Delhi asked to stop backing foreign origin armed groups
Manipur comes together as one to puncture false narrative
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 03 2025: A public convention held today on the second anniversary of the May 3 violence has adopted a score of resolutions and one of them asserts that the Government of India must stop supporting foreign origin armed groups (KNO, KNA, UPF, UKLF) directly or indirectly immediately.

The people's convention held at Khuman Lampak was presided by COCOMI convenor Khuraijam Athouba and moderated by retired IAS officer Dr RK Nimai.

The convention organised by COCOMI was participated by leaders of many indigenous communities, CSOs and intellectuals.

According to one of the resolutions adopted at the convention, the Manipur crisis was orchestrated and prolonged in pursuit of certain geopolitical interests of mainland India.

By paying little attention to the protracted crisis, the Government of India has been treating the people of Manipur, particularly indigenes as sub-humans.

The Government of India is also challenging the rights, safety and dignity of the people of Manipur.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah misled the world by claiming that the Manipur crisis is a communal violence between Meitei and Kuki as if external forces, terrorists and extremists do not have their hands in the crisis.

By concealing the real picture of the crisis, the Union Home Minister has been deceiving all the people of India, read another second resolution.

The Government of India must admit that it failed in its duties and responsibilities with regard to the Manipur crisis and chart a roadmap in order to bring peace and communal harmony within a specific timeframe.

Calling for immediate cessation of lending support directly or indirectly to foreign origin armed groups, the public convention resolved that the Government of India must stop providing financial, logistic support and camp sites to these groups on the soil of Manipur.

The Government of India must stop waging a proxy war in Manipur by supporting these foreign origin armed groups.

Pointing out that the people of Manipur are being denied the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution for the past two years, the fifth resolution urged the Government of India to see that the people of Manipur are given all their rights due to a citizen of the country.

The sixth resolution asserted that Union Home Minister Amit Shah must translate his promise of ensuring free movement on National Highways into action.

The Government of India must take up befitting action against all anti-peace and antiNational organisations/individuals.

The Government of India must stop protecting but eliminate all internal and external narco-terrorists who are indulging in opium poppy cultivation and armed violence in Manipur, read the eighth resolution.

The Government must carry out proper documentation of all refugees, illegal settlements and encroachers.

All fabricated publications, documents and books must be seized and banned.

The Government must check the demographic imbalance caused by illegal immigrants and the resulting threats to the indigenous people.

In order to check the demographic invasion, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) must be implemented in Manipur without any further delay.

All the unrest, violence, communal conflicts and insecurity seen in Manipur have their roots in the illegal immigrants.

The illegal immigrants must be identified through the NRC and the benefits given to them wrongly must be withdrawn, read the 1 Oth resolution.

The public convention further resolved that the Government must take up concrete measures within a specific time so as to enable IDPs go back to their homes with a sense of security.

Apart from giving compensation to the IDPs so that they can re-construct their houses and start life anew, the Government must take decisive action against all those people who are obstructing resettlement of IDPs.

The convention also resolved to urge the Government to provide necessary assistance to displaced children so that they can continue their education without any disturbance.

The Government must take up special measures in order to track all missing persons and furnish factual official reports and compensation to their families, read another resolution.

The Government must take up foolproof measures so that farmers can carry out agricultural activities on their respective fields without any threat to their lives.

The Government of India must protect all the sacred sites and holy places of the Meiteis located in the hills including Koubru, Thangjing, Kongba Maru etc.

If the Government of India fails to take up necessary steps to translate the resolutions adopted today into action within a specific timeframe, it would be assumed that the people of Manipur are being marginalised deliberately and as such New Delhi should not say anything when the people take a collective decision to safeguard their rights.

The public convention further resolved not to make any reconciliation until the resolutions are translated into action except putting pressure upon the Government of India to fulfil the same resolutions.

It also resolved that the Government of India cannot shy away from its duty and responsibility of protecting the rights of Manipuri people, safeguarding its integrity and working for the welfare of the public.

Speaking at the convention, one Loitongbam Surchand, representing IDPs, urged the authorities to create a conducive and secure atmosphere so that IDPs can go back to their homes.

Centre for Meitei Pangal Cultural Studies Manipur president Md Rahejuddin said that a solution can be worked out once the involvement of external hands in the protracted crisis is accepted.

Editors' Guild Manipur secretary general Y Rupachandra highlighted the urgent need for unity among all the people in order to overcome and defeat the challenges.

Irom Abung, another IDP representative, said that Churachandpur was the epicentre of the Manipur crisis because the number of foreigners was swelling in the district.

Manipur Human Rights Commission former acting Chairman Khaidem Mani said that 50 MLAs are still sleeping and they must be awakened immediately.

Arambai Tenggol leader Korounganba Khuman said that speeches and rhetoric are not enough.

He appealed to all concerned to stop being nationalists on mikes.

Saying that he would work on the ground, Korounganba urged all CSOs to come together as one.

Retired IAS Dr RK Nimai said that the Government of India is not sleeping but refraining from taking any action deliberately.

Highlighting the need for a strategic plan, he asserted that no wars can be fought without planning and strategy.

What the Meiteis have been doing so far are largely reactive, Dr Nimai remarked.

There is an urgent need to create a think tank in order to work out a strategy, he asserted.

At the same time, strong pressure must be exerted on both the Government of India and the Government of Manipur, he added.

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