Mapithel multi purpose project is functional.[16]

Recent developments

[edit]

Poppy cultivation

[edit]

Land dispute

[edit]

The land dispute between Litan and Sikibung spiralled in 2020 with the government proposing to widen the Imphal–Ukhrul Road (NH-202) to a double-lane road. Sikibung, having claimed the land of Litan Bazar for several years, insisted that it should be compensated for the land lost to the road-widening project instead of Litan Sareikhong. In December 2020, a resident of Litan was said to have been "detained" by villagers of Sikibung owing to the dispute. The people of Litan blocked the Imphal–Ukhrul Road in protest, and the villager was released. The next morning, as the headman of Sikibung went to Litan along with his village authority members, he was attacked by a mob. He escaped to safety in the Litan police station, but tensions flared anyway.[17] According to the KSO-Ukhrul, Sikibung villagers abducted a member of the Litan Sareikhong Double Lane Compensation Committee the previous day, and the Headman was attempting to abduct another member, which was foiled by the people of the village.[18] Its representative stated that a compromise meeting was held a week later under the initiative of MLA Alfred Arthur, and the two village leaders were advised to pursue a legal mechanism for resolving the land dispute.[19][20]

Headman Kasar of Sikibung filed a writ petition in Manipur High Court seeking direction to the maintenance of village boundary between itself and Sareikhong. In its judgement of 25 March 2021, the High Court confirmed the Khoirulok boundary defined in 1947–48. It made no mention of the Litan Bazar area in the boundary claims, but issued a directive to the Deputy Commissioner of Ukhrul district to maintain the boundary between the two villages.[8][f] Subsequently, the Sikibung and Litan villages formed a "Litan Area Land Committee", which issued an ultimatum to the district authorities to resolve the land issues concerning the two villages.[23]

On 8 October 2024, in the midst of the Manipur conflict, the parallel government of Naga insurgents, GPRN, issued an "administrative order", declaring that Litan Bazar was "part and parcel" of the Sikibung/Sharkaphung village and that the "encroachment" made by Sareikhong was an "illegal settlement" and warrants immediate eviction under Naga customary law. Tangkhul Naga Long followed it up with an eviction notice.[12][24][25] There was no immediate response from the Kuki side, but in February 2026, the Committee on Protection of Tribal Areas Manipur – Kuki Hills (COPTAM-KH) rejected GPRN's claims as "factually false and historically fabricated". Threats of "immediate eviction" without due process, it argued, was a violation of fundamental constitutional protections.[25][26]

During the period of President's Rule between February 2025 – January 2026, Manipur was quiescent, but, as soon as a new elected government was sworn in during February 2026, clashes developed between the Kukis and Tangkhuls in the Litan area.

2026 clashes

[edit]

The trouble began on 7 February with an altercation between a few Tangkhuls and a group of Kukis in Litan Sareikhong, who were described as intoxicated. A Tangkhul man was severely beaten up resulting in his getting hospitalised. After receiving complaints from the victim's family, the Chief of Litan Sareikhong arranged a meeting the next day to settle the matter according to customary practices. However, the family of the injured man failed to show up.[27][28] Instead, a delegation from Sikibung led by the headman Wungreikhan Kasar, came to demand that those that assaulted the Tangkhul man on 7 February should be handed over to them. The standoff escalated into stone-pelting by both sides, and there were reports of attacks on the house of the chief and those of the assaulters as well as gunfire near the Litan police station. These events led to clashes between the members of the two communities within Litan Sareikhong, and arson of houses during the night.[27][29][30][31] Arson and sporadic gunfire continued for several days and the residents of the Litan and Litan Sareikhong fled their houses.[32][33] By 14 February, it was reported that 70 houses had been gutted, 100 families had fled their homes to take shelter in neighbouring villages, and the traffic on NH-202 had been disrupted.[34]

