NHRC Demands Report on Restricted Movement on Manipur's National Highway-2: Constitutional Rights Violation Examined

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed Manipur's Kangpokpi district authorities to submit an action-taken report regarding obstructions on National Highway-2, which connects Imphal to Dimapur in Nagaland.

Initially addressing the petition to Imphal authorities on August 20, the NHRC redirected its inquiry after Imphal West police clarified on September 9 that the matter fell under Kangpokpi's jurisdiction.

The Commission has now requested the Kangpokpi police chief and district magistrate to provide a complete report by January 4, 2026, for further consideration.

Imphal resident Asem Roshan Singh filed the petition in June, highlighting what he described as "ongoing denial of constitutionally guaranteed rights" due to the blockade of NH-2 in the Kangpokpi section.

His petition emphasized that this obstruction, "enforced through fear, extortion, abduction and ethnic targeting," has severely impacted civilians, particularly affecting the poor, students, and patients requiring medical care.

Singh specifically mentioned that the centrally maintained highway remains inaccessible to many citizens, with "targeted harassment particularly of Meitei civilians... [and] all who do not belong to the dominant community in that district."

The petition further noted that despite assurances from constitutional authorities, access denial continues "with impunity," revealing what Singh describes as "grave administrative and constitutional failures demanding urgent redress."

According to the petitioner, this blockade has disproportionately affected economically disadvantaged individuals, patients seeking medical care, job seekers, and students, violating their constitutional rights to "life, liberty, movement and dignity."

Meitei civil society organizations have indicated they are preparing to approach the Supreme Court regarding the denial of free movement on highways, characterizing it as an "open-and-shut-case."

The situation reflects the ongoing ethnic tensions between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the Kuki tribes who predominate in Kangpokpi district.

Kuki organizations, including insurgent groups under suspension of operations (SoO) agreements with government authorities, maintain that physical separation between communities must continue until a resolution to the Manipur crisis is achieved.

Meitei organizations allege that their Kuki counterparts are preventing internally displaced persons from returning to valley areas, effectively maintaining the highway access restrictions for valley residents.

Meanwhile, Kuki residents from Churachandpur who need to travel outside the region must either use helicopter services or endure long journeys on poor roads through the hills to reach Mizoram's Aizawl, presenting particular challenges for those with serious medical conditions.

Kuki groups cite their community's experience of the May 2023 violence and the destruction of their homes as reasons against returning—claims that Meitei groups also make regarding their properties in Kuki-dominated hill districts.

Confusion arose in September when the Kuki Zo Council (KZC) contradicted government statements about highway access. While the Centre had announced that the KZC agreed to open NH-2 for free movement, the KZC insisted that no one should cross the "buffer zone" until a settlement between communities is reached.

The Meitei Heritage Society criticized this situation, stating it implied that "authority to open or close National Highways in Manipur lies with a private organisation and not with the Indian State," calling the situation "both embarrassing and unacceptable."

In contrast, the Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) acknowledged that the highway belongs to the central government and urged its community members to avoid participating in blockades or responding to provocative social media messages.

The ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023 between the Meitei community and Kuki tribes has resulted in over 260 deaths and the displacement of nearly 50,000 people, with disputes centered on issues including land rights and political representation.