New Delhi: Even though the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has suggested to various Meitei organizations in Manipur not to take out their proposed rally on narco-terrorism on Saturday, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), spearheading the rally, on Thursday said that they will go ahead with their proposed event.
“We have formally appealed to the local administration to allow us to organize the rally following the fact that the terrorists involved in narcotics business in the state are responsible for the present mayhem of violence,” said COCOMI convenor Athouba to ETV Bharat. With this rally, according to Athouba, they will appeal to the government to take strong action against those including illegal infiltrators coming from Myanmar and insurgents involved in drug and narcotics trafficking.
The rally will be organized under the banner of “Rally against Chin-Kuki-Narco Terrorism” which will pass through prominent places in Manipur. “The rally will be held under all circumstances even if the prohibition is imposed,” said Athouba. He said that 1050 people from the Kuki community have been arrested in Manipur since 2017 till date under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (ND&PS) for their involvement in narcotics and drugs trafficking.
Athouba also mentioned that 417 people from the Meitei community, 129 from the Naga community, and 1200 people from the state’s Muslim community were also arrested by the security agencies for their involvement in drugs and narcotics business under the ND&PS Act during the same period.
Significantly, senior intelligence bureau (IB) officials during their meeting with COCOMI representatives in New Delhi on Wednesday asked them not to organize their rally suspecting that this may also aggravate the already volatile situation in the State.
It is worth mentioning that the present violence in Manipur began on May 3 after Naga and Kuki tribes in Manipur organized a “Tribal solidarity march” in all hill district headquarters of the state opposing a demand to include the majority Meitei community into the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list of the Indian Constitution.
On the other hand, the government of India’s peace interlocutor for northeast AK Mishra had a meeting with the representatives of several militant groups representing the United Peoples’ Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) in New Delhi on Wednesday. During the meeting, according to the sources, the militant leaders pressed their demand for a separate Kuki administration in Manipur. There are 18 militant groups under UPF and KNO that are currently under a Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the government of India and the Manipur government.
“It’s an ongoing talk which is very delicate. We can’t give any final assurance to the organization present in the talks,” a senior home ministry official said. The tripartite Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement which came into force in 2008 between the government of India, Manipur government and the two umbrella groups of Kuki militants, United People’s Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) has been extended for another 12 months from March 1 this year. The SoO agreement with UPF and KNO was extended for one year till February 29, 2024.
The COCOMI and other Meitei organizations have been demanding from the Home Ministry to withdraw SoO agreement with the UPF and KNO accusing them of their involvement in the narco-terrorism business in the State. Following their meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Home Ministry representatives, the UPF and KNO have withdrawn their blockade from National Highway 2, which is the lifeline of Manipur.
Also read: MHA initiates Track 3 of backchannel talk process to restore peace in Manipur
