Manipur govt announces reopening of highways after years of ethnic blockades

More than a year after the Centre's efforts to clear "economic blockades" in Manipur failed to restore free movement, the state government on Saturday announced the immediate reopening of national highways for people of all communities in the ethnic conflict-scarred state.

The government also announced the resumption of bus services between Imphal and Nagaland's capital Kohima, with sections of the arterial highway having remained inaccessible to certain communities since ethnic violence erupted between Kuki-Zo and Meitei groups in May 2023 and later shifted to tensions between Kuki-Zo and Naga groups from February.

The Tangkhul Naga Long, a Naga organisation, welcomed the government's announcement but urged it to end what it called the "militarisation" of Naga-inhabited areas and reject any proposal for a separate Kuki administration in the ancestral homeland of Naga people.

Kuki organisations were yet to respond, although the Kuki-Zo Council has said NH-2 should not reopen until an agreement is reached with Meitei people.

Kuki and Naga organisations have been behind blockades and counter-blockades on stretches of NH-2 and NH-202.

Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen and Saitu MLA Haokholet Kipgen jointly announced the reopening during a visit to Kangpokpi, a Kuki-majority district.

The announcement came a day before a total shutdown threatened by a coalition of 14 civil society organisations demanding an Assam-like exercise to update the National Register of Citizens.

"The boundaries of Manipur were formed and have been protected by all communities over 3,000 years. Some vested interest groups are trying to create confusion among us, but there is a solution to every crisis," Singh said after meetings with community leaders in Kangpokpi as part of the government's peace-building and reconciliation efforts.

He stressed the need for all communities to identify themselves as Manipuri first and move freely through each other's areas.

Kipgen sought support from civil society organisations, public leaders and intellectuals for lasting peace, saying Manipur could achieve complete development only when its valley and hill areas progressed equally.

Economic lifelines

Saitu MLA Haokholet Kipgen described NH-2 as a lifeline for all communities in Manipur since the Second World War and urged communities involved in the conflicts to move beyond the past and return to normality.

Manipur's geography makes its highways particularly important. The Imphal Valley lies at the centre, surrounded by hills, while highways provide crucial passages connecting the valley with surrounding areas and neighbouring states.

NH-2 connects Imphal with Kohima to the north, while NH-202 links Imphal with Nagaland's Mokokchung through Naga-dominated Ukhrul district.

Kuki groups imposed a blockade on a section of NH-2 through Kangpokpi soon after the May 2023 conflict, restricting access primarily for the Meitei community. Naga organisations later enforced a counter-blockade on the highway through Senapati district following the killing of six Naga hostages, allegedly by Kuki people.

The Kuki-Naga conflict also resulted in a blockade by Kuki groups on the Litan stretch of NH-202 connecting Imphal with Naga-dominated Kamjong and Ukhrul districts. The route had become an alternative for many travellers following the NH-2 blockade.

NH-37, connecting Imphal with Silchar in southern Assam, has remained largely incident-free. However, truckers and travellers have generally preferred other routes because of cave-ins, frequent landslides and the presence of extortion gangs.

In March 2025, the Centre had attempted to restore free movement on roads and highways across Manipur. The move triggered protests, and one person was killed when a mob attacked a Manipur State Transport bus in Kangpokpi.

The latest announcement marks another attempt by the state government to restore the highways as common economic lifelines amid continuing efforts at reconciliation between Manipur's communities.