Frustration over centre's failure to resolve crisis
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: April 18, 2025 -

THE call given by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) to hold protest meetings at the locality level might not draw the intended attention of the central government, which is currently overseeing the state's affairs through the Raj Bhavan, but with the crisis situation nearing the two-year mark the decision to carry out mass movement seems to be the need of the hour to at-least prod the conscience of the central leaders over their failure to address plight of the people.

As one of the leading civil society organisations which has been spearheading massmovement since outbreak of the violence in May 2023, negating false narrative propagated by Kuki organisations, intellectuals and political elites, and exposing alleged complicity of central forces it could be comprehended that COCOMI is getting frustrated over absence of seriousness on the part of the central leaderships to deliver justice and bring resolution to the crisis besieging the state.

The planned protest meetings and awareness campaigns from April 17 till the 30th might be aimed at making the people aware about real causes of the violence but it's obvious that the intention is to expose failure by the centre to translate into action assurances given multiple times that peace and normalcy would be restored.

As stated by COCOMI convener Khuraijam Athouba the government of India is neither initiating any significant step to resolve the crisis nor showing any urgency in containing nefarious acts of Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists.

Accepted that the dialogue process between Kuki and Meetei organisations has been facilitated by the ministry of home affairs, but the insistence on separate administration for the Kuki-Chin community; a demand already declined by the centre, clearly undermines efforts by the centre to resolve the crisis.

With exception of cessation of violence between the two communities in conflict ever since the state was put under the President's Rule, it could be safely stated that there has been no notable change in the overall situation.

After taking over control of the state and the Union home minister Amit Shah assuring free movement along the national and state highways, there were expectations that the centre would make vigorous efforts to restore normalcy in the real sense.

However, tension has been escalating after Kuki organisations defied the centre's attempt to ensure free movement and resorted to violent agitations in Kangpokpi district with the situation getting further aggravated recently due to prohibition imposed against the Meetei's annual pilgrimage to Koubru and Thangjing hills and desecration of the seven-clan (Salai Taret) flag.

Interestingly, the ban on performing rituals stop the two hills, which are sacred sites for the Meeteis since time immemorial, was preceded by Kuki civil organisations accusing the Meetei community of hurting religious sentiment of the Kukis, and repeated attempts in the first few months of the crisis to project the clash as a Hindu-Christian conflict, which is far from the truth as there are numerous churches in the valley areas unscathed by the violence.

Thus, to prevent escalation of tension and possible violent activities from either group in the conflict, the centre must capitalise on the semblance of peace brought by imposition of the President's Rule to sternly deal with parties scheming to prolong the crisis failing which it is but natural that societal discourses would continue to be dominated by sense of antagonism.