Protests demand rollback of SoO
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 28 2024: Responding to the call of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), hundreds of traders staged a protest in front of Khwairamband Keithel and demanded scrapping of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement signed between the Government and over two dozen Kuki militant groups.

Protests with similar demands were also staged at different places across the five valley districts viz.

Kakching, Thoubal, Imphal East, Imphal West and Bishnupur.

The women traders at Khwairamband Keithel demanded that a House resolution should be taken during the ongoing Assembly session against the SoO pact and update National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the context of Manipur immediately and forward the same to the Centre.

Protests demand rollback of SoO

Speaking to the media by the sideline, Khwairamband Nupi Keithel Sinpham Amadi Shaktam Kanba Lup (KNKSASKL) president Kshetrimayum Shanti said that the legislators of the State should make the Assembly session meaningful by taking a House resolution to restore normalcy in the State.

She also said that a resolution should be taken by all members of the House against the extension of SoO pact which will be reviewed again tomorrow (February 29) .

The demand of the people to update NRC immediately and withdraw Assam Rifles from the State must be raised during the Assembly session, Shanti added.

Saying that torching some CSO offices, assaulting a journalist and the death of a student in a bomb blast on the night of February 23 were very unfortunate, Shanti maintained that conflict of any kind among the Meiteis must be avoided.

Volunteers of Kanglei Economic Development Organisation (KEDO) also took part in the protest.

Meitei Community Joint Co-ordinating Committee (MCJCC) which is a joint body of 18 organisations from Haokha to Waithou Thoubal Khunou and its women wing also staged a sit-in protest at Kiyam Siphai Babu Bazar.

Apart from raising the demand to scrap the SoO pact and update the NRC, protesters at Kiyam Siphai also said that the Meiteis should be given the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to secure their future.

A similar protest was staged at Khangabok too under the banner "Abrogate SoO pact and Remove Assam Rifles" .

One of the protesters said that a resolution must be taken during the Assembly session to mount pressure on the Centre to end the SoO agreement with Kuki militant groups, update the NRC and to grant ST tag to Meeteis.

Meanwhile, the protest at Moirang Lamkhai which raised the same demands of discontinuing SoO pact, NRC exercise in Manipur and withdrawal of Assam Rifles entered day two today.

Speaking to the media, Kege Moirang Kendra Apunba Lup (KEMKAL) president Nipamacha said that they will launch agitation if the Assembly session ends without taking any decision on the demand of the people as in the previous one day session of the House.

She also said that SoO pact has to be scrapped as signatory Kuki militant groups have openly violated the ground rules of the agreement by taking active part in the violent campaign against the Meeteis.

People at Pukhao also demanded a House resolution against the SoO pact.