Latest news with #KhuraijamAthouba
Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘In 3 months of President's Rule in Manipur, every attempt to restore peace has failed, those against it not held liable': COCOMI
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the umbrella body of the Meitei groups, has supported the move for government formation in the state. A day after the outfit held talks with the Union Home Ministry in Delhi over a row brewing on the covering up of 'Manipur' name on a state transport bus, its convenor Khuraijam Athouba told The Indian Express that the administration under President's Rule has not been able to restore peace nor punish those who disturbed it. In an interview, he also talked about the new row over which it announced a state-wide agitation starting May 25, and has demanded an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, and the removal of Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, DGP Rajiv Singh and Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh. Excerpts: * Why have you hit the streets over the alleged covering up of the word 'Manipur' on a state transport bus by security forces? This May 20 incident is widely seen as an insult to the identity of the state by the state administration… The top administrators in the state right now – as it is under President's Rule – are the Chief Secretary, DGP and the Security Advisor. If that incident happened under some kind of instruction, the three of them must have knowledge of it. So, we hold them responsible and demanded their replacement… The Governor is the head of the state… So, he should take moral responsibility and we sought an apology from him… There was notification of the constitution of an inquiry committee… but it is not an independent inquiry as it (will be supervised by) the Chief Secretary… We could not get any positive response from the government's side. So, we had to intensify the agitation. * How was your meeting with Home Ministry officials on Tuesday? The meeting was earlier to be held ahead of our May 3 'People's Convention'. But because of Operation Sindoor – the entire nation stood with the government against terrorism – we held it back and extended our solidarity, waiting for the right time. By the time we met on Tuesday, the incident of May 20 had happened. So we included it in our agenda. We told Home Ministry officials that there should be some action from the government's side… We are waiting for the government's response. Hopefully we will see some decisions. * Ten Manipur MLAs met the Governor Wednesday claiming the support of 44 legislators to form a government. Are you in touch with these MLAs? We are not as such, but are planning to hold talks with MLAs regarding the resolutions we adopted so that there can be a unanimous voice before the Centre and an early settlement to the crisis… The MLAs are on the side of the people. However, the general feeling is that they are not doing enough, and have left matters to the civil society rather than functioning as people's representatives. * Do you think President's Rule should be lifted in Manipur and a popular government restored? Yes. The recent incident also shows that President's Rule is an alien administration. They don't understand the state's history and its identity; how the people are sensitive about it. The lack of that kind of understanding creates issues. They are unable to relate to the people. So, President's Rule is not a good choice. We have had bitter experiences with President's Rule in the past as well. If you remember 2001, the Assembly was burnt down during President's Rule… The government was not able to cope with the long-drawn crisis (since May 2023) and so thought of handing over things to the Centre… But after three months of President's Rule, there are no visible results. Every attempt to restore peace has failed, and those against peace have not been held liable. They haven't been punished, controlled or contained. * Has any effort been made to initiate talks with the Kuki side? No, not as of now, as the sane voices among Kuki civilians are yet to come forward. They are completely controlled by armed militant groups, who are solely responsible for this crisis. At Tuesday's meeting too, we told the Home Ministry that it is very important that the government control and contain all the elements trying to disrupt or suppress the voice of innocent civilians on the Kuki and Meitei side as well. We should help these voices emerge. If the government is able to control the separatists, we will also extend our support to talks for reconciliation and restoration of peace and normalcy in the state. We are waiting for that. * In case a popular government does take over, who could be the possible CM? It is difficult for us to comment on that… There are many people who want to become Chief Minister. I don't know what their (motivation) is. Are they trying to prove themselves capable of resolving the crisis, or are they just driven by hunger for power? * One concern of the Centre is that a large portion of the looted weapons and ammunition have not been surrendered yet. As per a government report, 5,000-plus arms have been recovered, most of them from the (Meitei-dominated) Valley. The hill volunteers and armed groups have openly defied the call of the government asking for surrender of arms. Despite this defiance by organisations and village volunteers, the government has not taken any counter-measure. This has created an apprehension in the minds of Valley people about whether surrendering of arms is the right thing or not… This is not conducive.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur shall remain ‘indivisible', say Meitei groups
Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity', representatives of two Meitei civil society groups told officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday (May 27, 2025), presenting their perspective on the ongoing crisis in Manipur to the Union government. The MHA's North-East Advisor A.K. Mishra led the Ministry's team at both meetings. The officials first met with a seven-member delegation of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an Imphal-based civil society organisation, for about two hours. This was followed by another two-hour meeting with a delegation from the Federation of Civil Society (FOCS), a coalition of valley-based civil society organisations. The COCOMI delegation, led by its convener Khuraijam Athouba, spoke about the resolutions adopted at the Manipur People's Convention held on May 3 this year, which were 'extensively deliberated upon', it said in a statement after the meeting. COCOMI also said it had 'urged the MHA to acknowledge the public mandate and take steps to formally escalate the resolution to higher levels of the Government of India'. 