Two police vehicles that were set on fire during the protests remained on the highway to block the movement of heavy vehicles. Photo: Special Arrangement
Women protesters blocked the National Highway-2 in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Sunday (March 9, 2025), a day after the area witnessed violent clashes between security forces and the Kuki-Zo people that left one person dead.
A shutdown observed in the hill district of Churachandpur too affected the movement of vehicles. An indefinite shutdown was called by civil society groups in all Kuki-Zo areas.
The developments are being closely watched with Union Home Minister Amit Shah scheduled to table the resolution for proclamation of President’s Rule in Manipur in Parliament on Monday (March 10, 2025), when the House reconvenes for the second leg of the Budget Session. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will also place Manipur’s Budget in the House as the State Assembly is under suspended animation.
Violence was reported the first time since the February 13 imposition of President’s Rule on Saturday (March 8, 2025) over the enforcement of free movement of all vehicles through NH-2 and NH-37, which connect the land-locked Imphal valley to Nagaland and Assam respectively. The highways are critical for supply of essentials and other commodities.
Hai Hatchingthem Kipgen, a fourth-year college student who was leading the protests at Kangpokpi Bazaar on Sunday (March 9, 2025), accused the security forces of attacking the protesters.
“A member of the security force told us that we are not Indians. His superior immediately pulled him back. We are a part of India and that is why we are fighting for a separate administration. We have blocked the road because we lost one brother yesterday,” said Ms. Kipgen.
The anti-riot Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the Central Reserve Police Force marched on the violence-hit stretch at regular intervals. The roads were blocked at multiple points with the help of wooden logs and huge rocks.
Two police vehicles that were set on fire during the protests remained on the highway to block the movement of heavy vehicles.
“Since the violence began [in May 2023], we never clashed with the security forces. This is the first time that the RAF was deployed in a hill district. The Centre should not force the movement of all vehicles, it is a majoritarian idea,” said Nemgche Kimneng, 54, a housewife.
Another resident Angam Leivon, 70, whose house in Imphal was torched during the May 2023 violence said that people from the hill district were not going to visit the valley areas in the future and the enforced normalcy was not acceptable.
“President’s Rule should have been imposed much earlier. So many lives were lost, my house in Imphal was burnt down. The Meiteis will also not come here, what is the need for the movement of State Transport buses on the highways then?” asked Mr. Leivon.
A day after a protester identified as Lalgouthang Singsit was killed, a post-mortem was conducted, and his body was handed over to the family.
After Home Minister Amit Shah’s direction to enforce free movement on highways, the Manipur administration ran Manipur State Transport (MST) buses on two routes on Saturday (March 8, 2025) – Imphal-Kangpokpi-Senapati and Bishnupur-Churachandpur-Imphal passing through Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga areas.
Kuki-Zo protestors clashed with security forces at multiple points in Kangpokpi as an “empty” MST bus that originated from Imphal reached the area. The bus could not cross Kangpokpi and was then shifted to an undisclosed location. The other MST bus which plied on the Bishnupur-Churachandpur-Imphal route under security cover could complete the journey without any violence.
The bus services are scheduled to resume on Monday (March 10, 2025).
Published – March 10, 2025 12:26 am IST
