Naga body lifts Manipur highway blockade after tripartite talks in Assam

The United Naga Council (UNC) has agreed to temporarily lift its economic blockade of Manipur's highways, ending more than three months of disruption to supplies across the state. The decision followed a tripartite meeting involving the Naga body, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Manipur government at the BSF Frontier Headquarters Officers' Mess in Garbhanga, Assam, on Saturday.

The meeting, which began at 11 am, focused on the UNC's demands and on measures to address the prevailing law-and-order situation. Speaking after the deliberations, UNC president Ng. Lorho said the government had committed to addressing the organisation's demands, and that the blockade would be suspended temporarily in return.

The UNC's demands include revocation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with Kuki armed groups, the removal of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, and justice for six Naga men. Lorho said the killing of four Naga civilians in Kamjong district on Friday was also raised at the meeting, and that the government promised to maintain law and order in the state.

The blockade had been in force since June 11, when the UNC launched it over the abduction and killing of six Naga civilians from Leilon Vaiphei village in May. On September 9, the agitation was escalated into an indefinite blockade of several routes, disrupting the movement of goods on National Highways 2, 37, 202 and 102A.

The prolonged disruption had caused severe shortages of essential commodities. The Imphal Valley reported shortages of medicines, baby food, fresh produce and fuel, with petrol reportedly selling for as much as Rs 250 a litre in the black market and LPG cylinders costing up to Rs 5,000. Kuki-Zo-dominated hill districts, which depend on supply routes passing through Naga-dominated areas, were similarly affected. Kangpokpi was among the worst hit, while Churachandpur, Tengnoupal and Pherzawl faced constraints in the movement of essential goods and access to healthcare supplies.

Saturday's meeting marked the first tripartite engagement bringing together the Centre, the state government and the UNC. Earlier rounds of talks had failed to produce a resolution. A high-level meeting between Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and the UNC in Senapati on July 8 ended without a breakthrough, with the Naga body refusing to withdraw the blockade on NH-2 and insisting on justice for the six Naga civilians. A subsequent round on August 10 was described by the state government as a "fruitful and cordial" beginning and an "icebreaker", with both sides agreeing to continue discussions, though the UNC maintained it would not lift the blockade until its four-point demands were met.