Manipur: Move to resume state transport services suffers setback

In what can be seen as an initiative to de-escalate the ongoing ethnic tensions in the state, the Manipur government has resumed the Manipur State Transport’s (MST) inter-district bus services, reactivating vital routes connecting Imphal to Senapati via Kangpokpi and Imphal to Churachandpur via Bishnupur.

This initiative encountered roadblocks orchestrated by Kuki-Zo protestors, preventing the buses from reaching their intended destinations. The impassable barriers led to the unfortunate turnaround of the buses—one at Churachandpur and the other at Kangpokpi.

The Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) and the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills, based in Kangpokpi, expressed dissent over the government’s decision to restart the bus services, citing it as an attempt to project a semblance of normalcy in the strife-torn state. In response, they initiated a district-wide shutdown, halting all vehicular movement through Kangpokpi, amplifying their plea for the withdrawal of this service resumption.


Notwithstanding these challenges, Manipur’s Chief Secretary, Dr. Vineet Joshi, highlighted that the decision to reinstate these services aimed to alleviate the ongoing hardships faced by the populace amidst the persisting turmoil.

Despite the setbacks, the government’s resolute effort to restore these crucial inter-district connections has garnered recognition and gratitude from numerous local residents who await the eventual normalization of the state’s social fabric.