Keyboard Warriors and Peace-makers: Social Media Discourse and the Framing of Conflict in Manipur, Northeast India

In 2023, Manipur, Northeast India, witnessed “ethnic conflict” between the “majority” Meitei community and “tribal” Kukis. Some commentators framed it as religious, identifying Meiteis as Hindus and Kukis as Christians, while others linked it to “narco-terrorists” engaged in trafficking and poppy cultivation along the Indo-Myanmar border. This study uses digital anthropology and frame analysis to examine social media content on the conflict. Two frames emerged: one emphasizing antagonism between ethnic or ethno-religious groups; the other calling for peace. Widely shared content by journalists and activists labeled the conflict “ethnic,” identifying actors in ethnic terms. The study contributes to scholarship on ethno-political conflict and the online discourse–offline violence relationship, showing how framing enemy “others” reinforces ethnic group competition as a self-evident explanation for conflict.