Imphal, May 20: The five-day Shirui Lily Festival began on Tuesday in Manipur’s Ukhrul district amid heightened security along National Highway 202, which connects Imphal East to the festival venue. This is the first edition of the festival since ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities erupted in May 2023.

Personnel from the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indian Army have been deployed along the highway, which passes through six Kuki-Zo dominated villages, to ensure safe movement of visitors, including those from the Imphal valley. The festival, held in honour of the state flower Shirui Lily, is being hosted in the Tangkhul Naga-majority Ukhrul district, which remained largely unaffected by the earlier unrest.

To facilitate public participation, the Manipur government has arranged three interdistrict buses with security escorts. Authorities see this as a significant step towards restoring normalcy and promoting inter-district travel, which has been severely restricted over the last two years due to ethnic tensions.

In a public notice, Ukhrul Additional Deputy Commissioner Polly Makan advised travellers to complete journeys between 8 am and 4 pm. Those travelling later must do so under armed escort, while no movement will be allowed after midnight.

Officials stated that Naga and Kuki-Zo village leaders held discussions to ensure peaceful passage for visitors. While there has been no official opposition to the event, authorities are maintaining strict vigilance along the route as a precautionary measure.