Manipur’s Lifelines Cut: Blockades Continue to Cripple Daily Life and Healthcare

Manipur continues to reel under the weight of a nearly two-year-long conflict that has severely disrupted mobility, access to essential services, and economic activity across the state. As a landlocked region, Manipur heavily relies on National Highways 02 and 37—the state’s crucial arteries connecting the capital Imphal to Nagaland and Assam—for supplies of food, fuel, medicines, and access to education, employment, and healthcare.

Since ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023, free passage along these lifelines has been repeatedly blocked, aggravating the humanitarian and economic crisis.

Ringku Khumukcham, Editor of the Imphal Times, stressed the vital role of these routes: “The state’s progress and development hinge entirely on these highways. But ever since the conflict began, access has been cut off due to ongoing tensions.”

The blockade has led to the de facto segregation of communities, with residents from the valley and hill districts confined to their respective zones. Meisnam Birjit, Advisor of the United Youth Club in Kanglatombi Bazar, noted the toll on mobility and livelihoods: “We can’t cross into their area, and they can’t enter ours. To travel for work, we’re forced to take flights—something unaffordable for most middle-class families. We urge the Centre to implement the Free Movement Regime here urgently.”

Despite the Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s directive to restore unrestricted movement, efforts have been repeatedly disrupted by local protests and renewed roadblocks. Although the imposition of Governor’s Rule brought a period of relative calm, tensions remain volatile, with sporadic flare-ups and enduring mistrust between communities.

Associate Professor Thiyam Bharat Singh of Manipur University highlighted the broader impact: “When highways are blocked, the supply of essentials is immediately affected. Sometimes security forces escort supply trucks, but delays are inevitable, and people suffer.”

The human cost of these delays was tragically evident during a rabies outbreak in New Zoveng village in Churachandpur district earlier this year. Restricted access to the area meant that timely medical intervention was impossible. Over 700 dog bite cases were recorded, and at least three lives were lost. The Kuki-Zo community, which primarily inhabits the district, bore the brunt of the outbreak.

Jospen Lalhaulian, whose brother-in-law Zistep Lololian died from rabies, recounted the heartbreak: “We lost him because we couldn’t get the proper medication in time. It’s devastating, and it should never have come to this.”

The district was declared a containment zone under the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 in an attempt to manage the crisis. However, the lack of mobility and delayed aid once again underscored the urgent need for stable, sustained peace and open access across the state.

Also Read: Assam Rifles and Indian Army Rescue Nearly 800 Flood Victims in Manipur