By Savikalpa Thapa
After nearly two years of restricted movement between the Meitei and Kuki communities of Manipur, public transport services are all set to resume from today. This comes in the wake of a Union Home Minister directive by Amit Shah to restore free movement across the state aimed at reducing tensions and restoring trust between the two communities.
The state is under President’s rule, at present, and the changes were initiated by Governor AK Bhalla.Proper escort by Central Armed Police Forces will ensure the safe passage of the bus services to and from the hills and valleys. The routes include Imphal-Kangpokpi-Senapati, Senapati-Kangpokpi-Imphal, Imphal Bishnupur-Churachandpur, and Churachandpur-Bishnupur-Imphal. Helicopter services from Imphal to Churachandpur and Ukhrul have also taken off.
The ethnic strife, which started in May 2023, resulted in a great amount of mutual distrust between the Meiteis and Kukis, who were compelled to abandon their homes in each other’s territory. So far, the two are divided, making travelling through each other’s territories almost impossible. In an effort to restore normalcy, the Centre has also focused on fencing the porous Myanmar border at key areas of entry. However, the recently declared peace march by the Federation of Civil Societies (FOCS) further increased the tension. FOCS is an umbrella organization of some 20 valley-based groups wanting to symbolize unity in marching from Imphal to Senapati.
“We want to bridge the gap between the valley and the hills. We want to sit together, talk, and build understanding between the Meiteis, Kukis, and Nagas,” FOCS leader Th Manihar said. Despite these intentions, Kuki organizations have strongly opposed the march, calling it a “dangerous provocation.” The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) has rejected the idea of free movement, citing ongoing security concerns and the unresolved demand for a separate Kuki-Zo administration.
“While we support the movement of goods, we cannot allow unrestricted movement of people due to the fragile situation,” stated Ginza Vualzong, spokesperson for the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF).
The challenge lies then, within this context, of holding together security aspects related to the efforts to restore normalcy, peace, and integration.