Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Tuesday thanked the Naga and Kuki communities for facilitating the free movement of public road transport along National Highway-2 (NH-2).
Addressing the 45th Hawkers’ Day celebration organised by the Manipur Hawkers’ Association (Newspaper Distributors) at Haying Khongbal in Imphal, the Chief Minister said the cooperation and understanding shown by the two communities were important steps towards restoring peace, normalcy and the smooth movement of people and public transport in the state.
Referring to reports of an incident at Taphou village in Senapati district on Monday, Khemchand Singh said MLAs and district authorities had engaged with members of both communities and persuaded them to ensure free movement and refrain from activities that could disrupt vehicular movement.
He said public transport from Imphal had resumed smoothly after being delayed for several hours.
Public transport along the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati route via NH-2 continued for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday. Around 300 passengers, including women and children, travelled from Imphal to Dimapur and Guwahati in five buses and nine Winger vehicles.
The resumption of services followed a joint announcement on August 8 supporting free movement along national highways from Kangpokpi district headquarters. The Chief Minister said public transport services had continued despite reports of some unwanted incidents along parts of NH-2.
So far, around 900 passengers had travelled from Imphal to Dimapur and Guwahati, including those who travelled on Tuesday, while more than 400 passengers had travelled from Dimapur and Guwahati to Imphal.
Khemchand Singh said his peace initiatives had focused on reconciliation and dialogue among communities and that he had visited several hill districts since February 2026 as part of efforts to restore peace.
Recalling his recent visit to Jiribam district, he said communities that had lived together for years had been separated by the crisis that began in May 2023. He said government peace initiatives had helped bridge the divide and that the communities were now living together peacefully.
The Chief Minister maintained that dialogue among communities was essential for achieving peace and development in Manipur.
He also referred to the Tronglaobi incident in Bishnupur district, in which two children were killed, and said some individuals with vested interests did not want peace to prevail in the state.
Khemchand Singh said all communities residing in Manipur had contributed to safeguarding the state’s integrity in the past and that protecting it in the future was a collective responsibility.
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During the programme, the Manipur Hawkers’ Association submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister. Khemchand Singh assured the association that its proposal for a corpus fund would be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting.
The programme was attended by Patsoi MLA Sapam Kunjakeswor Singh, Keirao MLA Lourembam Rameshwor Meetei, office bearers of the Hawkers’ Association and newspaper distributors, among others.
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