Kanto Sabal arson a part of proxy war : COCOMI

    13-Jul-2026
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By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 12: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has categorically stated that the fresh attack and burning of six Meitei houses by Kukis at Kanto Sabal, Leimakhong area on July 11, 2026 was a part of the ongoing proxy war.
Citing media reports, live stream videos and local villagers, the COCOMI has questioned why the Central forces deployed in the area allowed the Kukis to march up to the Meitei houses.
Even as the Meitei villagers pointed out that their houses were set ablaze, the Central security personnel had the audacity to claim it was the burning of tyres. Moreover, the Central forces stopped the Meitei villagers from saving their houses.
Such conduct reeks of an intention on the part of the Central forces to provoke the Meiteis in order to sustain the protracted crisis, the COCOMI asserted in a statement.  
It is common knowledge that the majority of the Central security forces deployed in the area have been targeting and victimising Meiteis and Nagas, the committee said.
The Kanto Sabal arson which took place right under the nose of a huge number of Central security forces has only reaffirmed the people’s well-grounded perception, it said.
The arrest of the two individuals involved in the arson is not enough. They must be subjected to intensive questioning and a thorough investigation must be done in order to ascertain how they moved past the huge number of Central security forces and set the houses ablaze.
The Government must take serious note of its MLA Heikham Dingo’s comment  that the six Meitei houses were set ablaze because of negligence on the part of the army personnel.
The Government must look into the matter and fix responsibility on the army personnel who failed to perform their duty properly, COCOMI demanded.
Pointing out that there is a tight security arrangement around Leimakhong military camp, the COCOMI urged the Government to pull up security-in-charge of the area and inquire how the Kukis were allowed to march up to the Meitei houses and set them ablaze, and why the Central forces personnel remained totally indifferent to the rampage unleashed by the Kukis, it said.
The Central security forces unleashed brute force upon Meitei villagers, enraged and pained by the burning of their houses, protested whereas they turned a blind eye to the rampage unleashed by the Kuki mob. Such conduct of the Central security forces only testified that they were  biased and supporting Kuki terrorists, the COCOMI asserted.  
The State Government must not try to brush aside the Kanto Sabal incident as any ordinary incident. It must carry out a thorough investigation on how and why the Kuki mobs were allowed to set the houses ablaze despite the presence of a huge number of Central security personnel, it said.
Saying that the indigenous people of Manipur have no longer any faith in the Central forces, the COCOMI warned that there may come a time when Central security personnel are unable to move around in civilian areas.
With the collective fight of the Nagas and Meiteis for justice and to save the State from Kuki narco-terrorists gaining momentum,  there are indications of India’s proxy war masters unleashing psychological warfare.
First, police arrested a Meitei and his Kuki wife in connection with the butchering of six Naga hostages with an intention to create confusion among the people and present the Meiteis as culpable.
Second, Kukis were allowed to burn down Meitei houses in order to re-ignite Kuki-Meitei violence and divert public attention from the collective fight for justice for the butchering of six Naga hostages. All this sequence of events did not happen on their own but are carefully designed at New Delhi, the COCOMI alleged.
If peace should be restored, the Government should take up strong security measures to thwart violent aggression in foothill areas. But the Government has been letting Kukis attack innocent people at foothill and peripheral areas at regular intervals, it said.
The COCOMI has also appealed to all communities living together in Manipur  to know that at a time when the elected representatives cannot do anything collective fight is the only way to address the people’s suffering.
It further appealed to all communities to carry on the fight collectively until justice is done for the six Naga hostages and other innocent victims, and the proxy war is defeated.