Viral video of Manipur officials announcing separation from India

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search and a keyword search to trace the original source.

Multiple accounts on social media platform X were sharing a video since February 16, 2026, allegedly showing Manipur leaders officially declaring independence from India. However, the clip is old, from 2019, and shows separatists.

The former princely state of Manipur became part of India in 1949, two years after the country won independence from Britain.

As per DW, extreme violence has erupted in India’s northeastern Manipur state in recent days, prompting authorities to impose a curfew and suspend the internet to restore peace.

Tension erupted in Ukhrul district’s Litan Sareikhong village after a group of people allegedly beat up a Tangkhul Naga community member.

HOW IT STARTED

On Feb 16, an X account, namely Manipur Post, shared a video of a press conference in which a man can be seen announcing separation from India.

The caption read: “Manipur officially declares freedom from Indian occupation. The respected leaders of Manipur have officially announced independence, citing widespread Indian Army violations across all areas. The announcement highlights ongoing clashes between local militants and Indian forces, marking a historic moment for the Manipur freedom movement.”

The post gained 39,328 views. However, it did not specify the date or location of the press conference or who was addressing it.

The person can be heard highlighting racism and violence against Manipuris, and the burning of cultural institutions. He urged the world to recognise the Manipuri people’s humanity and respect their history, seeking support against human rights violations and for independence.

Journalist Waqar Satti also shared the same clip, with the following caption: “The Indian state of ‘Manipur’ has officially declared independence from Indian occupation.”

The post gained 28,525 views.

The video, along with the same caption, was shared by pro-military users too, as can be seen here and here, gaining 20,700 views.

PML-N supporters also shared the same claim as seen here and here; collectively gaining 20,000 views.

The same clip was further amplified by several other accounts on X, as can be seen here, here, here and here; collectively gaining 22,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the uprising of violence in Manipur.

A keyword search yielded no news reports from any credible international or Indian media outlets that covered such a development in Manipur recently.

A reverse image search was conducted to trace the video’s source and yielded a YouTube video shared by media outlet Geo News on October 30, 2019. The video was titled: “Geo News Special – Leaders From India’s Manipur State Form Government-In-Exile In UK”.

The video shows Narengbam Samarjit, external affairs minister of the self-declared Manipur State Council, announcing separation from India during a press conference.

At the 14-second mark, Samarjit can be heard saying, “We will run the de jure exiled government here … from today onwards. And we will file a petition to her majesty, to her highness, the queen and to the Privy Council. And we will move with the order to the United Nations to seek the support from the Security Council.”

The clip from the same press conference was also shared by ARY News. Other local digital media outlets, such as Pak Digital News and Indus News, also shared the same clip on their YouTube channels with the same context in October 2019.

Indian digital media outlet HW News English also shared the same clip on Oct 31, 2019, with the title, “North-East challenge: Manipur separatist leaders announce ‘Government in Exile’ in UK”.

A report dated October 29, 2019, by international news outlet Al Jazeera, titled “Indian Manipur separatists announce exiled government in UK”, also covered the development. The report stated that dissident leaders from Manipur had announced the formation of a government-in-exile in Britain, declaring independence and seeking international recognition, including UN membership.

Led by Samarjit of the self-declared Manipur State Council, the group revived a 2012 declaration of independence, claiming that Manipur’s history and culture were under threat. The former princely state has witnessed decades of separatist movements and ethnic tensions among communities, including the Meitei, Naga, Kuki and Pangal, alongside a significant Indian military presence.

The Manipur State Council refers to a controversial “government-in-exile” formed by dissident leaders Yambem Biren and Narengbam Samarjit.

The keyword search also yielded news reports dated Oct 30, 2019, by Pakistani news outlets such as Dawn and Express Tribune, confirming that the development dates back to 2019.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows Manipur officials announcing separation from India is false.

The clip is old, from 2019, and shows separatists, not officials or administrative representatives.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES

Oct 30, 2019, Geo News YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDFhy-7ysLo

Oct 30, 2019, ARY News YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0LwdgLTEpM

Oct 30, 2019, Pak Digital News YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/aVks_pPG54Q?si=tTI-fTWXAs-rZycp

Oct 30, 2019, Indus News YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/2TPmTfYNUWU?si=ng5-bX_D7C5pHF3K

Oct 30, 2019, HW News English YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/0moSKOBAADo?si=IE91PvAAhrX_68oV

Oct 29, 2019, Al Jazeera news report:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/29/indian-manipur-separatists-announce-exiled-government-in-uk#:~:text=Dissident%20political%20leaders%20from%20the,by%20armed%20conflict%20and%20instability.

Oct 30, 2019, Dawn news report:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1513792/indian-manipur-separatists-announce-exiled-government-in-uk

Oct 30, 2019, Express Tribune news report:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2089813/manipur-leaders-announce-independence-india