GUWAHATI, 2 Jul: Two militant outfits of Manipur, under Suspensions of Operation, on Sunday said they have lifted the two-month-long blockade in Kangpokpi district along the crucial National Highway 2.
Issuing a joint statement, the United Peoples’ Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) said that the blockade has been lifted with immediate effect following “deep concern to restore peace and harmony” by union Home Minister Amit Shah.
However, the Kuki civil society group Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), which had announced a roadblock on NH 2 two months ago, has not officially withdrawn the agitation yet.
Manipur has two national highways – NH 2 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH 37 (Imphal-Jiribam).
NH 2 has been under blockade by Kuki organisations since the violence broke out in Manipur on 3 May, and was temporarily opened following Shah’s visit in late May.
The decision to lift the blockade comes following a recent meeting of the UPF, the KNO and other Kuki groups with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati, sources close to the development said.
“The decision was taken after wide-ranging consultations with civil society organisations, village chiefs and women leaders on several occasions,” the joint statement said. (PTI)