Service restarts as part of Manipur peace initiative
Passenger bus services on the Imphal–Dimapur–Guwahati route resumed on Friday after being suspended for more than three years following ethnic violence in Manipur on 3 May 2023, the Manipur government said. The move restores a key inter‑state transport link that connects Manipur with Nagaland and Assam via Dimapur.
Two buses and five passenger wingers carrying a total of 125 passengers departed from the Inter‑State Bus Terminus at Khuman Lampak in Imphal on Friday morning, the chief minister, Yumnam Khemchand Singh, said. The vehicles traversed Kangpokpi district and reached Mao Gate without any reported incident before proceeding to Senapati district and onward to Guwahati through Nagaland, the chief minister’s secretariat said.
“As part of my government’s continued efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the state, bus service of Imphal‑Dimapur‑Guwahati has resumed today after more than three years,” the chief minister said in a social media post, according to the secretariat.
The resumption was described by the Manipur chief minister’s office as a significant development amid continuing efforts to normalise life in the violence‑affected state. Officials said the service is expected to ease travel for passengers and reinstate an important interstate transport connection.
- Number of vehicles: 2 buses, 5 passenger wingers
- Passengers on first run: 125
- Route highlights: Khuman Lampak (Imphal) → Kangpokpi → Mao Gate → Senapati → entry into Nagaland en route to Guwahati
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Vehicles | 7 (2 buses, 5 wingers) |
| Passengers | 125 |
Transportation on two principal highways has been a longstanding concern for the state. National Highway 2—preferred by many commuters and transporters because it is the shorter route—links Imphal to Dimapur. By contrast, National Highway 37, which enters Manipur from Assam’s Barak Valley in the south, has seen frequent disruptions and extortion demands, affecting the movement of people and goods, according to regional reporting.
The government has emphasised that reopening the Imphal–Dimapur–Guwahati service is part of a broader attempt to restore free movement on the state’s roads. In early August, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh had announced the immediate reopening of national highways for free movement of people from all communities in Manipur. The resumption of the bus service follows months of efforts by the state administration to convince communities to allow safe passage and to re‑establish essential public services.
Reports recalled an earlier episode of unrest in the region: in March of the previous year, a government attempt to restore free movement on all roads drew protests and a mob attack on a state transport bus in Kangpokpi, which left one person dead and several injured, according to accounts published at the time.
Officials and travellers welcomed the reopening. A government statement said the step had been widely appreciated by the public and called it important for restoring normal life and strengthening connectivity. One passenger cited in reporting from the route said the journey should help foster peace and harmony among communities, reflecting public hopes that restored mobility will aid reconciliation.
For Dimapur residents, the reactivation of the route is likely to have immediate practical effects: it reconnects a major Nagaland hub with Imphal by road, facilitating passenger travel and the movement of goods between the three states. Authorities will monitor the service closely as they work to maintain security on the corridor and to ensure uninterrupted operations.
