Bus told to turn back at Motbung
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 07 2023:
Even as the over two months long blockade in Kangpokpi area along Imphal-Dimapur road was lifted on July 2, there still is major complication in normal vehicular movement along the route as a group of vigilantes still check vehicles in Kuki dominated areas purportedly looking for Meeteis.
Today, one passenger bus with eighteen people on board heading to Dimapur from Imphal was made to take a U-turn from Motbung at around 9.30 am by a group of Kuki people despite the deployment of Central security forces in the area.
According to credible sources, the driver of the bus was a Meitei Pangal and not a single person in the passenger vehicle was Meitei.
The group of people checked the Aadhaar and voter cards of all the occupants and after verification they asked the driver to take a U-turn.
This conduct of the highway vigilantes has made it clear that vehicular movement along Imphal-Dimapur road is still unsafe at Kuki dominated areas despite the opening of the highway stretch as there seems to be differences of opinion between Kuki groups on opening National Highway.
It may be mentioned that the decision to lift the roadblock was announced by United People's Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) in a joint statement dated July 2 .
Soon after the blockade was lifted by the two Kuki groups, the house of one of the signatories of the public statement was' burnt at Songpi in Churachandpur.
Reportedly, one empty bus headed towards the Dimapur side from Imphal yesterday.
It is said that not a single passenger vehicle coming from Guwahati to Imphal takes Imphal-Dimapur road despite the opening of the road in fear of attack in Kangpokpi area.
All the passenger vehicles still take Imphal-Jiribam road for returning to Imphal from Guwahati.