It has now been two months since a Naga blockade on National Highway-2 commenced. While aimed against the Kuki-Zo people, this blockade has resulted in repercussions for other tribal communities in the region as well.
Having made their own check-post in the Namdilong area, situated in the Imphal district, on NH2, the Nagas ensure that every vehicle, whether personal or commercial, and commuters passing through this place are stopped and checked thoroughly, for any grocery or other essential household items they possess.
In order for people to buy supplies from Imphal and carry them to the Kangpokpi region, and move across the highway, people have to pay ‘taxes’ to the Nagas at the check-post. A ‘token’ is given out to the people in order to commute, in lieu of which a ‘tax’ ranging from anything between 1000 to 5000 Rupees has to be paid. Only after this would the Nagas allow people to move across the highway and take supplies back to their home in Kangpokpi.
This blockade started as a form of ‘protest’ after the mutilated dead bodies of six Naga civilians, who were abducted on May 13, 2026, were found on June 10, 2026. The victims were kidnapped from the Leilon village in the Kangpokpi district itself. The Kuki-Zo Council later confessed that members of their community were responsible for the killings.
Even though the NIA is looking into the murders and two arrests have also been made, the Nagas have announced that the blockade will not come to an end until complete justice is served.
While the Nagas continue with the blockade, residents of the Kangpokpi district who do not belong in the Naga community, are facing the consequences. Due to the extra ‘taxes’ that are to be paid to the Nagas, an LPG cylinder now costs around 4000 to 5000 Rupees to the common residents, a litre of petrol costs 250 Rupees, and a 50-kg bag of rice becomes worth 3000 Rupees.
Speaking about the blockade and how it affects daily lives, a resident of the Motbung village situated in the Kangpokpi district told Sonakshi Datta of GoaChronicle, ‘Every wholesale and retail shop in our village is now empty, and the price for every single commodity is way too high.’
‘I get 1-2 Kgs of food supplies from Imphal or Kanglatongbi, to carry which the Nagas ask for money; but for this small quantity, I argue with them and make my way through the check-post. The real issue begins when the quantity of the commodity you are carrying is more. For instance, if one carries 30 bags of cement for construction, a “tax” of 1000-2000 has to be paid’, said the Motbung resident.
In its latest move, the Naga community, through a directive issued by the Naga Village Guard, Northern Command, on Monday, July 13, has stated, ‘It has come to our notice through multiple reports that certain Nepalese are supplying essential commodities to our adversaries. Therefore, the Naga Village Guard-Northern Command (NVG-NC), after a thorough perusal of the information received and after having ascertained the facts at ground zero, hereby issue this directive.’
‘That, the Namdilong-Kanglatongbi Gate is hereby directed to stop issuing any transportation permissions to the Nepalese, whatever the justification may be’, the directive orders.
It further says, ‘The directive shall come into force effective immediately. Any dereliction from this directive shall be dealt with, in ways befitting, by the NVG-NC and beyond.’
