Meitei body urge Manipur Governor to install new government
Meitei body urge Manipur Governor to install new government soon to resolve ethnic crisis
Meitei community's apex body, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, which earlier strongly opposed the promulgation of the President’s Rule in Manipur, on Monday urged the Governor to install a new government to resolve the ethnic crisis at the earliest
IMPHAL — The
Meitei community's apex body, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity
(COCOMI), which earlier strongly opposed the promulgation of the President’s
Rule in Manipur, on Monday urged the Governor to install a new government to
resolve the ethnic crisis at the earliest.
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.
