Imphal: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has strongly condemned a recent meeting facilitated by the Ministry of Home Affairs between representatives of the Meetei and Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar communities.
COCOMI has labeled the engagement a “stage-managed exercise,” asserting that its primary objective is to bolster a “misleading narrative” previously presented by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Parliament.
In a scathing statement released today, COCOMI declared its non-participation in what it described as an “orchestrated spectacle” held in Delhi. The organization alleges that the Government of India is deliberately constructing a false portrayal of the ongoing conflict in Manipur as a mere ethnic clash between the Meetei and Kuki communities.
COCOMI insists that this depiction completely disregards the complex and deeply entrenched issues that are fueling the unrest, including what it claims is a state-sponsored proxy war involving Chin-Kuki narco-terrorist networks.
“This so-called peace initiative is nothing more than a carefully timed political performance designed to reinforce the Union Home Minister’s narrative in Parliament,” COCOMI stated unequivocally in its press release. The committee further contends that the central government’s consistent actions and policy decisions since the eruption of violence in 2023 clearly demonstrate a biased stance in the conflict.
COCOMI maintains that in its previous interactions, including meetings held within Imphal itself, it had explicitly conveyed the sentiment of the people of Manipur, who view the central government not as an impartial mediator seeking peace, but rather as an active participant in the ongoing conflict.
The committee expressed profound concern regarding what it referred to as the harboring of armed mercenaries of foreign origin under the guise of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement, which has been in effect since 2005. COCOMI alleges that these groups, emboldened by perceived state inaction and possessing arms, continue to exert significant control over certain regions within the state, thereby undermining both peace efforts and democratic governance.
In its statement, COCOMI laid out a series of immediate demands that it considers essential prerequisites for any meaningful peace process to commence. These demands include the strict enforcement of the rule of law throughout Manipur, the neutralization of all armed groups, particularly those operating under the SoO agreement in the hill areas, and the prosecution of militants involved in territorial occupation and the imposition of highway blockades.
Furthermore, COCOMI demands the revocation of the SoO agreement to dismantle what it describes as militant strongholds, the restoration of free movement and road access across the entire state, and the establishment of accountability for those who reject peace efforts, including those who disregard initiatives put forth by the Home Minister and the Governor. Crucially, COCOMI insists on an acknowledgment of what it believes are the true drivers of the conflict: illegal immigration, narco-terrorism, and separatist ideologies.
Finally, the committee demands direct government engagement with the leadership of SoO groups, bypassing what it terms symbolic civilian proxies. COCOMI firmly asserts that no civilian-level peace talks will yield any positive results until a terror-free environment is established within the state, emphasizing that civil society organizations lack the capacity to disarm militants or ensure law enforcement, placing the full responsibility for this on the Government of India.
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