Transporters pause operations in Manipur in protest against trucker’s killing

Transporters suspended their operations in Manipur on Saturday, May 30, 2026, to protest against the death of a truck driver from West Bengal’s Hooghly district in an ambush by Kuki militants in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Friday, May 29. Police said militants attacked a convoy of food trucks, LPG and oil tankers on a section of National Highway 202.

The suspension of operations threatens to disrupt the supply of essential goods from southern Assam’s Barak Valley to the state capital Imphal and beyond via NH-37, one of Manipur’s two lifelines. NH-2, the other highway entering Manipur via Nagaland, has been closed since May 13, when the killing of three church leaders led to a hostage crisis involving the Kuki and Naga communities.

On Saturday, May 30, operators of around 400 trucks and oil tankers stranded in Imphal Valley’s Keithelmanbi area protested against the killing of driver Sushil Kumar (57), who was transporting rice to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) on NH-202.

Convoy was ambushed

This highway, which is less used than the other two, connects Imphal and Ukhrul, the headquarters of the Naga majority Ukhrul district. The area where the convoy was ambushed is dominated by the Kuki community, and on Saturday 30 May police confirmed that the attackers were Kuki militants.

A joint team of the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Manipur police and Rapid Action Force was escorting the trucks as the attackers rained bullets on them from “tactical positions along the route”. A Manipur police officer was injured in the attack.

“Security forces launched search operations and area dominance in the area to catch the perpetrators,” police said.

‘Perfect security guarantee’

Motorists said operating on these highways was too risky unless the government gave a foolproof guarantee of their safety. They also demanded action against Kumar’s killers and reopening of NH-2, a shorter and more well-maintained route than NH-37.

Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh met representatives of the All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers Union along with members of the slain driver’s family.

“I expressed my sincere condolences to the grieving family and assured them that the safety, security and welfare of truck drivers and transport workers remains the government’s top priority,” he said in a post on X.