In blockaded part of Manipur, an LPG cylinder now sells for Rs 5,000

📌 Summary:

• Prices of essentials such as rice, petrol and cooking gas have spiralled in Manipur's Kangpokpi district over the last month; an LPG cylinder reportedly sells for around Rs 5,000
• Cause: a severe economic blockade imposed since 13 May 2026, after three Thadou pastors were killed in the Kuki-dominated district
• Governance impact: Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen (who represents Kangpokpi) has been unable to travel to the State capital Imphal even after the elected government was restored following revocation of President's Rule; four months after taking oath she still attends the Chief Minister's meetings virtually
• The episode underscores continuing Kuki-Meitei ethnic fault lines and the fragility of normalcy in the State

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 (Internal Security) — ethnic conflict, economic blockades as a pressure tactic, and the development-extremism nexus in the North-East; also touches Centre-State governance under/after President's Rule.

🔑 Key Term: Economic blockade — obstruction of highways and supply routes to choke the movement of essential goods, used as a political pressure tactic (a recurrent feature of Manipur's ethnic conflicts).