Churachandpur: The Zomi Council has opposed any move to reopen National Highway-2, asserting that the route should remain closed until authorities act against extortion rackets operating along the stretch.
The council alleged that plans to resume traffic on the Dimapur-Imphal section primarily benefit the Meitei community, while residents of Churachandpur continue to face severe shortages of essential commodities.
NH-2, regarded as Manipur’s key supply route, has become a flashpoint since ethnic clashes erupted in May 2023.
Both Meitei and Kuki groups have used control of the highway to restrict access to rival communities.
Currently, travel between Imphal and Dimapur remains restricted, with Meiteis unable to cross Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi, and Kukis from Churachandpur unable to enter Imphal. Truck movement on the highway is heavily guarded to prevent violence.
While the government has been working to make the highway accessible to all communities as part of peace efforts, the Zomi Council warned against signing any agreement without safeguarding Kuki interests.
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“Such a move would abandon the very community we represent,” the body said in a statement.
The council also highlighted the ongoing hardship in Churachandpur, where residents have faced prolonged scarcity of essentials like rice and LPG cylinders.
It alleged that NH-2 remains plagued by illegal taxation and extortion by armed groups along the Nagaland-Imphal route.
“Unless these networks of licensed extortionists are dismantled, reopening the highway will only reward corruption,” the statement read.
It further accused the Kuki Zo Council of acting against public interest and termed the body a “puppet of the government.”
