Meitei body urge Manipur Governor to install new govt soon to resolve ethnic crisis

A seven-member delegation of the COCOMI on Monday met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and urged him to establish a duly elected government within this month to ensure democratic governance and effective decision-making.

"Once the new government is formed, a full-fledged Assembly session must be convened to deliberate on the crisis and formulate necessary legal and administrative measures for resolution. Immediate measures should be taken to provide security and necessary amnesty for all affected villages and their civilian village defence forces to safeguard them from continued violence," the memorandum, submitted to the Governor at the Raj Bhavan, said.

The COCOMI delegation, led by its Convenor Khuraijam Athoubam, told the Governor that when the Manipur government launched the "War on Drugs," undertook anti-poppy drives, and the identification and eviction of illegal villages and immigrants, the majority of whom originate from Myanmar, it faced steep resistance from the affected community, creating conflict situations that circumstantially lead to demands for separate administration in the form of Union Territory with a legislature.

"It is evident that in the ongoing law and order crisis in Manipur, the Meetei group has no specific agenda or objective in engaging with this conflict. Rather, the crisis appears to be driven by those pursuing the demand for separate administration," the COCOMI memorandum said.

It highlighted 13-point demands, which include a comprehensive initiative must be undertaken to identify, dismantle, and evict all illegal villages that have sprung up across the state, threatening its demographic and environmental integrity, and all violent activities and unauthorised movement of armed groups must be brought to a complete halt to ensure peace and stability.

According to the COCOMI memorandum, the ongoing crisis since May 3, 2023, is deeply linked to narco-terrorism.

"Massive illegal opium poppy plantations in Manipur's open hills are protected by armed Chin-Kuki-Zomi factions. The Indian Army, particularly the Assam Rifles, has failed to act against this organised crime. A strong declaration of narco-terrorism as a primary threat to Manipur's stability is crucial. Establishing a dedicated anti-narco terrorism unit for the northeast is imperative."

The COCOMI demanded the immediate reestablishment of law and order across both hills and plains, immediate relief and financial assistance for those affected, reconstruction of destroyed villages with adequate security measures, rehabilitation of displaced people, ensuring their safe return to their respective homes and villages, and free and secure access to healthcare, education, and transport facilities, including uninterrupted and safe movement along national highways.

The apex Meitei community body also demanded systematic initiatives be undertaken to identify and deport illegal immigrants residing in both hills and plains. The National Register of Citizens (NRC), fully endorsed by the indigenous population represented by COCOMI and UNC, must be implemented to prevent further demographic exploitation, the memorandum said.