'Indivisible entity' The May 3 convention had resolved to send a message that Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity'; declared that the Union government 'either wilfully neglected or strategically prolonged' the crisis in the State 'to serve its own national and geopolitical interests'; called for the Union government to 'formally accept responsibility for its role'; and rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah's characterisation of the crisis as an ethnic conflict. COCOMI also spotlighted an incident which took place at Gwaltabi last week, when a State bus carrying journalists to Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily festival was forced to cover up the word 'Manipur'. MHA officials 'assured [the delegates] that the matter has been noted for necessary governmental action', the statement said. The incident has led to protests across Imphal in the last two days. The statement added: 'Both sides agreed to maintain communication and continue dialogue in the future, with a shared goal of restoring peace and stability in Manipur at the earliest.' Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Athouba told The Hindu, 'There is anger amongst people in Imphal about the way things are being run under President's Rule. It is important that a popular government is brought back in the State. They have the majority; leadership should not be an issue.' Outdated moral lens Meanwhile, the FOCS delegation, led by its president B.M. Yaima Shah, largely discussed the 'moral reframing' of the ongoing crisis in the State, arguing that 'senior government officials continue to approach the current crisis in Manipur through the same moral lens that was applied at its onset', according to a statement. This moral lens still 'framed the Kuki-Zo communities as victims of 'incredible brutality'' though the crisis has turned into a 'complex, militarised conflict requiring urgent strategic reassessment', FOCS said. It added that 'if this outdated framing persists', it will signal a 'dangerous misjudgement and failure to adapt to the current threat environment' amounting to 'enabling further violence through inaction or miscalculated restraint'. Principled stance needed FOCS also argued that there is a need to tailor the way the Union government is denying Kuki-Zo demands for a separate administration. Government officials denying this demand solely on 'administrative convenience or feasibility' will not deter the Kuki-Zo communities from persisting with this demand, and 'the Meitei community may find little moral reassurance or sense of closure', said FOCS. Instead, it called for a 'principled stance' taking into account the 'distinctly historic and indivisible identity of Manipur'. COCOMI clarified its position on engagement, noting that it would engage 'exclusively with the Government of India' on all matters related to the crisis in the State, and rejecting the legitimacy of the Suspension of Operation groups of the Kuki-Zo communities. It also communicated its sustained opposition to 'narco-terrorism and armed groups', the statement said. Both delegations also raised issues requiring immediate intervention, such as the return of displaced people, justice for missing people, and the redressal of grievances of the displaced families.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur must be recognised as ‘indivisible', Meitei civil society delegates tell MHA officials
Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity', representatives of two Meitei civil society groups told officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday (May 27, 2025), presenting their perspective on the ongoing crisis in Manipur to the Union government. The MHA's North-East Advisor A.K. Mishra led the Ministry's team at both meetings. The officials first met with a seven-member delegation of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an Imphal-based civil society organisation, for about two hours. This was followed by another two-hour meeting with a delegation from the Federation of Civil Society (FOCS), a coalition of valley-based civil society organisations. The COCOMI delegation, led by its convener Khuraijam Athouba, spoke about the resolutions adopted at the Manipur People's Convention held on May 3 this year, which were 'extensively deliberated upon', it said in a statement after the meeting. COCOMI also said it had 'urged the MHA to acknowledge the public mandate and take steps to formally escalate the resolution to higher levels of the Government of India'. 'Indivisible entity' The May 3 convention had resolved to send a message that Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity'; declared that the Union government 'either wilfully neglected or strategically prolonged' the crisis in the State 'to serve its own national and geopolitical interests'; called for the Union government to 'formally accept responsibility for its role'; and rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah's characterisation of the crisis as an ethnic conflict. COCOMI also spotlighted an incident which took place at Gwaltabi last week, when a State bus carrying journalists to Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily festival was forced to cover up the word 'Manipur'. MHA officials 'assured [the delegates] that the matter has been noted for necessary governmental action', the statement said. The incident has led to protests across Imphal in the last two days. The statement added: 'Both sides agreed to maintain communication and continue dialogue in the future, with a shared goal of restoring peace and stability in Manipur at the earliest.' Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Athouba told The Hindu, 'There is anger amongst people in Imphal about the way things are being run under President's Rule. It is important that a popular government is brought back in the State. They have the majority; leadership should not be an issue.' Outdated moral lens Meanwhile, the FOCS delegation, led by its president B.M. Yaima Shah, largely discussed the 'moral reframing' of the ongoing crisis in the State, arguing that 'senior government officials continue to approach the current crisis in Manipur through the same moral lens that was applied at its onset', according to a statement. This moral lens still 'framed the Kuki-Zo communities as victims of 'incredible brutality'' though the crisis has turned into a 'complex, militarised conflict requiring urgent strategic reassessment', FOCS said. It added that 'if this outdated framing persists', it will signal a 'dangerous misjudgement and failure to adapt to the current threat environment' amounting to 'enabling further violence through inaction or miscalculated restraint'. Principled stance needed FOCS also argued that there is a need to tailor the way the Union government is denying Kuki-Zo demands for a separate administration. Government officials denying this demand solely on 'administrative convenience or feasibility' will not deter the Kuki-Zo communities from persisting with this demand, and 'the Meitei community may find little moral reassurance or sense of closure', said FOCS. Instead, it called for a 'principled stance' taking into account the 'distinctly historic and indivisible identity of Manipur'. COCOMI clarified its position on engagement, noting that it would engage 'exclusively with the Government of India' on all matters related to the crisis in the State, and rejecting the legitimacy of the Suspension of Operation groups of the Kuki-Zo communities. It also communicated its sustained opposition to 'narco-terrorism and armed groups', the statement said. Both delegations also raised issues requiring immediate intervention, such as the return of displaced people, justice for missing people, and the redressal of grievances of the displaced families.
