Medical kits burnt; no takers for CCpur bus
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 24 2023: Suspected Kuki militants set on fire consignments of medical equipment addressed to Imphal in Kangpokpi sector of the Imphal-Dimapur road, on Saturday evening.

According to reports received here, on Saturday night, a Mahindra Bolero pick-up truck loaded with medical equipment was halted by suspected Kuki militants near Thomas Ground at Kangpokpi town.

At around 10 pm, the medical equipment was offloaded from the truck and burnt near the government High school.

A case has been registered at Kangpokpi police station in connection with the act of arson.

Meanwhile, even though public transport services from Imphal to Mao and Imphal to Churachandpur were initiated by the state government on Saturday, no MST bus operated in between Imphal to Mao on Sunday while the passenger service from Imphal to Churachandpur returned back from Kangvai without any passenger on board.

After all public carriers from Imphal-Churachandpur, Imphal-Mao and Imphal to Moreh ceased service following the ethnic violence since May 3 last, the state government resumed the same along the Imphal-Churachandpur and Imphal-Kangpokpi-Mao stretch of the national and state highways from Saturday.

However, the bus service from Imphal to Mao and Imphal to Churachandpur failed to reach their destinations and returned back to Imphal.

The Imphal to Mao bus service returned back from Kanglatongbi bazar while the Imphal to Churachandpur bus service returned back Imphal after reaching Phougakchao.

On the second day, the Imphal-Mao bus halted service was cancelled as the Imphal to Churachandpur bus service which took off from Malom oil depot without any passenger returned back from Kangvai without reaching its destination.

Mention may be made that the state government's much-publicised resumption of bus services in Kuki dominated districts was unable to reach its final bus stands owing to the emergency shutdown imposed at different areas along the NHs on Saturday.

Several volunteers of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) and Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills (KISH) blocked the NH 2 at Kangpokpi district headquarters in protest against the resumption of Manipur State Transport (MST) bus service.

The bus service between Imphal and Senapati departed from North AOC Imphal but was forced to turn back midway from the Kanglatongbi area, the red zone as declared by the government.

Another bus that departed from Malom, near Imphal airport to Churachandpur district headquarters on the NH150 was also forced to return midway from Phougakchao area after a large number of people under the aegis of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) halted it in the presence of heavy central security forces.

Drivers' Union of Manipur stated that it can't take the risk if any unwanted consequences happen and also stated it neither encourages the drivers nor stops them from resuming their services.

Moreover, the Kuki-Zo bodies also cautioned that any untoward incidents arising out of it be the sole responsibility of the concerned authorities.

(With inputs from agencies) .

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