RAS question
Fresh ethnic violence in February 2026 in Manipur's Ukhrul district was between which two communities?
Correct answer: (B) Tangkhul Naga and Kuki.
Fresh ethnic violence in Manipur's Ukhrul district in February 2026 was between the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities.
Explanation
The Ukhrul violence was identified as a clash involving the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities. The immediate trigger given in the explanation was an altercation at Litan village. The Indian Express report supports the same setting: it places the renewed tension in the Litan area of Ukhrul district and says the situation escalated after a brawl involving people from neighbouring villages. It also reports that over 40 houses belonging to the Tankhul Naga and Kuki communities had been burnt in the violence. That is why option B is the only option that matches both the community pairing and the Ukhrul-Litan context.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Meitei and Kuki does not match this Ukhrul incident because the source links the burnt houses in the Litan area to the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities.
- (C) Meitei and Naga does not fit the cited incident because the reported houses belonged to the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities, not Meitei groups.
- (D) Hmar and Paite are not the communities identified in the Ukhrul-Litan violence described by the explanation and the cited report.
Concept
This tests conflict mapping in Indian polity and internal security, where RAS often asks candidates to connect a current event with the correct communities and location. The recurring skill is to avoid relying on the broad Manipur template and read the district-specific details.