NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked rival Naga and Kuki groups in Manipur to work together on a comprehensive proposal to reopen national highways blocked amid fresh confrontations, saying ordinary people should not bear the cost of political and ethnic disputes.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana, said the blockades were causing immense hardship and disrupting supplies of essential commodities.
The directions came while hearing a plea by the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) seeking immediate removal of the blockade on National Highway-2 (NH-2) and restoration of supplies to Kuki-dominated areas.
NH-2 connects Imphal with Dimapur in Nagaland and, along with NH-37 linking Imphal with Jiribam and Assam, is a crucial supply route for the landlocked state. The blockade has caused shortages of food, fuel and medicines, particularly in hill districts.
“Blocking of highways is not serving anybody’s cause. Hardship is faced by everyone. Why don’t you consider the intervention of some agency, SLA (service-level agreement), or any other platform. You must be tired of this fighting,” the bench said.
The court asked all parties and stakeholders to submit suggestions on reopening the highways and ensuring they remain functional. It also urged them to devise a mechanism for uninterrupted movement of goods and people.
The dispute follows a fresh Naga-Kuki confrontation that erupted in May, with both communities accusing armed groups from the other side of abducting their members.
The matter will be heard after the parties file proposals.
Meanwhile, two Naga village volunteers were killed while two others from the community were injured when alleged Kuki rebels carried out an attack in Manipur on Friday. The incident occurred at Langka Naga village in the Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district.
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