Guwahati: Just two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Manipur and emphasized the need to strengthen ties between the hills and the valley, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) pushed back against reports suggesting the reopening of National Highway 2 (Imphal-Dimapur) for unrestricted movement.
In a strongly worded statement issued Monday, the KZC denied granting permission for free passage along NH-2.
The council warned individuals from both the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities not to cross the buffer zone, citing the absence of any agreement in the ongoing ethnic conflict.
The KZC emphasized the sensitivity of security along the highway and stated, ‘We have not permitted any free movement.’
The council also reiterated its demand for unconditional respect of the buffer zone and warned that any breach would trigger serious consequences and further destabilize the region’s fragile peace.
Although the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had announced on September 4 that NH-2 would be open and instructed security forces to facilitate safe movement, the KZC clarified that it had only asked residents of Kangpokpi to cooperate with those forces.
“We never declared the highway open for unrestricted public use,” the council said, distancing itself from the Centre’s interpretation.
The council further accused unnamed groups of distorting its earlier messages, claiming that such misrepresentations have fueled confusion and mistrust during a particularly sensitive period.
The buffer zone, which security forces established after the outbreak of ethnic violence in May 2023, serves as a de facto boundary separating Meitei-majority valley areas from the Kuki-Zo tribal hill districts.
Armed forces patrol this corridor across key conflict-prone areas in Imphal West, Kangpokpi, Bishnupur, and Churachandpur, while police monitor it through outposts.
While authorities designed the buffer zone to reduce the risk of fresh violence, several Meitei groups argue that it has instead institutionalized division and made reconciliation more difficult.
They have expressed concerns that the arrangement infringes on their constitutional right to freedom of movement, especially along NH-2, which passes through the Kuki-dominated district of Kangpokpi.
Although Manipur Police previously denied the existence of any officially designated buffer zones, they acknowledged the deployment of security personnel in fringe and sensitive areas to maintain law and order.
Tensions escalated further late Sunday night when unidentified individuals allegedly set fire to the home of Calvin Aikhenthang, a senior leader of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and a key signatory of the September 4 Suspension of Operations (SoO) extension pact with the MHA.
In a separate incident, assailants targeted the home of Ginza Vualzong, spokesperson for both the Kuki-Zo Council and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF).
Officials reported that locals had intervened before the attack caused significant damage.