Protests in Imphal demand safe passage on highways

Women vendors of Ema Keithel, the iconic all-women-run market in Manipur’s capital city, Imphal, on Thursday staged a protest under the joint aegis of Kangleipak Kanba Lup, a Meitei based CSO, and bodies of women vendors, against failure on the part of both the Central and state governments to facilitate free movement along national highways in the state.
The women vendors criticized both the Central and state governments for their failure to translate the initiative of free movement on the national highways, particularly on NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur section) even after months since an announcement was made by the Union ministry of home affairs.
Since the outbreak of the violent ethnic crisis between the Meitei and the Kuki two years and four months ago in May 2023, no member of the Meitei community can access the highways passing through the Kuki dominated hill areas.
Under the initiative of the Union home minister Amit Shah, the highways were set to reopen for free movement of all sections of people in March this year. However, it could not be materialized following strong opposition from the Kuki tribes.
“Deploy adequate number of security forces and allow the Meitei to access the highways safely,” Thingujam Rani, a leader of the women vendors demanded.
She said that the national highways are not the properties of any particular community or tribe. Every citizen of the country must be allowed to access the highways without any hindrance and fear.
At the same time, the women vendors’ leader demanded concessions in the air fares until the government could arrange safe passage of people on the surface routes.
She said that despite the economic hardships being faced by them, the Meitei people were compelled to take flights while going outside the state.
A simultaneous protest was also held outside the Manipur High Court Complex in Imphal by members of the Kangleipak Kanba Lup while insisting that the judiciary uphold its directives for free movement on national highways.
Notably, on September 4, 2025, the Union home ministry announced that the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), had agreed to open the NH-2 passing through Kangpokpi district “for the free movement of commuters and essential goods”.
However, in the later days, the conglomerate of Kuki-Zo groups, in a statement, had stated that “as there is still no settlement or agreement to the conflict between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities, no one from either side must cross the buffer zones.”