Transporters suspend operations in Manipur to protest the killing of a truck driver
Trucks stand still as truck drivers stage a demonstration on National Highway 37 and suspended transportation of goods in Imphal, Manipur, May 30, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI
Transporters on Saturday (May 30, 2026) suspended their operations in Manipur to protest the killing of a truck driver from Hooghly, West Bengal, in an ambush by Kuki militants in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Friday (May 29). Gunmen attacked a convoy of food trucks and LPG and oil tankers on a stretch of National Highway 202, police said.
The suspension of operations threatens to disrupt the supply of essential goods to Imphal, the state capital, and beyond from southern Assam’s Barak Valley via NH-37, one of Manipur’s two lifelines. NH-2, another highway that enters Manipur through Nagaland, has been blocked since May 13, when the killing of three church leaders led to a hostage crisis involving the Kuki and Naga communities.
On Saturday (May 30), operators of about 400 trucks and oil tankers, which were stuck in the Keithelmanbi area of the Imphal Valley, protested against the killing of Sushil Kumar (57), a driver who was transporting Food Corporation of India (FCI) rice on NH-202.
Convoy ambushed
Less frequently used than the other two, this highway connects Imphal and Ukhrul, the headquarters of Naga-majority Ukhrul district. The area where the convoy was ambushed is dominated by the Kuki community and on Saturday (May 30) police confirmed that the attackers were Kuki militants.
A joint team of Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police, Manipur Police and Rapid Action Force was escorting the trucks when the attackers rained bullets on them from “tactical positions along the route”. A Manipur police officer was injured in the attack.
“Security forces have launched search operations and cordoned off the area to nab the culprits,” police said.
‘Infallible Security Guarantee’
Drivers said that driving on these highways is too risky unless the government provides a reliable guarantee about their safety. They also demanded action against Kumar’s killers and reopening of NH-2, which is a shorter and better maintained road than NH-37.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh met the representatives of All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers’ Union along with the family members of the slain driver.
“I have expressed my sincere condolences to the bereaved family and assured them that the safety, security and welfare of truck drivers and transport workers remains the highest priority of the government,” he said in a post on X.
Published – 30 May 2026 21:06 IST