Meanwhile, Tangkhul Naga Long declared an "Emergency" on 10 February.[35] Along with the insurgent group NSCN-IM, it claimed the Government of India carrying out "demographic engineering" by creating a "homeland" for Kukis within "Naga areas".[36][37][38] It asked the Tangkhul community to cut off all civic ties with the Kukis.[38][39]

The tensions escalated into serious clashes within a month. On 11 March, two Kuki men were abducted from the village of Thawai Kuki neighbouring Sikibung, and later found murdered. According to police reports, suspected Tangkhul volunteers went to a poppy field in the hills range above Thawai Kuki and destroyed poppy plants and huts. This was followed by an exchange of fire between the volunteers and Thawai Kuki villagers. At the end of the shooting, four Kuki men were found missing. Two of them were later rescued by security forces from the Leingangching village. Two others were found murdered the next day with their battered bodies lying in the forest. Kuki villagers of the neighbouring Shangkai village took 21 Tangkhul people travelling along the highway captive in order to counter the Tangkhul abductions. But, under pressure from community leaders and assurances from security forces, they released them. This was the first instance of hostage-taking as well killings in the 2026 clashes.[40][41][42][43] A Naga organisation called "Khanunithot-Khon" ("Voice of the Naga Youth") issued an "eviction notice" to the Shangkai village, claiming that they were "guests" on Tangkhul ancestral land.[44][45] The Thawai Tangkhul village claimed that the murdered individuals were not residents of Thawai Kuki according to its own records. It also said that Thawai Kuki could not grant land to Assam Rifles (a security force) without its permission.[46]

On 23 March, Sikibung reported "indiscriminate and sustained firing" that left two civilians injured.[47] Apparently it came from across the Thoubal River from the villages of Shangkai and Mongkot Chepu.[48] Tangkhul Naga Long blamed "Kuki militants" and alleged that Assam Rifles were aiding them.[47]

On 7 April, a confrontation took place between Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel and women activists of Leingangching. The women reportedly obstructed the personnel from advancing towards a bunker established in the area, and the RAF applied lathi charge, resulting in a serious injury to one activist.[49] On 10 April, a jawan of the Border Security Force stationed at Mongkot Chepu was killed by gunfire that came from an unknown direction.[50] There was intermittent crossfire from both the sides of the valley during the day, the jawan suffered a gunshot injury at the "back" of his left shoulder.[51]

Blockades and ambushes

[edit]

On 7 April, the Kuki CSO Working Committee (WCKCSOs) of Ukhrul alleged a "silent but deliberate economic blockade" that the Kuki-inhabited areas of Ukhrul district had been subjected to for two months. It said that essential supplies to the Kuki areas were being blocked at the village of Wunghon, while those meant for Tangkhul areas were allowed passage. Repeated complaints to the authorities including the Litan Police Station failed to yield any result, it said. The Committee gave a 72-hour ultimatum, after which it said the right of free passage along the Imphal–Ukhrul highway would be withdrawn.[52]

