On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah led a high-level meeting to assess the security situation in Manipur, directing security forces and the state administration to guarantee unrestricted movement for people on all roads in the conflict-ridden northeastern state starting March 8. He warned that strict measures would be taken against anyone obstructing this effort.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Shah’s directive aligns with the central government’s strategy to gradually facilitate movement between Kuki and Meitei communities into each other’s territories. Plans include deploying road-opening teams and security convoys to support this initiative.
The meeting saw participation from key figures, including Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Security Adviser Kuldiep Singh, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, senior army officials, the state police chief, and heads of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), and Assam Rifles.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), via a Press Information Bureau (PIB) statement, confirmed, “The Home Minister has instructed that free movement be ensured for people on all roads in Manipur from March 8, 2025, with strict action against those attempting to disrupt it.”
A security official in Manipur, speaking anonymously, explained that the administration is preparing to provide escorted convoys for individuals traveling between the hills and the valley. “Kukis may not be ready to settle in the valley yet, but they need access to Imphal’s airport. Similarly, Meiteis may not plan to live or work in the hills, but they must pass through Kuki-Zo-dominated Kangpokpi to reach Nagaland or Assam. Right now, Meiteis rely on flights from Imphal, while Kuki-Zo people endure a 9-10-hour journey to Aizawl, Mizoram, instead of a short drive to the valley airport. Civilian blockades have effectively trapped both communities within their own zones,” the official noted.
Since President’s Rule was imposed on February 13, security forces have dismantled significant civilian roadblocks, including at least 12 bunkers on highways previously manned by locals. These barriers often led to abductions when individuals inadvertently crossed buffer zones, with victims sometimes handed over to militant groups. On February 15, just two days after the central takeover, forces cleared civilian checkpoints in Churachandpur linking it to Imphal and Bishnupur. The latest dismantling occurred on Thursday along National Highway-2, connecting Imphal to Kangpokpi.
These bunkers, staffed by armed civilians known as village defense volunteers, scrutinized every vehicle entering a district. The resulting detours for essential goods have driven up prices and fueled accusations of extortion across the state. Security personnel remain stationed in buffer zones along highways separating the Meitei-dominated valley from the Kuki-Zo-majority hills, preventing armed militants from crossing into rival territories and sparking violence. However, this progress does not yet signal free movement between the two communities’ strongholds, as peace remains elusive.
A second anonymous official in Manipur remarked, “If this plan for escorted travel after clearing roads succeeds, it’s unclear how many will participate. But it’s a starting point. The Home Minister’s order to crack down on road blockers is unequivocal. The removal of bunkers over the past two weeks was only feasible because both sides recognize the Centre’s authority.”
The MHA statement further highlighted Shah’s instructions to maintain rigorous action against extortion, accelerate fencing along designated entry points on Manipur’s international border, and dismantle the drug trade network to make the state drug-free.
This review occurred as the Manipur administration and central agencies collaborate with Kuki and Meitei groups to recover weapons under Governor Bhalla’s amnesty program. Approximately 6,500 firearms and 600,000 rounds of ammunition were looted from police armories during the unrest. To date, only about 2,500 weapons have been retrieved, with 705 recovered in the last eight days alone. Many high-caliber guns remain in the hands of civilians and militants, fueling both militancy and street-level extortion. On Friday, Bhalla extended his initial seven-day weapons surrender deadline to March 6, promising no penalties for those complying before the cutoff.
The ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, which erupted on May 3, 2023, has claimed at least 250 lives and displaced 60,000 people. Despite 22 months of efforts, normalcy eludes Manipur. The Centre imposed President’s Rule last month after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned amid dissent from some BJP legislators.
