Manipur: Kuki Blockade on National Highway Lifted, Fresh Violence Kills Four More

Kuki rebel groups in Manipur have announced their decision to lift the two-month-long blockade of the national highway in Manipur's Kangpokpi district.

This move paves the way for the reopening of a critical lifeline of the state. However, incidents of violence in Manipur continued, resulting in the death of at least four people on Sunday. One case involved the beheading of a victim, as confirmed by the police.

Since the outbreak of violence in Manipur on May 3, the National Highway-2, which connects Imphal with Dimapur in Nagaland, has been blockaded. This blockade has severely impacted the flow of essential supplies.

Although the blockade was temporarily lifted in early June following an appeal by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to the state, it was reimposed a few days later. This decision came after three individuals from the Kuki-Zomi community were killed in Kangpokpi district on June 9.

The United People's Front and the Kuki National Organisation, both of which fall under the 2008 Suspension of Operations agreement with the Centre and the state, issued a statement on Sunday.

In the statement, they announced the immediate lifting of the blockade "to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities in the state." The decision was made in response to Shah's "deep concern to restore peace and harmony in the state and [to] alleviate the plight of people in general."

The groups also expressed their appreciation for the deployment of central forces in most areas at the border of the hills and the valley. They further stated their commitment to withdrawing their volunteers from all such places once the "deployment of central forces is completed in all vulnerable areas."

On the previous evening, Chief Minister Biren Singh stated that he had spoken to members of the Kuki community that day, aiming to work towards peace and reconciliation.

Speaking to media on Saturday evening, he said, "I spoke to some brothers and sisters from the Kuki community on the telephone and said that what has happened has happened. Now is the time to forgive and forget, reconcile, and live together."

However, the state continued to experience a volatile situation.

In Langza, a Hmar-Kuki village in Churachandpur district, a man named David Thiek was killed and beheaded on Sunday. Local residents reported that the village came under attack during the early hours of Sunday. While most of the village residents fled, a few village volunteers chose to stay back. One of the volunteers, Thiek, lost his life during the attack.

An incident of firing in Khoijumantabi, located in Bishnupur district in the valley at the border with the hill district of Churachandpur, resulted in the death of three people from the Meitei community. The deceased individuals were identified as Ningombam Ibomcha (34), Naorem Rajkumar (26), and Haobam Ibocha (44).

According to the police, the incident occurred around midnight when "armed miscreants coming from adjoining hills fired at the village volunteers" who were stationed in Khoijumantabi hills. Following this, the district administration limited the curfew relaxation in Bishnupur district to just five hours, from 5 am to 10 am.

The violence-hit part of Bishnupur was visited by the Chief Minister on Sunday afternoon.

Since June 29, incidents of violence in areas at the border of the hills and the valley in the state have resulted in the deaths of at least six people, following a relatively calm period of around 15 days. The recent deaths have increased the total number of people killed since the start of the violence on May 3 to at least 137.