Imphal, August 9: The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has asked the Manipur government to examine a proposal for a dedicated road corridor linking the state’s hill districts, following a memorandum from the Kuki Inpi Manipur.
Joint Director Pausianmuang Tunglut on Wednesday forwarded to the Manipur Chief Secretary a copy of the August 1 memorandum that the Kuki body had earlier submitted to the President of India. The petition urged urgent intervention to address a “humanitarian crisis” in the hill areas, citing prolonged ethnic violence, economic blockades, and movement restrictions since May 2023.
The proposed corridor was described as vital for restoring connectivity between the hill districts and the rest of the state, with the Kuki Inpi warning that the “lifeline of the Hill Areas” has been severely disrupted.
The development comes amid heightened tensions over the Foothill Naga Coordination Committee’s (FNCC) blockade along National Highway-2 (Imphal–Dimapur). The Kuki groups demanded FNCC withdraw its indefinite bandh against the Kuki-Zo community, while FNCC alleged “territorial encroachment” and politically motivated development projects by Kuki organisations.
Opposing certain road works, including the contentious ‘German Road,’ FNCC claimed the route cuts through ancestral Naga lands without consultation. The Manipur government reiterated that no unauthorised road naming or construction on disputed land would be allowed.
