IMPHAL: Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand on Tuesday thanked both Naga and Kuki communities “for ensuring free movement of public road transport service along NH-2” during his address at the 45th Hawkers’ Day (Newspaper Distributors) celebration at Haying Khongbal, Imphal.
He described that the “cooperation and understanding shown by both Naga and Kuki communities are important steps towards maintaining peace, restoring normalcy and ensuring smooth movement of people and public transport services in the State”.
Referring to the reports of an unwanted incident that occurred at Taphou village in Senapati district on August 24, the chief minister said that the MLAs and district authorities persuaded both the communities to ensure free movement and refrain from any activities that disturbed free movement of the vehicles. Public transport from Imphal resumed smoothly despite delays for a few hours.
Public transport services along the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati route via National Highway-2 continued for the fourth day today. About 300 passengers, including women and children, left Imphal for Dimapur and Guwahati in a fleet of 5 buses and 9 Winger vehicles smoothly, an official statement said.
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“This comes in the backdrop of chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s peace initiatives and reconciliation through dialogue among the communities and following the joint announcement of free movement along the all-National Highways on 8th of this month from the Kangpokpi district headquarters”, the statement also said. Even after reports of some unwanted incidents occurred along the stretches of NH-2, the resumption of public road transport along the highways has continued uninterrupted, it further said. “The chief minister has been actively involved in bringing all communities together for dialogue and has been visiting various hill districts since February, 2026”, the statement added.
So far around 900 passengers have travelled from Imphal to Dimapur and Guwahati including today’s service. More than 400 passengers have safely reached Imphal from Dimapur and Guwahati, it further added.
Khemchand Singh recalled his last visit to Jiribam district, where communities that had lived together were separated due to the crisis, which began in May 2023.
He maintained that dialogue among communities is the solution in bringing peace and development in the State.
As part of the government’s initiatives to bring peace in the State, some individuals with vested interests do not want peace to prevail, citing the Tronglaobi incident in Bishnupur district, which claimed the innocent lives of two children, the chief minister added.
