Security Barricades shrinking Meetei area: COCOMI
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 14 2023: Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) warned that it along with the people will start dismantling security barricades erected by Central forces inside Meetei villages and paddy fields owned by the community at many peripheral areas of the state.

According to a COCOMI statement, Central forces have put up/construct-ed barricades at peripheral valley areas deep inside Meetei villages and paddy fields owned by the Meeteis without any official announcement.

None of these barricades affect any Kuki village or paddy fields but the same prevent Meeteis from entering their own houses and taking up farming activities on their own paddy fields consequently shrinking the territory of the Meetei villages.

Feasting on the security barricades, the Kukis have not only occupied standing Meetei houses but also taken up farming activities in paddy fields owned by the Meeteis, the COCOMI said and demanded immediate removal of all the barricades constructed by Central forces.

According to the COCOMI statement, barricades constructed along Tiddim road by Central forces starting from Kwakta area form a 3km wide buffer zone inside Bishnupur district thereby affecting vast homestead land and paddy fields belonging to the Meeteis but does not affect any of the Kuki villages lying under Churachandpur district.

While the Meeteis are being disallowed to enter their own houses inside the buffer zone and take up farming activities, Kukis were found in Meetei houses and take up farming activities apart from constructing bunkers.

This prompted the COCOMI to launch a massive movement with the people to remove the security barricades and Kuki bunkers constructed inside the buffer zone on September 6, the COCOMI said.

From the south of Ningthoukhong to Torbung, vast area mainly paddy fields owned by the Meeteis have fallen into buffer zone created by Central security forces and none of the Kuki villages or paddy fields owned by the community are affected.

Central forces also prevented Meeteis from taking up farming activities at their own paddy fields while the Kukis are allowed to take up farming activities inside the buffer zone.

Similar is the situation in Meetei villages in Ekou, Sanasabi, Thamnapokpi, Yaingangpokpi, Gwaltabi and other areas in Imphal East district.

Beginning from Leimakhong, Khurkhul and Senjam Chirang to Kadangband and Kangchup in Imphal West district, around 3000/4000 Paris of paddy fields have fallen into buffer zone created by Central forces and prevented Meeteis to enter or take up farming activities, the COCOMI said and asked if the vast paddy fields are to be given to the Kukis when normalcy returns.

The COCOMI further said that paddy fields owned by Meeteis at Sekmai, Nongthonbam, Sekmai Khunou, Kanglatongbi in Imphal West district and Motbung in Kangpokpi have been occupied by the Kukis and Meeteis are disallowed to enter their own paddy fields by Central forces citing buffer zone as reason.

Similar is the situation in southern side of Kumbi like Haotak and from Napat to Tangjeng Khunou, Leingangpokpi and Serou in Sugnu area of Kakching district, the COCOMI said and called upon people to save the vast land and paddy fields belonging to the Meetei community fallen into buffer zones.

COCOMI, an umbrella body of multiple civil bodies based in Imphal valley, also termed the demand for re-imposition of AFSPA in the valley areas as "totally absurd" and "not logical".

In a statement by its media coordinator Somenaro Thokchom, COCOMI said, "Ransoms, extortions and killings are happening in Kuki dominated areas...there is reasonable peace in all areas where AFSPA was lifted long time back".

COCOMI said rampant extortion, looting in highways and kidnappings have increased after the outbreak of the present crisis in Kuki dominated hill areas.

This development comes after Churachandpur-based Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) and Kangpokpi based Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) demanded imposition of AFSPA in Imphal valley in the wake of killing of three persons by unidentified gunmen near Kharam Vaiphei on Tuesday.

In April 2022, the central government had removed the disturbed areas tag under AFSPA from 15 police station areas of Imphal valley.

In March this year, Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced withdrawal of AFSPA from another four PS areas.

Manipur government had last extended the Disturbed Areas Act on April 1, 2023 for a period of six months in the entire state except for areas under the jurisdiction of the 19 police stations.

(With inputs from PTI) .

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