The National Highway of Manipur which connects to Dimapur to be open soon
On Sunday, Kuki rebel groups declared that they will remove the two-month-long siege on the district’s main route in Kangpokpi, Manipur. This will make it easier to reopen the crucial lifeline of the state. On Sunday, however, there was more fighting in Manipur, which led to the deaths of at least four people, including one whose head was severed, according to the police.
The National Highway-2, which connects Imphal to Dimapur in Nagaland, has been shut since the commencement of unrest in Manipur on May 3, disrupting the vital supply network. The blockade was momentarily removed in early June in response to a plea made while Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in the state. After the murder of three Kuki-Zomi community members in the Kangpokpi district, it was later revived.
The United People’s Front and the Kuki National Organisation, who both signed the 2008 Suspension of Operations agreement with the federal and state governments, declared in a statement released on Sunday that the blockade would be immediately lifted to guarantee the state’s continual supply of essential goods. Shah’s keen concern for reestablishing peace and harmony in the state and easing the hardships endured by the populace was at the forefront of the decision-making process.
The parties also admitted that the majority of the places along the hills and valleys have been occupied by central forces, and they promised to ensure that their volunteers would leave all such areas once the deployment was finished. All sensitive sites have already seen the deployment of central forces.
Additionally, the declaration made a plea to all “peace-loving organisations and citizens of Manipur” to share their feelings and take action to promote peace and communal harmony in the region.
Chief Minister Biren Singh had indicated the previous evening that he had discussions with members of the Kuki community in an effort to advance peace and reconciliation.
CM N. Biren Singh even visited the violence struck area in Bishnupur, Manipur
#Manipur CM @NBirenSingh inspects the on-ground situation at Laingoubi Ching adjoining Bishnupur-Churachandpur today. This is the place where 3 Meitei villagers were killed in an “unprovoked attack” by suspected Kuki militants.#ManipurViolence #ManipurBurning #ManipurUnrest pic.twitter.com/rODU4kA88v
— Poknapham / The People's Chronicle (@PoknaphamNews) July 2, 2023
“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,” he had said on Saturday evening, speaking to ANI.
On the other hand, the state’s position remained tense. David Thiek, a guy, was murdered and decapitated on Sunday in the Hmar-Kuki village of Langza in the Churachandpur district. Locals said that during the early hours of Sunday, the community came under attack. Most villagers fled, but a small group of volunteers remained. One of the volunteers, Thiek, perished in the assault.
“They started burning the villages at 3-4 am. We consist of around 23-24 villages, and we were told by our Hmar chief to vacate the villages and take our important documents. However, to prevent our houses from getting looted, we had kept three to four young men to guard the villages,” a resident said.
Police confirmed that the man had been beheaded.
