Gratitude expressed to Kukis, Nagas for ensuring free movement on NH-2
CM urges collective efforts to safeguard State's integrity
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 01 2026: While calling for collective efforts to safeguard the integrity of Manipur, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand has thanked both the Naga and Kuki communities for ensuring free movement of public transport service along NH-2 .

The Chief Minister was addressing the 45th Hawkers' Day (Newspaper Distributors) Celebration at Haying Khongbal, Imphal today.

Cooperation and understanding shown by both the communities are important steps towards maintaining peace, restoring normalcy and ensuring smooth movement of people and public transport services in the State, Khemchand said.

Gratitude expressed to Kukis, Nagas for ensuring free movement on NH-2

Referring to the reports of unwanted incidents that occurred at Taphou village in Senapati district yesterday, he said that the MLAs and district authorities persuaded both the communities for ensuring free movement and to refrain from any activities that would disturb free movement of the vehicles.

Public transport from Imphal continued smoothly although delayed for a few hours, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Secretariat.

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 Dima- pur and Guwahati in a fleet of 5 buses and 9 Winger vans.

This comes in the backdrop of Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh's peace initiatives and reconciliation through dialogue among the commu- nities and following the joint announcement of free movement along the all-National Highways on August 8 at Kangpokpi district headquarters, said the statement.

Even after reports of some unwanted incidents that occurred along the stretches of NH-2, public transport along the highway continued uninterrupted.

The Chief Minister has been actively engaging in bringing all communities together for dialogue and has been visiting various hill districts since February 2026 .

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.

Khemchand 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 stated that, under the peace initiatives taken up by the Government, the gap has been bridged, and the communities are now living together peacefully.

He maintained that dialogue among communities is the only way of bringing peace and development in the State.

However, some individuals with vested interests do not want peace to prevail, Khemchand said, citing the Tronglaobi incident which claimed the lives of two innocent children.

"The different communities residing in the State safeguarded the integrity of the State in the past, and we must continue to uphold and protect it for the future.

It is not the sole responsibility of the Government to safeguard the State, but a collective responsibility of all the people living in the State", the Chief Minister stated.

Responding to a memorandum submitted by the Hawkers' Association, Khemchand assured that the proposal for providing a corpus fund to the association would be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting.

The programme organised by The Manipur Hawkers' Association (Newspaper Distributors) was attended by MLAs Sapam Kunjakeswor, Lourembam Rameshwor, office bearers of Hawkers' Association and hawkers, among others.