"Allow Meitei fanners to return to paddy farms"
Source: The Sangai Express

Moirang, May 25 2025: The farmer's wing of Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has urged the relevant authorities to revive the monitoring committee set up jointly by COCOMI and the Government to oversee agricultural work within 10 days, and take necessary action to allow Meitei farmers to return to their paddy farms.

A COCOMI farmers' wing team inspected the site at Thinungei in Bishnupur where Central forces had blocked farmers from accessing their fields the previous day.

Speaking to the media on the sideline, co-convenor of COCOMI farmer's wing Konthoujam Thoiba said that they will launch an agitation along with the farmers if authorities don't allow farmers to resume work within 10 days.

He stated that many Meitei farmers have been unable to tend to their fields since May 3, 2023, due to the violent activities of Kuki narco terrorists.

Stating that many paddy fields still remain abandoned despite the crisis in Manipur exceeding two years, he emphasized that preventing farmers from accessing their fields is essentially suppressing them.

He said that COCOMI condemns the fact that farmers are not being allowed to go to their fields by creating buffer zones.

He alleged that security forces and authorities are biased, as people from Haotak are allowed to use Meitei's paddy lands on the western side of Thinungei, while Meiteis are barred from accessing their own fields.

Thoiba questioned how food production would be possible if farmers aren't allowed to work.

Food doesn't grow in five days, agriculture is a lengthy process, he said, urging authorities to enable farmers to work safely by reviving the monitoring committee.

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