Meitei civil society group meets MHA representatives, discusses Manipur issues

New Delhi: A delegation of a Meitei civil society group from Manipur on Tuesday conveyed to the Centre its strong sentiments over a recent incident where the state's name written on the windshield of a bus was covered with a white paper.

At a meeting held here, the delegation of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) also conveyed to the two representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs its unwavering commitment to peace and its willingness to cooperate in all genuine efforts to restore normalcy, a release issued by the COCOMI said.

While the civil society group was represented by a seven-member team, the MHA was represented by A K Mishra, advisor to the MHA on Northeast Affairs, and Rajesh Kamble, Joint Director, MHA.

The delegation conveyed the strong sentiments and demands of the people regarding the Gwaltabi issue and the MHA officials assured that the matter has been noted for necessary governmental action, the release said.

It was alleged that security forces had stopped the state-run bus, on which journalists were being taken by the government to cover the Shirui Lily festival in Ukhrul district on May 20, 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.

Over the last week, protests over the incident have rocked the Meitei-inhabited Imphal Valley.

"The COCOMI reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to peace and its willingness to cooperate in all genuine efforts to restore normalcy. It urged the government of India to take prompt and effective action against anti-peace elements that continue to undermine peace initiatives. 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," the release said.

The Manipuri delegation also highlighted several issues "requiring immediate attention and urgent intervention" from the government to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population, it said.

These include, the COCOMI said, ensuring free movement of people, safeguarding farmers' right to cultivation along with appropriate compensation for their losses, protection of sacred religious sites, justice for missing persons, and the resettlement and redressal of grievances of internally displaced persons.

The COCOMI also rejected the "legitimacy of SoO groups" and engaging with the innocent Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi-Hmar civilians who are the genuine citizens of the state shall be handle accordingly after sorting out the anti-peace elements, the release said.

The group expressed deep concern over the "growing threats posed by narco-terrorism", cross border illegal immigration and widespread illegal opium cultivation, rampant forest encroachment, and the deteriorating law and order situation.

The COCOMI delegation said it "highlighted that proceeds from these illicit activities are being used to fund armed groups led by foreign-based individuals.

"Alarmingly, these groups have been in political dialogue with the government of India since 2008 and continue to receive financial support and shelter under the banner of the peace process. COCOMI appealed to the government of India to urgently review its engagement with these groups," it said.

Since the beginning of the ethnic strife in May 2023, in which over 250 people have been killed so far, Meitei groups maintain that the territorial integrity of the state is non-negotiable in any peace process, while the Kuki-Zo outfits assert that the only solution to resolve the crisis is creating a separate administration for the hill districts where they live.