Tangkhul Naga civil society organisations have issued a stern three-day ultimatum to both the State and Central governments following a deadly ambush along National Highway 202 in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Friday afternoon that claimed the lives of four innocent civilians. The victims, which included a mother and her son, were killed near New Haven when suspected militants opened indiscriminate fire on two Imphal-bound vehicles travelling along the vital Imphal-Ukhrul corridor. Condemning the broad-daylight attack as the fourth such incident along the same stretch of highway, apex bodies including the Tangkhul Naga Long demanded the immediate removal of alleged Kuki militants from all Naga-inhabited areas and insisted that the investigation be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Expressing deep frustration over repeated security lapses despite the presence of central forces nearby, civil society leaders announced that the bereaved families have resolved not to claim the bodies of the deceased until their core demands are fulfilled, warning that an indefinite public agitation will follow if authorities fail to act within the 72-hour deadline. Even as fresh ethnic tensions and security concerns gripped the hill districts, the Manipur State Cabinet convened on the same day under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to approve major administrative and employment initiatives. In a significant boost to rural development, the Cabinet cleared the recruitment of 764 personnel for the Manipur State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MSRLM), comprising 637 contractual and 127 casual positions aimed at strengthening rural women’s Self-Help Groups and advancing the Lakhpati Didi initiative. Under the approved hiring framework, the National Mission Management Unit of the Union Ministry of Rural Development will handle the selection of contractual staff, while respective Deputy Commissioners will engage casual workers locally to ease manpower shortages across districts. Additionally, the Cabinet formally adopted the Manipur Motor Vehicles Aggregator Rules, 2026, bringing app-based ride-hailing platforms such as Uber, Ola, and Rapido under a structured regulatory mechanism. Designed to curb unauthorized operations and protect commuters from arbitrary surge pricing, the new rules mandate proper licensing, driver verification, vehicle fitness compliance, and transparent fare structures, while also extending ₹1 lakh in health insurance and ₹3 lakh in term insurance coverage to registered drivers. Together, Friday’s developments highlight the stark duality confronting Manipur: while the state government pushes forward with governance reforms, job creation, and urban transport regulation, persistent militant violence along critical lifelines like National Highway 202 continues to test public patience and threaten fragile communal stability across the region.
Security Crisis and Administrative Push: Tangkhul Bodies Serve Ultimatum While Manipur Clears 764 Jobs
