The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) on Thursday agrees to reopen National Highway-2 (NH 2) for commuters and goods movement. The decision has been made after a series of discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
New Delhi: In a major decision, the Kuki-Zo Council on Thursday, after discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs, approved the reopening of the crucial National Highway-2 (NH-2) for commuters and essential goods movement. The decision was made following a series of meetings in the national capital between MHA officials and the Kuki-Zo Council delegation. Notably, NH-2 is a crucial route for the state as it connects Dibrugarh, Assam, to Tuipang, Mizoram, in the Northeast region.
These series of meetings between Kuki delegation and MHA officials were focussed at solving the prolonged blockade that had disrupted vehicle and goods movement, due to which people of the state were suffering.
“Kuki-Zo Council has given a commitment to cooperate with security forces deployed by the Government of India to maintain peace along NH-2,” MHA statement read.
The National Highway is considered as a major lifeline that connects Manipur with other parts of the Northeast, including Nagaland. It had been blocked since May 2023 due to the ethnic tensions that erupted in the state. The conflict started between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, later turned violent, leading to loss of lives, displacements and humanitarian crisis.
In a significant decision, the Kuki-Zo Council has decided today to open the National Highway-02 for the free movement of commuters and essential goods. The decision came after a series of meetings between officials of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and a delegation of KZC in the… pic.twitter.com/PlXE94lRJB
— ANI (@ANI) September 4, 2025
The latest development came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Mizoram and Manipur on September 13. PM Modi is likely to visit the state to officially launch the new Bairabi-Sairang railway project, according to officials in Aizawl, as reported by PTI.
It is worth noting that the reopening of the NH-2 not only bring relief to people of Manipur but the decision is also seen as a confidence-building measure, bringing normalcy in the state.
The MHA also informed that a tripartite meeting was also held in Delhi today between MHA officials, Manipur government officials, Kuki National Organisation (KNO) members and members of United People’s Front (UPF).
“The meeting concluded with the signing of a tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement on re-negotiated terms and conditions (ground rules) to be effective from the day of signing of the Agreement for a period of one year,” the MHA said in the statement.
The MHA updated guidelines emphasised two main aspects – the importance of maintaining the northeastern state’s territorial integrity and need of a negotiated resolution for further peace and stability in the region.
“Kuki National Organisation and United People’s Front have also agreed to relocate seven designated camps away from areas vulnerable to conflict, reduce the number of designated camps, relocate the weapons with nearest Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) camps, and stringent physical verification of cadres by Security Forces to de-list foreign nationals, if any,” the statement read.
According to MHA a joint monitoring group will now closely monitor implementation of ground rules, and any violations will be addressed strictly moving forward, including a review of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.
