The BJP-led Manipur government’s efforts to resume bus services on two key highways by deploying additional security suffered a blow on Saturday owing to opposition from Kuki-Zo protesters, reflecting the volatile ground situation in the state more than seven months after the conflict began.

Sources said that two Manipur State Transport (MST) buses from Imphal to Senapati and the other from Imphal to Churachandpur (via Bishnupur) had to be terminated before reaching their destinations Kanglatongbi and Phougakchou, respectively, in the morning because of protests by Kuki-Zo people.

An official said governor Anusuiya Uikey who had to inaugurate a pre-fabricated housing complex in Kangpokpi district had to cancel her visit because of road blockades by Kuki-Zo people over the government’s plan to resume bus service through the Kuki-Zo majority district. Reports emanating from Kangpokpi said protesters hit the streets and imposed an emergency shutdown on Saturday.

Commuters were also wary of travelling despite assurances by the administration. The MST bus to Churachandpur had to return from Phougakchou, about 12km from Churachandpur, with one passenger after a protest by volunteers of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF).

The MST bus to Senapati with six occupants was not allowed to cross the buffer zone between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei area at Kanglantongpi in the district, sources said. Frisking of other vehicles also intensified, they said.

Efforts to contact the transport minister and MST director or senior officials to know whether they plan to continue with the convoy service proved futile.

The state home department had on December 21 issued a public notice signed by Manipur chief secretary Vineet Joshi announcing that the Imphal-Kangpokpi-Mao highway (NH2) and the Imphal-Bishnupur-Churachandpur “are operational and for use by all” and that “additional security forces have been deployed under the operation command” of two senior officers — inspector-general of police (IGP) Nishit Kumar Ujjwal for the Imphal-Moa highway and IGP K. Kabib for the Imphal-Churachadpur highway.

It had also mentioned that the convoy along the two routes would start at 9am.

“This will be effective from 23rd December, 2023. All are requested to take note of the notice and cooperate,” the public notice had said.

However, Kuki-Zo organisations, including the Churachandpur-based ITLF
and the COTU, expressed their opposition to the government’s move.

The COTU on Friday appealed to the state government for the withdrawal of the public notice in “toto” because “it was issued to portray normalisation in a violence-hit state so that the invidious affairs of the state is concealed”, adding the authorities will be responsible for “any untoward” incident arising out of the notice.

Flagging sporadic frisking to identify Kuki-Zo people in Meitei-majority Imphal valley, the COTU said that “even a fool won’t make a mistake of travelling to Imphal valley”.

It added that the Kuki-Zo populace “is emotionally separated with the valley of death i.e Imphal and we are pursuing our political separation from the state of Manipur”.

The ITLF on Friday also issued a statement informing the public that “all borders" between Churachandpur and Meitei-majority Bishnupur will be sealed for security reasons, adding they have intelligence inputs “about an imminent threat by Meiteis to disrupt (the) Christmas season”.

The ITLF further said all non-tribals within the district (Churachandpur) were not allowed to move out and non-tribals from outside were not permitted to enter from December 23 to January 5.