On 12 April, WCKCSOs withdrew the assurance of free movement.[53] On 18 April, a convoy of six vehicles proceeding to Ukhrul came under fire from the vicinity of Chepu Yaolen, to the east of Litan, and two Tangkhul men were killed.[54]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Alternative spellings: Sarkaphung, Sagabung, Sekibung, Shikibung, Shikiphung and Sikiphung.
  2. ↑ It is unclear why Sikibung (K) reduced from 21 households to 14 and how Sikibung (T) grew from 7 households to 28.
  3. ↑ It is likely that the population of Sikibung Kuki resettled in neighbouring Sareikhong, which remained a Kuki village.
  4. ↑ According to local testimony, the Khoirulok stream is the unlabelled stream in the map lying between the Habu Lok and Sarai Khong streams.
  5. ↑ Leingangching was not separately listed as a village in any census up to 2011. Its population appears to have been included in Sareikhong in the census listings.
  6. ↑ The judgement was not covered in the media or publicised by the Tangkhul community, until a stray mention in a web commentary five years later.[21] A long video statement made by the headman on 13 February 2026 omitted any mention of the 1947–48 delineation.[22][10]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Sanajaoba, Naorem, ed. (1993), Manipur: Treaties and Documents, Volume 1, Mittal Publications, pp. 417, 419, ISBN 9788170993995
  2. ↑ "Notification No. IJ/2/56", Manipur Gazette, 16 August 1956, p. 8 – via archive.org (Sikibung Kuki misspelled as "Sikingbung Kuki".)
  3. 1 2 Map No. G46W1, Survey of India, 2011.
  4. 1 2 R. K. Birendra Singh (1961), District Census Handbook – Manipur, Census of India 1961 (PDF), Government of Manipur, p. 44
  5. ↑ Census of India, 1971: A-10:B. District census handbook. Town & village directory. Primary census abstract [name of district: Manipur East], India. Office of the Registrar, 1976, p. xxxii
  6. 1 2 Primary Census Abstract (Rural) - Manipur - 1991, Census Digital Library, 27 June 2022.
  7. ↑ Ukhrul District Census Handbook, Director of Census Operations, Manipur, 2001, page 164.
  8. 1 2 Shri Wungreikhan Kasar vs State Of Manipur, Manipur High Court, 25 March 2021.
  9. ↑ Lian Naulak, Amit Kumar, Litan and the fragile edges of Manipur’s ethnic divide, EastMojo, 17 February 2026.
  10. 1 2 Sharkaphung Headman Stands Firm on Land Claim Amidst Tension, Ekhon, 15 February 2026.
  11. ↑ Litan Bazar in the eye of storm, Tangkhul Naga Long threatens eviction, Imphal Free Press, 12 October 2024. ProQuest 3115599052
  12. 1 2 WTR declares Litan Bazar as ancestral land of Sikibung village, warns against illegal settlements, Imphal Times, 11 October 2024.
  13. ↑ Marchers protest burial denial, Imphal Free Press, 18 August 2017. ProQuest 1929619249
  14. ↑ Ukhrul District Census Handbook, Director of Census Operations, Manipur, 2011, page 148.
  15. ↑ "Sikibung population". census2011.co.in 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Affected villages". E-Pao. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  17. ↑ Mungchuan Zimik Litan-Sikibung standoff triggers tension, The Sangai Express, 29 December 2020.
  18. ↑ Mercy Khongsai (25 May 2026). The Truth Behind the Claims ! Full Statement by KSO-Ukhrul VP. The Forgotten Frontier Podcast. Event occurs at 4:12 – via YouTube.
  19. ↑ Mercy Khongsai (25 May 2026). The Truth Behind the Claims ! Full Statement by KSO-Ukhrul VP. The Forgotten Frontier Podcast. Event occurs at 6:08 – via YouTube.
  20. ↑ KSO-Ukhrul VP Mercy Khongsai Rebuts Ramreichan Keishing's Statements on Wung Media, The Hills Journal, 25 May 2026.
  21. ↑ Markson V. Luikham, Op-Ed: What Ram Muivah's Interview Tells India About the Real Crisis in Manipur, Ekhon, 3 September 2026.
