National Highways 02 and 37, vital lifelines for Manipur, have been severely disrupted since ethnic violence broke out in May 2023. Ongoing blockades and protests have choked the supply of essentials like food, medicine, and fuel, triggering a humanitarian and economic crisis. Businesses are shutting down, hospitals are affected, and families face rising uncertainty. Experts have called the blockades illegal and deeply damaging. 

Manipur mourns the tragic loss of two young cabin crew members, 21-year-old Meitei woman Nganthoi Sharma from Thoubal and 28-year-old Kuki man Lamnunthem Singson from Kangpokpi, killed in the Air India crash in Ahmedabad. In a state divided by ethnic strife, their deaths have united the Meitei and Kuki communities in a rare, heartfelt moment of shared grief and solidarity.