Imphal: The Former and Senior Leaders' Forum of Zeliangrong Civil Organisations wants Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to secure National Highway-37. Violence has fractured the region. The group demands daily security escorts for vehicles running between Imphal and Noney from Monday to Saturday. They want convoys to stage at Keithelmanbi by 7 am and Tupul Bazar by 3 pm, or alternatively, a full-time security presence on the Keithelmanbi to Tupul Bazar route between 7 am and 5 pm.
History haunts these roads. The group recalled the 1994 tragedy where a bus plunge killed roughly 40 passengers during the Kuki-Naga conflict of 1992 to 1996. They argued that "adequate precautionary security could have prevented such incidents."
Families face displacement across Noney, Tamenglong, and Kangpokpi districts. The forum claims many Zeliangrong Naga villages went up in flames, forcing residents to flee. They now want these families recognized as Internally Displaced Persons with benefits matching other affected groups. Beyond highway safety, the forum requested increased protection for Zeliangrong villages bordering Kuki areas in Kangpokpi and Churachandpur. They also proposed a formal reorganisation of inter-district boundaries to settle long-standing land disputes and secure peace.
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