Thousands take part in rally seeking 'protection' of Manipur's territorial, administrative integrity

PTI, Imphal, Jun 28, 2024 :  Thousands of people in Manipur on Friday participated in a rally organised here by an umbrella body of several Imphal-based civil society organisations, demanding “protection” of the territorial and administrative integrity of the state.

The rally under the aegis of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) began at Thau ground in Imphal West district and culminated at Khuman Lampak stadium, around four km away.

School and college students, women, youths and village volunteers took part in the procession and raised slogans such as ‘save indigenous and rightful citizens of India’ and ‘no separate administration’.

The Kuki community has urged the Centre to create a separate administration for it in the wake of the violent clashes between the Meiteis and tribals that left over 200 people since May last year.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), an organisation of the Kuki-Zo ethnic group, alleged that slogans in favour of “killing” their community members were raised in the COCOMI rally, and again demanded a separate administration for them.

COCOMI convenor Thokchom Somorendra said, “We organised the rally to show that Manipur’s integrity cannot be broken under any circumstances and Manipur will not yield under the pressure of illegal immigrants from Myanmar. The government must deal strongly with the Kuki militants and stop their attacks.” Both the Central and state governments have blamed illegal immigrants from Myanmar for the violence in the northeastern state.

“We want the central government to protect the lives and properties of the rightful citizens and the state of Manipur,” Somorendra told reporters.

L Nganbi, president of Apunba Manipur Kanba Ima Lup, a prominent women’s NGO of the state, alleged that the Assam Rifles has been refusing to take action against Kuki militants and that is the reason village volunteers have emerged.

Village volunteers were involved in a number of incidents of gunfights in Manipur.

“We want to protect our village volunteers from arrest as they have saved our lives and properties and not because of any other agenda,” Nganbi said.

Responding to the claims, the ITLF asserted that Kuki-Zo and Meitei cannot coexist.

“… the demonstrators are shouting to kill every Kuki and eliminate them from the soil of Manipur is horrifying,” the ITLF said in a statement.

“We must be separated. Total separation is the only solution. Peace in Manipur will only come when this total separation is officially acknowledged and formalised by the central government,” it said.

Independent MLA Sapam Nishikant who came here to attend the rally told reporters that all need to live together come what may.

The ethnic conflict between Imphal valley-based Meiteis and hill-based Kukis has led to the deaths of over 200 people, and rendered thousands of people homeless.

Manipur has remained gripped by recurring bouts of violence since ethnic clashes between the two communities first erupted on May 3 last year.