Manipur CM thanks Naga, Kuki communities as NH-2 buses run 4th day
Synopsis
Manipur's NH-2 inter-state buses rolled for a fourth straight day on Tuesday — a quiet but significant milestone in a state scarred by ethnic violence since May 2023. Even a fresh gunfight and arson at Taphou village couldn't stop the service, with local MLAs and district officials stepping in to keep the highway open. Around 900 passengers have now made the journey, and Chief Minister Khemchand Singh is publicly crediting Naga and Kuki communities for making it possible.
Key Takeaways
Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh thanked Naga and Kuki communities on 25 August for enabling uninterrupted movement on NH-2 .
Inter-state public transport along the Imphal–Dimapur–Guwahati route continued for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday.
A CRPF jawan was injured and two houses torched at Taphou village, Senapati district on Monday, triggering a brief blockade before services resumed.
Around 900 passengers have travelled from Imphal to Dimapur and Guwahati since resumption; more than 400 have returned.
The highway reopening follows a joint free-movement announcement on 8 August from Kangpokpi District headquarters.
CM Khemchand Singh has been visiting hill districts since February 2026 as part of an active reconciliation drive.
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Tuesday, 25 August publicly acknowledged the Naga and Kuki tribal communities for enabling the smooth and unhindered resumption of inter-state public transport along the Imphal–Dimapur–Guwahati National Highway-2 (NH-2), now in its fourth consecutive day of operation. The remarks came during his address at the 45th Hawkers' Day (Newspaper Distributors) Celebration at Haying Khongbal in Imphal.
What the Chief Minister Said
Chief Minister Khemchand Singh described the cooperation shown by both Naga and Kuki communities as critical steps toward restoring normalcy and maintaining peace across the conflict-affected state. He credited dialogue and persuasion by MLAs and district authorities for defusing tensions and keeping the highway open, even after a violent incident threatened to derail the fragile progress.
Recalling his recent visit to Jiribam district, the Chief Minister noted that communities once separated by the ethnic violence — which erupted in May 2023 — are now reportedly living together again. He maintained that dialogue, not force, remains the only sustainable path to peace and development in Manipur.
The Taphou Incident That Nearly Derailed Progress
On Monday, 24 August, a CRPF jawan was injured in a gunfight between two groups at Taphou village in Senapati district. At least two houses were torched — one at Taphou Kuki village in neighbouring Kangpokpi district and another at Naga Taphou village in Senapati — triggering protests and a temporary blockade on NH-2, according to a police official. Despite delays of a few hours, public transport from Imphal resumed the same day after local authorities intervened.
Passenger Movement on NH-2
On Tuesday, approximately 300 passengers — including women and children — departed Imphal for Dimapur and Guwahati aboard a fleet of five buses and nine Winger vehicles. Cumulatively, around 900 passengers have travelled from Imphal to Dimapur, Nagaland's main commercial city, and Guwahati, Assam's main city, since services resumed. More than 400 passengers have also safely reached Imphal from those destinations.
Background: The Peace Process
The highway's reopening follows a joint announcement of free movement along all national highways made on 8 August from the Kuki-Zo tribal inhabited Kangpokpi District headquarters. A senior state government official noted that Chief Minister Khemchand Singh has been personally visiting various hill districts since February 2026 as part of a sustained reconciliation drive.
Notably, the Chief Minister cited the Tronglaobi incident in Bishnupur district — in which two children lost their lives — as evidence that certain individuals with vested interests are actively working against the peace process. He stressed that protecting the state's integrity is a collective responsibility of all communities, not the government's alone.
What's Next
A memorandum from the Manipur Hawkers' Association requesting a corpus fund was received by the Chief Minister, who assured that the proposal would be placed before the next Cabinet meeting. With NH-2 services continuing uninterrupted despite sporadic violence, the durability of the inter-community agreement will remain under close watch in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
If fragile, signal — but the Taphou incident is a reminder of how quickly the ground can shift in Manipur. The Chief Minister's public acknowledgement of Naga and Kuki cooperation is politically significant: it distributes ownership of the peace process beyond the government, making it harder for any single community to unilaterally walk away. The deeper question is whether this corridor-level normalcy translates into broader ethnic reconciliation, or whether it remains a managed exception in a state still defined by the violence of May 2023. With vested interests reportedly active — as the Tronglaobi killings suggest — the durability of dialogue-led progress will face repeated stress tests.
NationPress
25 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh thank the Naga and Kuki communities?
Chief Minister Khemchand Singh thanked the Naga and Kuki communities for ensuring smooth and unhindered movement of inter-state public transport along NH-2 between Imphal, Dimapur, and Guwahati. Their cooperation has kept the highway open for four consecutive days despite a violent incident at Taphou village on 24 August.
What happened at Taphou village in Senapati district?
On 24 August, a CRPF jawan was injured in a gunfight between two groups at Taphou village in Senapati district, and at least two houses were torched — one in Taphou Kuki village in Kangpokpi district and another in Naga Taphou village. The incident triggered protests and a temporary blockade on NH-2, though services resumed the same day after MLAs and district authorities intervened.
How many passengers have travelled on NH-2 since bus services resumed?
Around 900 passengers, including women and children, have travelled from Imphal to Dimapur and Guwahati since services resumed. More than 400 passengers have also safely reached Imphal from those destinations.
What triggered the resumption of inter-state bus services on NH-2?
Services resumed following a joint announcement of free movement along all national highways made on 8 August from the Kuki-Zo tribal inhabited Kangpokpi District headquarters. Chief Minister Khemchand Singh's sustained reconciliation drive — which has included visits to hill districts since February 2026 — is credited as the broader catalyst.
What is the current status of Manipur's ethnic conflict?
Ethnic violence in Manipur began in May 2023 and displaced communities across the state. While inter-state highway movement has resumed and some communities are reportedly living together again in areas like Jiribam district, sporadic incidents — including the Taphou gunfight and the Tronglaobi killings of two children — indicate that tensions persist.
