Public transport services on the Imphal–Dimapur–Guwahati route resumed after nearly three years, with 125 passengers travelling in two buses and five wingers on Friday, in a significant step towards restoring connectivity in violence-hit Manipur.125 passengers travelled as Manipur resumed the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati bus service after nearly three years, crossing districts divided by the ethnic conflict. (Government)The buses have crossed Kangpokpi, a Kuki-majority district, and Senapati, a Naga-majority district, before entering Nagaland en route to Guwahati — a journey being seen as a symbolic step towards restoring normal life and connectivity in the state.Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, along with Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen and Saitu MLA Haokholet Kipgen, during their last visit to Kangpokpi district on August 8, had announced the reopening of national highways for free movement of all communities and stated that the Imphal–Dimapur–Guwahati bus service would be resumed soon.Union Home Minister Amit Shah had directed the Manipur government to ensure free movement along all national highways in Manipur with effect from March 8, 2025. However, Kuki-Zo groups had defied Shah’s directives and foiled government attempts twice in Kangpokpi district.One of the travellers, Kiyam Kumarjit Singh, belonging to the Meitei community from Thoubal district, said that this new journey should usher in love, peace, and harmony among all communities in the state, and help people move beyond what had happened in the past. “Let us all forgive and forget the past,” he added.Nivedita from Khundrakpam village in Imphal East district also thanked the government.The ethnic clashes in Manipur first began between the Meitei and Kuki communities before involving almost every community. The state’s Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities shut each other out from the areas they dominate since ethnic clashes began in May 2023, leaving at least 260 people dead and displacing 60,000.The Meiteis, mostly Hindu, live largely in the Imphal Valley. The Kukis, predominantly Christian, reside in the hills. The state government has maintained that there are no buffer zones dividing communities in the state, but it has identified certain sensitive areas.A new government was formed in February, nearly a year after the imposition of President’s Rule. It includes representatives from all three major communities as part of an attempt to maintain ethnic balance.