COCOMI Accuses Kuki Groups of Sustaining Unrest to Justify Separate Administration Demand

GG News Bureau
Imphal, 13th Feb. The Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the umbrella body of civil society organisations representing the Meitei community, has alleged that recent statements by Kuki groups indicate a deliberate attempt to validate their long-standing demand for a separate administration.

In a statement, COCOMI claimed that despite Chief Minister N. Biren Singh stepping down “for the larger good,” Kuki organisations have “found another pretext to continue their movement for a separate administration.” The Meitei civil society group further accused its Kuki counterparts of exploiting instability in the violence-hit state, stating that they have “consistently sought new justifications to sustain unrest, making their own people suffer while capitalising on their discontent to push their vested political agenda.”

The controversy comes amid growing uncertainty over President’s Rule in Manipur following the resignation of the Chief Minister on Sunday. Singh’s resignation came just a day before a no-confidence motion, set to be introduced by the Congress in the state assembly, was cancelled by the Governor.

COCOMI urged the central government to recognise what it described as a “systematic agenda” and take decisive action against those justifying violence for political gain. “The people of Manipur deserve peace, stability, and a resolution that upholds the integrity of the state,” it said.

The Meitei and Kuki communities have been embroiled in violent clashes since May 2023 over land rights and political representation. While Kuki groups such as the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) have been at the forefront of demands for a separate administration, Meitei leaders argue that such calls for autonomy have existed for decades under the banner of “Kukiland.”

The World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC), in a memorandum to the Manipur Governor on January 15, claimed that Kuki tribes have been seeking a separate state since 1946-47. The memorandum cited historical demands made to India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and later efforts by the Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) and groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement since 2008.

Meanwhile, Kuki leaders and militant groups under the SoO agreement maintain that the ethnic clashes that began in 2023 escalated their demand from an autonomous council to a separate administration or Union Territory with an assembly. They have also insisted on an investigation into the alleged role of the former chief minister in fueling violence before engaging in talks.

The ongoing conflict has led to over 250 deaths and displaced nearly 50,000 people in Manipur over the past two years.