Detailed account of illegal immigration, cross-border narco-terrorism, SoO violations higlighted Amit Shah thumbs down separate administration call

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 25: While categorically stating that no separate administration would be allowed in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has called for dialogues between Kukis and Meiteis.
Following an invitation from the Ministry of Home Affairs, a 13-member delegation of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) held a meeting with Amit Shah at his official residence in New Delhi at 10.30 am today.
Emphasising on the Government of India’s firm stance against all forms of infiltration into Manipur’s territory, the Union Home Minister stated that measures are being implemented to register immigrants using biometrics, including retina scans.
Stringent action will be taken against all forms of infiltration into Manipur’s territory, Amit Shah assured.
To address concerns about mass infiltration, the Government is expediting border fencing in the Manipur sector, he said.
“There will be no allowance for separate administrations in Manipur”, the Union Home Minister stated categorically.
Appealing for peace in the State, Amit Shah requested COCOMI to convey the same message to the people.
Saying that ensuring movement and distribution of commodities in the State can be possibly realised with the support from both sides of the communities, Amit Shah assured that  necessary deployment of convoys to secure the highways shall be ensured in a few days.
He also urged COCOMI to initiate dialogues with responsible Kuki leaders and groups to facilitate problem-solving and peace-building.
COCOMI submitted a representation to the Union Home Minister, who forwarded it to the Union Home Secretary for further discussion on the outlined points.
Subsequently, the COCOMI delegates held a detailed discussion with Director of Intelligence Bureau and Security Advisor (Northeast) AK Mishra.
During the meeting, COCOMI presented a detailed account of the complexities of issues affecting Manipur, including illegal immigration, cross-border narco-terrorism, exploitation of forest resources, and SoO violations.
The MHA officials acknowledged and took note of these critical points.
The Director of the Intelligence Bureau provided insights into the current crisis in Manipur and his understanding of critical issues.
After thorough discussion, the officials urged COCOMI to prioritize the immediate measures outlined in the letter.
They also emphasized the importance of continued engagement and cooperation with the Government and stakeholders to facilitate a quicker resolution of the crisis.
The COCOMI was represented by 13 Members with Jeetendra Ningomba, Coordinator COCOMI leading the delegation, accompanied by Consultative members––Yumnamcha Dilipkumar, Ak Shethajit, K Maharabi, Th Bharat, Khomdram Ratan with COCOMI Assistant Coordinators–– Joychandra Konthoujam, Longjam Ratankumar, Somorendro Thokchom, Khuraijam Athouba, Ph Shyamchand, Y Surjitkumar and L Jayanta.
It has been now 113 days since the foreign based Chin-Kuki Narco-Terrorists, in collusion with the Kuki sectarian radical groups, have made an unwarranted aggression on the soil of India in Manipur sector challenging the sovereignty and sanctity of the Indian Nation, the COCOMI representation pointed out.
While nearly a lakh of people have been rendered homeless and have taken refuge in many relief camps set up across Manipur, more than 160 people have died and several civilians missing in this tragic human carnage.
“In this regard, Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), on behalf of the people of Manipur draws your kind attention to the following facts and imperatives which might directly threaten the Indian National Security,” it said.
It is now open and known to the world that the Manipur violence is an act of aggression by foreign based Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists in connivance with the Kuki sectarian radical forces.
The larger game plan of the current violence is to carve out sizable territories from three different countries viz. Chittagong Hill tracts of Bangladesh, Chin State of Myanmar and Kuki inhabited areas of Manipur and the entire Mizoram of India and to form a united Zoland/Zale’n-gam in the line of an Israelite State.
With the dream of creating a unique Christian country where different small ethnic groups identifying as conglomerates of Thadou-Kuki speaking cognates settle together, the Chin-Kukis are forcing the impossible, it said.
Not only terrorizing the civilians in the territory of Manipur, they are also forcing youths and even young children to take up arms and into believing the utopia of Zale’n-gam. These young children are indoctrinated with hatred and false promises pressuring them to war against an imaginary enemy, said the COCOMI representation.
The utopia of forming a united Zoland/Zale’n-gam has reached such fervent heights that a recently constituted propaganda group called the World Kuki Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC) had already submitted a memorandum to the United Nations on June 29, 2023 urging upon the world body to grant a separate country comprising of territories carved out from the three countries as mentioned above.
