4 September 2025 The Ministry of the Interior announced that the Kuki-Zo Council agreed to open the National Motorway-2 passing through the Kangpokpi district “for free movement of commuting and basic goods”. | Photo Credit: Hind
Two days after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit to the manipure, the Kuki-Zo (KZC) Council, which signed an agreement 4 September 2025 with the Ministry of the Interior of the Union for re-opening the National Motorway-2, on Monday (15 September 2025). He stated that it would not announce the re -opening of the highway until the settlement between the two communities is achieved. The ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities that exploded in May 2023 led to the closure of the highway.
KZC, the conglomerate of Kuki-Zo groups, said in his statement that “because there is still no settlement or agreement between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, no one from both sides can exceed the bumper zones.”
“The KZC did not announce again NH-02. No free movement was allowed on this route. Our request was only to people Kangpokpi to expand their cooperation to security forces, as ordered by the Ministry of the Interior (MHA), retaining the safety of commuting along NH-02,” she said.
‘Respect of the leveling zone’
The statement further states that the ‘compensatory zone’ must be respected at all costs.
“Any violation will only lead to serious consequences and further worsening of peace and safety.
The government official said Hindu that KZC plays in words to confuse people, adding that they previously said that the bumper zone should remain until their demand for independent administration is met. “They now say that the bumper zones should remain until an agreement or agreement is reached between two communities.
On September 4, 2025, MHA announced that the KZC agreed to open the national highway passing through the Kangpokpi district “for free movement of commuting and basic goods”.
The highway is open for regular operation, but members of the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities do not give up to each other to the other zones. Ethnic clashes between these communities since May 3, 2023 claimed approximately 250 lives and displaced approximately 60,000 people from their homes. Commercial and private vehicles run on the highway that connects the Imphal valley in manipure with Dimapur in Nagaland and further to Assam via Kangpokpi Kopcov.
On September 4, 2025, MHA announced the reopening of the NH-2 in anticipation of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the State of the Ethnic Dispute 13 September 2025.
The highway is the key to bringing basic supplies to the Imphal valley. It is a key way to Imphal Airport, to which people Kuki-Zo could not gain access from violence between the two communities in the state 3 May 2023.
“PM is a visit just a stop”
Lun Kipgen, a spokesman for the Unity Committee based in Kangpokpi (COT), said that a visit to the Prime Minister of Manipuro was nothing but a stop after some projects in Mizoram.
“PM is not serious about solving the problem in manipur.
The day after Mr. Modi’s visit, several youth met with the police in Churachandpur 14 September 2025 and demanded the release of two men detained earlier for the visit to the posters. The police then released the suspect.
This was the first visit to the Prime Minister in Manipuro, because ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-zo broke out in the northeastern state in May 2023. In his speech, he called on the dialogue to build a strong harmony between the hill and the manipur district.
Published – 15 September 2025 20:46
