Kangpokpi thwarts Union Home Minister Amit Shah's free movement initiative
MST bus, security escorts attacked; one killed in clash with SFs
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 08 2025: The Government's initiative to facilitate unrestricted move-ment across the State took an ugly turn in Kangpokpi as security forces clashed with Kuki protesters today, leaving one dead and many injured .

The unrest began when Kuki protesters blocked the Imphal-Dimapur road at Kangpokpi, disrupting vehicular movement from Imphal to Senapati district.

Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on March 1 announced that highways and roads will be accessible to all, effective March 8 .

The Union Home Minister also directed top civil and security officials to take up strict action against any one creating obstructions on highways and roads.

Kangpokpi thwarts Union Home Minister Amit Shah's free movement initiative

Although the Union Home Minister gave the directive on March 1 to open all highways and roads from March 8, there was no report of security forces sanitising Imphal-Dimapur highway in advance, particularly the Kuki domina- ted areas of Kangpokpi district.

Notwithstanding the audacious declaration made by several Kuki groups to oppose free movement of people on National Highways in stark defiance of Amit Shah's directive, there was no report of sanitising the vulnerable sections of the highway.

In line with the Government's initiative to resume free movement on all roads, two Manipur State Transport buses - Imphal-Senapati via Kangpokpi and Imphal-Churachandpur via Bishnu- pur escorted by security convoys were flagged off from in front of Bir Tiken-drajit International Airport today at around 9.15 am and 9.30 am respectively.

The convoy heading to Churachandpur included three oil tankers and four LPG trucks.

Even as the MST bus headed to Churachandpur was empty, the one bound for Senapati had two passengers: Dr Yanglem Mohen, former Medical Superintendent of RIMS and a leader of the Indian Red Cross Society, Manipur Branch and his son-in-law Lanngam.

However, when the vehicle carrying passengers from Imphal to Senapati district was en route, a large num-ber of Kuki womenfolk appeared on the National Highway, blocking traffic movement in the Kuki-dominated areas of Kangpokpi district.

The passenger vehicle with security convoy was attacked at Gamgiphai, Kangpokpi district at around 11:20 am.

The mob pelted stones and other objects at the vehicles and the escort party.

While security forces fired rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs toward the mob, the Kuki protesters vandalized several vehicles, including an ambulance, setting some ablaze in the middle of the road.

They also placed various hard objects, such as rocks and debris, on the road to obstruct traffic flow.

The situation took a turn for the worse when another group of Kuki protesters joined the assault on the security personnel and the passenger vehicle.

Police said that amid the protest, there were incidents of firing from amongst the protesters towards the security forces who too retaliated.

To control the situation, security personnel fired rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs at the Kuki mob till late in the evening.

Due to heavy pelting of stones, use of catapults and random firing by armed miscreants from amongst the protesters, 27 security personnel suffered injuries and two of them are said to be critical.

During the skirmish, 16 protesters were also injured and one of them succumbed to the injury.

The deceased has been identified as Lalgouthang Singsit of Keithelmanbi.

The security forces showed tremendous restraint while trying to control the unruly and violent mob and used minimum force to contrl and counter the anti-social elements, including the firing by armed miscreants from amongst the protestors, police said.

As the situation got worse, the vehicle carrying passengers with security escort failed to proceed toward Kangpokpi from Keithel-manbi.

Dr Y Mohen, former RIMS Medical Superintendent and a key functionary of Indian Red Cross Society, Manipur State Branch and one of his family members identified as Lanngam were on board the Manipur State Transport (MST) bus which left for Senapati from near Imphal airport.

Talking to The Sangai Express, 78 year old Dr Mohen said that he was granted permission by the Government to travel to Senapati by bus as part of the Government's initiative to bring peace and normalcy in the State.

"For quite a long time, Kukis have been preventing Meiteis from moving freely within our own State.

To make an assessment of the ground situation, I grabbed the opportunity to travel to Senapati as the Government arranged bus service from Imphal to Senapati with security escorts", Dr Y Mohen said.

On reaching Sekmai, Dr Y Mohen disembarked from the MST bus and boarded a casspir vehicle of BSF at the insistence of a police officer.

At Kanglatongbi, some women took photograph of Dr Mohen inside the casspir vehicle and it was soon shared on social media.

"Perhaps because of this photograph shared on social media, the casspir vehicle in which I was travelling came under attack from Kukis on the way.

Two BSF personnel who were travelling in the same vehicle sustained injuries on their hands as Kukis pelted stones toward the vehicle", Dr Mohen said.

With Kukis blocking the highway at multiple points and attacking the MST bus as well as the security escorts, the bus and the casspir vehicle were at Keithelmanbi BSF camp till 6 pm, unable to reach Kangpokpi.

A late report informed that Dr Y Mohen and Lanngam came back to Imphal amid a sizable number of security escorts late in the evening.