They also submitted another memorandum to the Prime Minister of Israel to extend their support and aid.
The inter-connectivity of the geopolitics of the Southeast Asia and South Asian regions in the context of Myanmar crisis and its ramifications on Manipur violence will certainly be a sphere of Indian national security.
Any issue of turmoil and social unrest in the border States of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and importantly Manipur will certainly open a pandora of opportunity for Chinese intelligence. The danger of this intrusion has been expressed by many retired high ranking military officers and think tanks in several electronic media, webinars and discussions. The threat is alarmingly real, COCOMI asserted.
Though Manipur experienced various armed opposition groups since the day of the merger of Manipur with India in 1949, the people of Manipur, especially the Meeteis have fully absorbed the values of democracy.
Parliamentary elections after elections have shown their commitment to democracy.
 In the valley, it seems the electoral contests are based on people’s choices and without having much influence or the dictates of the armed groups. Meeteis have consistently shown their commitment to the Indian democratic system. The Meeteis in general do not subscribe to Chinese communist dictatorial political system, it said.
However, parliamentary elections in hill areas largely remain greatly influenced by armed groups. The settlement patterns in the hills where small villages are scattered in isolated hinterlands combined with massive and complete control of the body polity of Kuki dominated areas by Kuki militants make the Indian parliamentary elections a farce.
The hard facts of these aberrations from the normal course of democratic election can be easily seen from the truth of the election of the family members to the Manipur Legislative Assembly and several of them even becoming Ministers, reads the representation.
While the Government of India under the vibrant leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been pushing India into becoming one of the most powerful countries of the world by eliminating parochialism and sectarianism, the Kukis remain adamant on insisting the conservation of parochialism, separatism and thereby destroying the age old social harmony of Manipur. The anti-democratic and sectarian uprising will certainly give the Chinese intelligence an exceptional opportunity of intrusion deep inside the Indian National Security system, it cautioned.
Out of the 4 Indian States bordering Myanmar having a length of 1643 Kms, Manipur shares 398 Kms which is completely porous and due to which the changing demography has happened because of the intrusion of numerous illegal migrants from Myanmar into the Indian Territory, it pointed out. The subtle demographic balance is already endangered.  If the trend is not halted, a new demographic alignment will emerge that will lead to social chaos and fight for social dominance. The present mayhem is a prelude to the impending overarching crisis, the COCOMI averred. It then demanded/suggested a slew of measures that may be taken up to create a conducive environment for bringing peace in Manipur.
The armed Chin-Kuki narco terrorists and the armed Kuki separatists should be contained immediately.
Initiatives for restoration of internally displaced persons in their original settlements should be taken up.
Blocking of the National highways is a grave crime against humanity and its impeding economic development. In spite of various orders issued by the High Court of Manipur, the Kuki people are blocking the National Highways of Manipur.
“We urge upon the Central Government to open the National Highways immediately and deploy necessary security forces for free access of all communities”, COCOMI demanded.
Since educational institutions have started opening, the security forces staying in the educational institutions should be shifted to other appropriate places.
It also demanded immediate implementation and updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) under Citizenship Act 1955 and as mandated by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2003 in Manipur.
In fulfilling the Prime Minister’s initiative of ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan 2020’, poppy plantation areas in the hill districts of Manipur should be immediately surveyed and poppy plantations destroyed before the coming harvesting season in September.
Further, the components of the action plan should be reviewed and include the components of restriction and destruction of poppy plantations, arrest and prosecution of drug mafias and inclusion of poppy cultivated hill districts of Manipur in the identification list of districts under Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan 2020. Since evidences of a few of wanton officers of the Assam Rifles having involved in the drug racket had already been out in the public domain, the functioning of the Assam Rifles and their possible nexus with drug mafia should be thoroughly investigated in the context of India’s National security and also in the interest of the citizens of India, it demanded.
Further, deployment of the same security force (consistently for 40 years and more) could have made undesired affinity with local population and put the National interest in jeopardy. The best option may be to replace Assam Rifles and also to follow the policy of routine rotation and replacement of forces especially in the border areas where Chinese national interest and influence are predominant, it said.
Since Kuki militants covered under SoO have been constantly violating the ground rules of the agreement, it is imperative to abrogate SoO, it added.