Manipur Faces Second Day of Naga Trade Embargo: Essential Supplies Hit Hard
Imphal, Sep 10: The trade embargo imposed by the United Naga Council (UNC) in Manipur shows no signs of lifting. On its second day today, this indefinite blockade has thrown the state’s supply chains into chaos, making essential goods and food grains scarce across the Northeast region.
Naga groups, including the UNC, kicked off the embargo to protest the Indian government’s plans to fence the 1,643-km India-Myanmar border and scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR). They fear these moves will split Naga communities living on both sides, cutting deep into their cultural ties, ancestral lands, and traditional way of life.
Trucks loaded with daily necessities, empty vehicles, and even fuel tankers have piled up on key routes like the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37) and Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2). Officials in Imphal report hundreds of vehicles stuck at various spots, with the worst jam at Mao Gate on NH-2.
The UNC and allied Naga organizations have blocked commercial traffic in Naga-inhabited areas along these highways. This has rippled out to disrupt supplies not just to Imphal Valley but also to Kuki-dominated hill districts in the south. Districts like Senapati, Ukhrul, and Tamenglong feel the pinch the most, as trucks with essentials remain halted at checkpoints.
Why the anger? The UNC slammed the Centre for ignoring their pleas. They pointed to a fruitless meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on August 26. In a strong statement, the UNC said the government’s "indifferent attitude" leaves them no choice but to ramp up protests. They insist that fencing the India-Myanmar border and ending the FMR threatens the Naga homeland, identity, and rights over their lands.
For context, the FMR let border residents in India and Myanmar travel up to 16 km into each other’s territory without passports or visas. Last year, the MHA announced its scrapping, replacing it with a new pass system for people within 10 km of the border to control cross-border movement.
This isn’t just a Manipur issue. States like Nagaland and Mizoram, along with many political parties and civil groups, oppose the border fencing and FMR changes. The 1,643-km unfenced stretch—shared by Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram—has long been a hotspot for smuggling arms, drugs, and other illegal goods. The government plans to fence it all at a whopping Rs 31,000 crore cost.
As the trade embargo drags on, residents in Manipur worry about rising prices and shortages. Will talks resume to ease the tension? For now, the Naga community’s firm stand keeps the wheels of commerce at a standstill.
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