"Stop Proxy War" slogan reverberates across Imphal sky Tens of thousands march for Manipur territorial & administrative integrity

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jan 31: Tens of thousands of people belong-ing to different communities took out a mammoth rally at Imphal today under the aegis of the Coordinating Com-mittee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI).
The mammoth rally held under the banner “Manipur Kanba Khongchat” or “Save Manipur Rally” culminated with a public convention at THAU Ground, Thang-meiband where eight reso- lutions were adopted for submission to the Government of India.
Abrogation of Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups, safeguarding the territorial and administrative integrity of Manipur  and establishment of a transparent and accountable governance in the State were some of the resolutions adopted at the convention.
The rally was flagged off from Tidim Ground, Kwa-keithel at 11 am and it was a sea of humanity all the way through Tidim Road, Keishampat Junction, Wahengbam Leikai, Naga-mapal, Khoyathong traffic point and Thangmeiband DM College Road till THAU Ground.
COCOMI leaders and members who led the rally reached THAU Ground at around 12.15 pm.
From 12.15 pm onward, a stream of people converged at THAU Ground continuously and the marchers who formed the tailend of the rally were able to reach the ground only at 2.30 pm.
The marchers held placards, festoons and banners which read as “No compromise on Manipur integrity”, “Long Live Manipur”, “Hail Manipur”, “We condemn Government of India’s proxy war”, “Abrogate SoO agreement with Kuki militants immediately”, “Resettle all IDPs”, “Will not tolerate any challenge to the integrity of Manipur” and “Flush out Kuki narco-terrorists from Manipur” etc.
The public convention held at THAU Ground was attended by COCOMI Convenor YK Dhiren, Khongnangthaba University   Vice Chancellor Prof N Joykumar, Thadou Inpi Manipur Secretary Michael Lamjathang Haokip, former COCOMI convenor Khuraijam Athouba, MU Law Department Head, Yumnam Premananda, United Meitei Pangal Committee General Secretary Raees Ahamed Tampak and Kabui Union Manipur vice-president L Lanboi Kabui as presidium members.
The convention resolved that the SoO agreement must be abrogated immediately and the free hand given to Kuki militants must be done away with.
The Government of India must stop its misleading propaganda of portraying the Manipur crisis as communal conflict. The Govern- ment of India must stop violating and challenging the rights of people in the name of the so-called communal conflict, said another resolution.
Formulating special policies for IDPs and resettling them at their own homes within a specified time-frame, was another resolution adopted at the convention.
Putting an end to cross-border terror activities of Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists, dismantling cross-border terror networks and illegal infrastructure of Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists, ensuring all the rights guaranteed by the Constitution to the people and establishment of a transparent and accountable governance were some other resolutions adopted at the huge public convention.
It also resolved that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) or a similar mechanism must be implemented and all the illegal immigrants must be identified.
It further resolved that the Government of India must ensure free movement of all communities on all highways without any further delay.
Former COCOMI convenor Khuraijam Athouba  asserted that the Manipur crisis was a result of the Government of India’s several years old policy although it was portrayed as a conflict between Meitei and Kuki communities.
He pointed out that the Government of India has not yet pulled up a single Kuki involved in firing upon returning Meitei IDPs at Torbung.
The Government of India did not take up a single visible action when Kuki militants set off bombs at Saiton and inflicted injuries to Meitei civilians, he said.
This deliberate inaction and the stoic silence maintained by Indian armed forces when Kuki militants came to Ireng Naga village and threatened the villagers point to the fact that the Kuki militants are being supported and protected by the Government of India, Athouba said.
Recently, Mayanglam-bam Rishikanta,  a Meitei civilian, was shot dead in cold blood by Kuki militants in Churachandpur but the Government of India has not done anything to arrest the perpetrators, he said.
Even though Kuki militants have been roaming around with arms in complete violation of the SoO ground rules, the Government of India has not pulled up a single Kuki militant, he continued.
He went on to allege that the Government of India has been patronising a large number of Kuki narco-terrorists.
