2 Kuki groups lift 2-month blockade on NH-2 in Manipur's Kangpokpi

Two militant outfits of Manipur, under Suspensions of Operation, on Sunday said they have lifted the two-month long blockade in Kangpokpi district along the crucial National Highway-2.

Issuing a joint statement, the United Peoples' Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) said the blockade has been lifted with immediate effect following "deep concern to restore peace and harmony" by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

However, Kuki civil society group Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), which had announced a roadblock on NH-2 two months ago, has not officially withdrawn the agitation yet.

Manipur has two national highways -- NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH-37 (Imphal-Jiribam).

The NH-2 has been under blockade by Kuki organisations since the violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, and was temporarily opened following Shah's visit in late May.

The decision to lift the blockade comes following a recent meeting of the UPF, KNO and other Kuki groups with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati, sources close to the development said.

"The decision was taken after wide-ranging consultations with civil society organisations, village chiefs and women leaders on several occasions," the joint statement said.

More than 100 people have so far lost their lives in ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.