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Row over covering ‘Manipur' on bus: Protesters scuffle with forces, Meitei group to meet MHA officials in Delhi
Amid the growing unrest over central forces allegedly forcing staffers to cover the word Manipur on a state-run transport bus carrying journalists enroute to attend the Shirui Lily festival, protesters, led by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), clashed with police Sunday when they allegedly tried to storm the Raj Bhavan in Imphal. The group's convenor Khuraijam Athouba said Sunday that a seven-member delegation of COCOMI, an umbrella body of Meitei groups, will meet Union Home Ministry officials in New Delhi Tuesday and discuss the present situation in Manipur, particularly the row over hiding the state's name on a government bus in Gwaltabi. He said the agenda for the meeting includes the demand for a public apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla over the Gwaltabi incident, and the removal of the chief secretary, DGP, and security advisor. 'The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended an invitation to COCOMI for an exclusive meeting. The meeting is scheduled on Tuesday,' Athouba said. The group said the meeting aimed to initiate follow-up action on the resolutions adopted during the Manipur People's Convention May 3, 2025 at Khuman Lampak, Imphal. It was alleged that on May 20 security forces stopped a state-run bus, carrying journalists in Ukhrul district near the Gwaltabi checkpost and forced the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) staffers to cover the state's name written on the windshield with a white paper. On Sunday, a scuffle broke out between protesters and security forces. The forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, resulting in at least seven women sustaining injuries. Condemning the action , COCOMI said, 'The deployment of such aggressive crowd control measures against unarmed civilians, many of whom were mothers and elderly women, is deeply concerning. COCOMI demands that such hostile actions by security forces must immediately cease.' Athouba reiterated the demand for the resignation or immediate transfer of the Chief Secretary, DGP, and Security Advisor.
Mint
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Manipur news: 8 injured after police hurl smoke bombs, tear gas on protesters marching towards Raj Bhawan
At least eight people sustained injuries in Imphal on Sunday after security forces hurled smoke bombs and tear gas to disperse protesters who were on their way to the Raj Bhavan in the afternoon over a state directive. The alleged state directive asked to remove 'Manipur' from a Manipur State Transport (MST) bus operating at the Shirui Festival in Ukhrul, reported the Hindustan Times. As per the report, the protesters had gathered at Khwairamband Keithel after they received a call by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of Meitei groups, to stage a mass protest at the Raj Bhawan. However, they were stopped by the security personnel 500 metre into there march near Kangla Western Gate, who fired rounds of smoke bombs to disperse them. At least eight were injured in the incident. The injured, including women, were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The protesters planned to stage the agitation demanding an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla over his refusal to apologise for the removal of the state's name from the government bus. The COCOMI has announced that it will stage a statewide protest. It has also asked for the resignation of the chief secretary, the director general of police (DGP), and the security advisor. A seven-member delegation of COCOMI will meet Union Home Ministry officials in New Delhi on Tuesday and discuss the current situation in the state, particularly the row over hiding the state's name on a government bus in Gwaltabi, its convenor Khuraijam Athouba said. He said the agenda for the meeting includes the demand for a public apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla over the Gwaltabi incident, and the removal of the chief secretary, DGP, and security advisor. "The central government and COCOMI have been communicating. The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended an invitation to COCOMI (Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity) for an exclusive meeting. The meeting is scheduled on Tuesday," Athouba said. "Our aim is to push forward the pending political and security processes regarding the prolonged crisis. However, the agenda has now expanded in light of the recent Gwaltabi incident and the resulting public unrest," he added. Reiterating the demand for resignation or transfer of the top three officers, he claimed that they are "viewed as incompetent and responsible for making anti-state decisions which have added to the deteriorating situation".
