COCOMI sets deadline to rein in Kuki militants
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 24 2023:
Coordinating Com-mittee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) coordinator Jeet-endra Ningomba has said that if no action is taken against the Kuki militants violating the ground rules of Suspen-sion of Operation (So0) with-in two days, the Committee will follow the decision taken by the people.
In a press meet held at COCOMI's office in Urip - ok Yambem Leikai here on Wednesday, Jeetendra said that it has been urging the people to stay calm to prevent the situation from escalating.
However, Kuki militants un-der SoO have been continu-ously harassing, abducting and shooting at the people on top of setting houses on fire.
The question at everyone's mind is whether the central forces have been deployed to protect the Kuki militants instead of the civilians, since the Kuki militants are act-ing as they wish in presence of security forces including violating the ground rules of SoO.
However, no action has been taken up in this regard.
He continued that COCOMI has raised this matter to the Eastern Commander, IGAR South, security advisor and the CM.
However, it will be difficult for the people to ex-ercise restraint any longer considering how the situation is evolving.
Thus, he demand-ed for strict action against the Kuki militants violating So0 within two days, failing which COCOMI will follow the decision of the people.
Any unwanted consequences resulting from the same will be responsibility of the central and state governments, he cautioned.
Meanwhile, mass sit-in protests in support of CO-COMI continued on in various places on Wednesday.
Salam Leikai Apunba Nupi Lup staged a sit-in at Sagol-band Salam Leikai; Naharup Huirem Leikai Women Wel-fare Association and Huirem Leikai Sports & Youth De-velopment Organisation at Naharup Huirem Leikai; Nongchup Kameng Young Generation Club and Nupi Samaj Nongchup Kameng at Nongchup Kameng; UCO Kakyai and Kakyai Apunba Meirapaibi at Kakyai Tona Kangjeibung; and others at Yairipok Bishnunaha and Leimapokpam.
During the protests, the protestors held placards inscribed with the slogans such as "Withdraw from So0 agreement with Kuki mil-itants", "Enforce NRC 1951 base year", "Approve Meitei/ Meetei in ST List", "Provide solution for the displaced", "Save forests", "Save Mani-pur", "Save Meitei", and "Im-plement NRC in Manipur" .