The Imphal–Dimapur–Guwahati service, which runs along National Highway-2 through Nagaland, had remained suspended since the conflict erupted between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities on May 3, 2023. Restrictions, blockades and counter-blockades along the highway had severely disrupted movement, leaving people dependent on longer, more expensive and often uncertain travel routes.
On the first day of the service’s restoration, 125 passengers travelled from Imphal towards Guwahati in two buses and five Winger vehicles. The convoy passed through Kangpokpi, a predominantly Kuki-Zo district, and Senapati, which has a significant Naga population, before continuing into Nagaland and onward to Assam.
The resumption follows Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s announcement during his August 8 visit to Kangpokpi. In the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen and other legislators, Singh said national highways would be opened for free movement of people from all communities and indicated that the inter-state bus service would resume soon.
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The reopening of the route is being seen as more than a transport-related development. For residents who need to travel outside Manipur for medical treatment, education, employment, business or family commitments, the service restores a relatively affordable and direct link to neighbouring states.
It also provides a tangible confidence-building measure at a time when the state is attempting to rebuild normal social and economic activity after prolonged violence. The restoration of movement through areas divided by the conflict could help revive passenger and goods traffic while creating greater opportunities for interaction between communities.
The development was welcomed by passengers travelling on the inaugural service. Kiyam Kumarjit Singh of Thoubal district thanked the state government for restoring the route and expressed hope that renewed connectivity would contribute to peace and harmony across communities.
“Let us all forgive and forget the past,” Singh said, reflecting a sentiment echoed by other passengers who described the lifting of movement restrictions as an encouraging step towards a more peaceful future.
The revival of the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati link therefore carries a significance that extends beyond the road itself: it is an early indication that some of the physical and social barriers created by the conflict are beginning to come down.