Tens of thousands march for Manipur territorial & administrative integrity
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Escalating or de-escalating the Manipur crisis lies fully in the hands of the Government of India, he added.
Calling upon all the people to stand united and firm against the Government of India’s proxy war, the former COCOMI convenor claimed that New Delhi has full knowledge of the extensive poppy plantations in the hill areas of Manipur.
The Government of India has been allowing the extensive poppy plantation so that Kuki militants can earn huge money to buy weapons, he said.
Athouba said that a large number of Thadous, Hmars, Paites and Vaipheis  conveyed their resolute stance for the integrity of Manipur.
These Thadou, Hmar, Paite and Vaiphei people made it clear that they will never challenge the integrity of Manipur. They also conveyed that they are being threatened and suppressed by Kuki narco-terrorists patronised by the Government of India, he said.
Categorically saying that a lasting solution to the current crisis will remain elusive as long as the Government of India does not rein in the Kuki narco-terrorists, the former COCOMI convenor called upon all sections of the society to urge the Government of India collectively to take decisive action against the Kuki narco-terrorists.
Saying that the resolutions adopted today will be sent to the Government of India, Athouba appealed to all people to be prepared for a non-cooperation movement against the Government of India in case New Delhi does not take appropriate actions regarding the resolutions.
Prof N Joykumar said that the Government of India has been curtailing the State Government from taking any action independently.
At the time of Manipur’s merger into the Indian Union, the Government of India promised to safeguard the integrity of Manipur, Prof Joykumar said before asserting that New Delhi must keep its promise.
Even though New Delhi is not breaking Manipur directly, it is now a big question if the Government of India is plotting to disintegrate Manipur by using Kukis as the cat’s paw, he said.
Saying that the Government of India’s think tanks have been plotting for disintegration of Manipur, he called upon all indigenous communities to stand firm and united against such diabolic policies of New Delhi.
It is the people of Manipur who must protect the State, no outsiders will come to protect Manipur, he asserted.
He said that many leaders of mainland India wish to see Manipur fragmented.
Even if there are differences in perspectives and outlooks, all the indigenous communities of Manipur need to work together on a common platform and comprehend the idea of Manipur otherwise all the indigenous communities will sink together one day, Prof Joykumar said.
Kabui Union Manipur vice-president L Lanboi Kabui asserted that protecting Manipur from all challenges is the bounden responsibility of every man and woman born in Manipur.
United Meitei Pangal Committee General Secretary Raees Ahamed Tampak  too called upon all the communities living together in Manipur to stand united and firm in order to safeguard the State’s integrity.
Prof Yumnam Premananda noted that Union Home Minister Amit Shah made an announcement at a public rally yesterday that all the illegal immigrants in Assam will be identified and deported but Amit Shah did not speak a single word about Manipur where the issue of illegal immigration is much bigger.
Because of incessant influx of illegal immigrants over the last many years, the very survival of indigenous people has come under serious threats in Manipur, he said.
Meiteis would have been still sleeping had the Kuki narco-terrorists not launched their armed aggression on May 3, 2023. It was the Kuki narco-terrorists who woke up Meiteis and other indigenous communities of Manipur, Premananda said.
He said that the Government must neutralise every Chin-Kuki narco-terrorist.
Pointing out that Manipur became a part of India through the Manipur Merger Agreement, the Law Professor asserted that the territorial integrity of Manipur is untouchable.
Updating NRC must be done in a time-bound manner. If the process of NRC takes a long time, it will not serve any purpose, he said.
COCOMI convenor YK Dhiren too said that the Manipur crisis is a machination of the Government of India.
By supporting and patronising some communal elements, the Government of India has been continuously plotting to disintegrate Manipur, Dhiren said.
Even as thousands of people are being kept as hostages for the last 32 months in their own State, the Government of India has not yet bothered to bring out a roadmap for resettlement of IDPs, the COCOMI convenor said.
He demanded identification and deportation of all illegal immigrants from Manipur without any further delay.
He also demanded immediate abrogation of the SoO   agreement.
The COCOMI convenor further conveyed gratitude to the huge number of people who took part in today’s “Save Manipur Rally”.