Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Tuesday thanked the Naga and Kuki communities for ensuring the smooth movement of inter-state public transport along the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati route through National Highway-2 (NH-2). He said the cooperation extended by both communities was important for maintaining peace, restoring normalcy and ensuring the movement of people and public transport services in the state.

Addressing the 45th Hawkers’ Day celebration at Haying Khongbal in Imphal, Singh referred to an incident at Taphou village in Senapati district on Monday and said MLAs and district authorities had persuaded both communities to ensure the free movement of vehicles. Public transport from Imphal resumed smoothly after being delayed by a few hours.

Inter-state public transport services along the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati route continued for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday. Around 300 passengers, including women and children, travelled from Imphal towards Dimapur and Guwahati in five buses and nine Winger vehicles. More than 400 passengers had also safely travelled towards Imphal from Dimapur and Guwahati.

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The continued movement of vehicles came despite tensions following a gunfight between two groups at Taphou, where a CRPF personnel was injured and two houses were torched. According to a police official, one house was burnt in Taphou Kuki village in neighbouring Kangpokpi district, followed by another house being set on fire in Naga Taphou village in Senapati district. The incidents had triggered protests and a blockade along NH-2.

Singh linked the uninterrupted transport services to the state's ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts. He recalled his visit to Jiribam district and noted that communities that had previously lived together were separated following the ethnic violence that began in May 2023. He maintained that dialogue between communities was essential for restoring peace and promoting development in Manipur.

The Chief Minister also urged people from all communities to work together to protect the state's integrity and maintain peace. He noted that safeguarding Manipur was not the responsibility of the government alone but required a collective effort from its people. The state government has been pursuing dialogue with different communities, while public transport on NH-2 has continued despite occasional incidents along the route.

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