  22. ↑ "Kukis assaulted Tangkhul Nagas multiple times and attempted to murder me", K. Wungreikhan (headman). Indigenous Hills Network. 13 February 2026 – via YouTube.
  23. ↑ Mungchan Zimik, LALC sets ultimatum to resolve land issues of Litan and Sikibung separately, The Sangai Express, 29 July 2021.
  24. ↑ Litan Bazar in the eye of storm, Tangkhul Naga Long threatens eviction, Imphal Free Press, 12 October 2024. ProQuest 3115599052
  25. 1 2 From Drunken Brawl to Land War: Inside Manipur’s Litan Flashpoint, Power Corridors, 9 February 2026.
  26. ↑ Tension Escalates as COPTAM-KH Rejects Order Threatening Kuki Village, Kukiland Media, via Facebook, 9 February 2026.
  27. 1 2 PTI, Tribal groups clash in Manipur’s Ukhrul, prohibitory orders imposed, India Today NE, 8 February 2026.
  28. ↑ Clarification Issued Amid Conflicting Narratives Over Litan Incident, Ukhrul Times, 13 Feb 2026.
  29. ↑ Ukhrul: Over 20 Houses Set Ablaze in Litan Village, Manipur, Ukhrul Times, 9 February 2026.
  30. ↑ Several houses torched as tribal groups clash in Manipur’s Ukhrul, The Hindu, 9 Feb 2026.
  31. ↑ Kuthar 2026, Sec. One".
  32. ↑ More houses torched on third day of Kuki-Naga violence in Manipur, Internet suspended, The Hindu, 10 Feb 2026.
  33. ↑ X post with video, India Today NE, 11 February 2026.
  34. ↑ Vehicular movement halted on Imphal–Ukhrul road amid tensions in Litan, EastMojo, 14 February 2026.
  35. ↑ Declaration of Emergency, Ruangmei Today, via Facebook, 10 February 2026.
  36. ↑ NSCN-IM Links Inter-Community Clashes to Alleged ‘Kuki Homeland’ Plan, The Northeast Post, 17 Feb 2026.
  37. ↑ Inter-community Clash, Attack on Nagas a Simple Pretext to Legitimize Creation of Kuki Homeland: NSCN-IM, Ukhrul Times, 17 February 2026.
  38. 1 2 ‘Land Rights Non-Negotiable’: TNL Orders Cut in Civic Ties, Demands SoO Camp Relocation and Evictions, Ukhrul Times, 25 February 2026.
  39. ↑ Tangkhuls asked to cut all ties with Kukis, The Sangai Express, via e-pao.net, 25 February 2026.
  40. ↑ Held captive, 21 Nagas released in Manipur’s restive Ukhrul district, The Hindu, 12 Mar 2026.
  41. ↑ Ananya Bharadwaj, Manipur: 2 missing Kukis found dead hours after assurance to find them sealed deal that freed hostages, ThePrint, 12 March 2026.
  42. ↑ Manipur Police Register Three FIRs After Gunfire and Detentions,Two Bodies Recovered, Ukhrul Times, 13 March 2026.
  43. ↑ FIR No. RC-03/2026/NIA/IMP, National Investigation Agency, 22 March 2026.
  44. ↑ Ultimatum Served to Vacate Shangkai Village, Ukhrul Times, 13 March 2026.
  45. ↑ Mockery of Governance in Manipur: Naga Body Issues Eviction Dictat After Killing of Kuki Men, 12 Mar 2026.
  46. ↑ Thoyee VA: ‘Thengin Baite not Listed in Thawai Kuki Village Records’, Opposes Illigitimate Land Offer to Army, Ukhrul Times, 16 March 2026.
  47. 1 2 Tangkhul Naga Bodies Condemn Attack on Naga Villagers; AR Hand in Glove with Kuki Militants, says TNL, Ukhrul Times, 24 March 2026.
  48. ↑ Vangamla Salle, K. S., Manipur: Sniper fire injures two in Kamjong, EastMojo, 24 March 2026.
  49. ↑ 5 Women Reportedly injured in confrontation with RAF personnel at Ukhrul’s Leingangching, Ukhrul Times, 7 April 2026.
  50. ↑ Manipur: BSF constable killed in Ukhrul district, Scroll.in, 10 April 2026.
  51. ↑ BSF Lodge FIR at Litan PS After Jawan killed at Mongkot Chepu Firing, Ukhrul Times, 11 April 2026.
  52. ↑ Manipur: Kuki CSOs give 72-hour ultimatum over ‘economic blockade’ on NH-202, India Today NE, 7 April 2026.
  53. ↑ Kuki group in Ukhrul drops responsibility for NH-202 safety amid blockade hardship, India Today NE, 12 April 2026.
  54. ↑ Rahul Karmakar, Two killed in ambush on Manipur highway, The Hindu, 18 April 2026.
Sources
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sharkaphung&oldid=1375310769"