Latest news with #CoordinatingCommitteeonManipurIntegrity
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
'Kuki is not an ethnic identity,' claim Thadou tribe leaders as they meet Meitei groups for 'peace talks'
GUWAHATI: In what was described as a 'historic' development, the Thadou Inpi Manipur, the apex civil society organisation representing the Thadou tribe, held a closed-door meeting with key Meitei groups in Imphal on Wednesday, marking the first time since the ethnic conflict that Thadou leaders have entered the Meitei-majority Imphal Valley. The Meitei groups present included the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, All Manipur United Clubs Organisation, Federation of Civil Society Organisations and Arambai Tenggol. The meeting also saw the participation of student and women leaders. Although the details of the meeting were not made public, sources said the discussions allegedly centred on efforts to restore peace, rebuild inter-community relationships, and eliminate mistrust between the groups. The meeting is being seen as a major step toward reconciliation in the wake of a violent ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and tribal Kukis that has, since May 2023, allegedly claimed more than 250 lives and displaced around 60,000 people internally. The Thadous, who were also affected by the conflict, used the opportunity to clarify their identity. The Thadou Inpi Manipur, in a statement issued after the meeting, said the discussions were part of a 'community understanding programme' between both sides. The statement added that the Thadous, long considered part of the larger Kuki umbrella, are in fact a 'distinct indigenous identity.'
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
‘Kuki is not an ethnic identity': Thadou tribe leaders meet Meitei groups in historic step towards peace
GUWAHATI: In what was described as a 'historic' development, the Thadou Inpi Manipur, the apex civil society organisation representing the Thadou tribe, held a closed-door meeting with key Meitei groups in Imphal on Wednesday, marking the first time since the ethnic conflict that Thadou leaders have entered the Meitei-majority Imphal Valley. The Meitei groups present included the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, All Manipur United Clubs Organisation, Federation of Civil Society Organisations and Arambai Tenggol. The meeting also saw the participation of student and women leaders. Although the details of the meeting were not made public, sources said the discussions allegedly centred on efforts to restore peace, rebuild inter-community relationships, and eliminate mistrust between the groups. The meeting is being seen as a major step toward reconciliation in the wake of a violent ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and tribal Kukis that has, since May 2023, allegedly claimed more than 250 lives and displaced around 60,000 people internally. The Thadous, who were also affected by the conflict, used the opportunity to clarify their identity. The Thadou Inpi Manipur, in a statement issued after the meeting, said the discussions were part of a 'community understanding programme' between both sides. The statement added that the Thadous, long considered part of the larger Kuki umbrella, are in fact a 'distinct indigenous identity.'
India Today
02-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Restoring normalcy: Manipur Governor announces 3-phase resettlement of displaced
In a major step toward healing and restoring normalcy in violence-affected Manipur, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has announced that the phased resettlement of displaced persons will begin this month and is expected to be completed by December announcement was made during a high-level meeting at Raj Bhavan, Imphal on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by leaders of three key civil society organisations — the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) and the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS). Top security officials, including the Security Advisor to the Manipur Government, the Director General of Police, and the Home Commissioner, also participated in the to the media at the Manipur Press Club, COCOMI Convenor Kh Athouba said the meeting was a follow-up to recent discussions with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials in New Delhi. A 19-member delegation from the three civil organisations had returned to Imphal earlier in the day after meeting the central leaders. According to Athouba, the Governor confirmed that the state government has begun implementing crucial elements of the peace roadmap agreed with the MHA. These include the reconstruction of houses destroyed during the ethnic violence and renovation of partially damaged homes, with funding allocated for both hill and valley resettlement will occur in three phases, starting in July and aiming for full completion by December. Governor Bhalla assured the delegation that the process will be inclusive and the meeting, the Governor also addressed the recent Guwaltabi incident, where the word 'Manipur' was reportedly erased from a Manipur State Transport (MST) bus. Bhalla confirmed that the inquiry report is ready and will be made public within two concerns in farming zones were also discussed, particularly the June 20 Phubala incident, where a Meitei farmer was injured in an alleged attack by armed Kuki militants. In response, the government has deployed an additional 1,000 personnel from the Manipur Rifles and Indian Reserve Battalion to vulnerable agricultural areas. Five security personnel have also been suspended over reported lapses in the further enhance farmer safety across hill and valley regions, Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have been formed under the respective Deputy Commissioners for rapid deployment in case of threats. Civil society leaders also urged the police to issue a public assurance guaranteeing protection to the issue of illegal immigration, Athouba revealed that 13,935 undocumented individuals have been detected so far. Of them, 13,917 have already been deported to their places of origin. Work on Indo-Myanmar border fencing is also under progress, with 40 km already completed in Chandel and Churachandpur districts to prevent further delegation reiterated their firm stance that the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups should not be extended until peace is fully restored. They stressed that maintaining law and order must remain a priority for both the state and central has been gripped by ethnic unrest since May 3, 2023, resulting in over 250 deaths and the displacement of more than 60,000 people. The Governor's latest announcement offers a potential path forward in one of India's most challenging internal conflicts, with hopes that resettlement and reconstruction will help rebuild fractured communities.- EndsMust Watch
The Hindu
29-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Team from three Manipur groups to meet MHA officials for conflict resolution
A 19-member delegation from three Meitei-led groups in Manipur is scheduled to meet the officials in Delhi on Monday (June 30, 2025) to resolve a long-drawn ethnic conflict. These groups are the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation, and Federation of Civil Society Organisations. A member of one of these organisations said the discussion would focus on four issues: territorial integrity of Manipur, opening of two arterial highways, resettlement and rehabilitation of the internally displaced people, and security for farmers living and working on the periphery of the Imphal Valley. 'Non-Meitei members are part of the delegation,' he said. Manipur has been in turmoil since May 3, 2023, when the ethnic conflict between the non-tribal Meitei people and the tribal Kuki-Zo communities broke out. The conflict left more than 250 people dead and some 60,000 displaced. The scale of violence has come down over the past few months, but tension prevails, specifically along the 'buffer zone', a strip separating the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley from the surrounding foothills where the Kuki-Zo people are in the majority. The issue of territorial integrity refers to the demand of some Kuki-Zo groups for the creation of a 'separate administration.' The Meiteis continue to be 'barred' from using the National Highway-2 and National Highway-37, which connect the Imphal Valley to the rest of the country through areas controlled by the Kuki-Zo people. Farmers in the valley operating in their fields close to the 'buffer zone' have occasionally come under fire from armed groups in the hills. In the latest incident on June 19, a Meitei farmer was killed in the Phubala area of the Bishnupur district adjoining Churachandpur.
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Time of India
COCOMI seeks safety zone for farmers
Imphal: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has called for the immediate declaration of a 'Farmer Safety Zone' with shoot-at-sight orders in vulnerable agrarian areas following the attack on a farmer on Thursday. Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a local farmer, was shot at near an SSB security post at Phubala in Manipur's Bishnupur district. The attack reportedly took place after an alleged breach through three layers of security, including BSF, JKLI and SSB personnel. COCOMI termed the act as "a targeted and deliberate attempt to terrorise farmers, disrupt agricultural activities, and destabilise peace in the valley region".
