As the two National Highways in Manipur remained blocked for the third consecutive day on Monday (March 10, 2025), officials said the “free movement” of all vehicles from the valley to hills and vice versa would resume once the situation normalised.
Government officials said Kuki-Zo civil society groups had consented and assured smooth plying of Manipur State Transport (MST) buses on March 7, a day before they came under attack in the hill district of Kangpokpi on March 8, leading to violent clashes with the Central security forces, which left one person dead. A Kuki-Zo representative in Kangpokpi, however, said they had consented for the movement of “empty” buses.
“The Kuki-Zo groups had agreed that they will let the MST bus pass through the hills. However, a rally called by a Meitei group to march towards the hills around the same time may have triggered the violence. Provocative videos were also posted on social media. There were two Meitei passengers in the bus who were removed just before the vehicle entered Kangpokpi,” said a senior government official.
The bus, which started from the Imphal airport on March 8, was to pass through Kangpokpi (Kuki-Zo area) and reach the Senapati district (Naga-dominated) as per the scheduled plan. The official added that the buses would not ply for the next few days.
Unlike earlier, the movement of commercial goods vehicles through NH-2 and NH-37 has also been halted since the March 8 violence.
Amit Shah’s directive
In a security review meeting on March 1, Home Minister Amit Shah had directed free movement on the highways from March 8
When asked why the movement of MST bus is vital, the official explained, “the valley areas [where the Meiteis live] is landlocked. Not everyone can afford the aerial route to move out of the State. People may travel to Dimapur and take train or bus route to reach other parts of the country,” said the official.
Since the ethnic violence erupted in the State on May 3, 2023, Kuki-Zo people in the hills and the Meitei people in the valley have been physically separated.
The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) on Monday had a meeting with district administration officials in Kangpokpi regarding the opening of roads, which did not lead to any result.
The COTU has demanded that the government apologise for the March 8 violence and has also demanded the resignation of Superintendent of Police Manoj Prabhakar. The COTU has refused to bury the body of Lalgouthang Singsit, the protester who was killed during the violence, till the demands are met. Kuki-Zo groups said the indefinite shutdown would continue.
