Gol using public as geopolitical scapegoats: COCOMI
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 19 2025: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has accused the Government of India (Gol) of being complicit in the ongoing crisis in the state.

Addressing the media at its Lamphel office on Sunday, COCOMI coordinator Thokchom Somorendro alleged that the crisis is a direct outcome of the Gol's geopolitical strategies and failed internal administration.

He stated that mere dialogues will not resolve the situation unless the Gol abandons its mismanagement and stops using the public as scapegoats in its broader geopolitical agenda.

Somorendro expressed concern over the worsening situation in the state, while contending that Gol has not taken any concrete steps to address the crisis despite the deteriorating law and order.

He highlighted that the central government has not acted against the Kuki militants, even though central security forces faced casualties at their hands.

This perceived inaction, he said, has fostered a sense of alienation among the people, and urged the public to analyse the situation critically to understand the underlying agenda driving the crisis.

Blaming the crisis on Gol's attempt to balance multiple objectives, Somorendro claimed that the central government has been using the Kuki militants to suppress Meetei and Naga insurgencies while simultaneously aligning with Chin-Kuki groups to counter China and secure economic advantaged in the region.

However, these strategies have backfired, resulting in the current unrest.

COCOMI also demanded that the Centre implement NRC in the state to identify illegal immigrants from Myanmar and urged the government to complete fencing along the India-Myanmar border at the earliest to stop illegal immigration and trafficking of arms and drugs.

"The Centre has not taken any action despite fresh bombings at Kadangband earlier this month.

This indicates the people of the state are not being considered as citizens of the country," said Somendro.

Suspected militants had launched a bomb attack in the Kadangband area of Imphal West district on January 14."This conflict will end only when the Centre takes definite action and initiates a military crackdown against Kuki militants," he maintained.

"NRC needs to be implanted (in Manipur) to identify illegal immigrants.

Refugee detention camps for Myanmarese people must not be confined to Manipur only.

The state has limited land resources.

The camps should also be set up in other states," he insisted.

Somorednro said, "Illegal immigration, arms and drugs smuggling from Myanmar into Manipur remains core issues of the conflict in the state".

"The situation has hardly improved in the state.

There are no signs of any action being taken.

Among the various cases, the killing of three women and three children by Kuki and Hmar militants in Jiribam district in November last year and the disappearance of a man from an army camp at Leimakhong in Kangpokpi district remains unaddressed," he added.

He further linked the emergence of the armed movement in Manipur to Gol's violation of the Instrument of Accession signed on August 11, 1947, and the suppression of Manipur State Assembly following its merger with India.

For over seven decades, he said, Gol has implemented various policies to suppress the armed movement without success.

According to Somorendro, the central government has primarily relied on a divide-and-rule strategy, creating enmity among different ethnic groups.

Somorendro alleged that the Gol facilitated the entry of Kuki narco-terrorists from across the border, with whom it had no conflicts, and signed the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement.

These militants were allowed to establish designated camps, from where they are now waging war against the state and its people.

He claimed that the Kuki militants have exploited this arrangement to suppress and control communities with cultural and linguistic affinity to them, who have been here before 1951, using the opportunity to pursue illegal activities such as poppy cultivation.

He also questioned whether the Gol was unaware of these activities or complicit in them.

He pointed out that Kuki narco-terrorists have been involved in civilian killings and other atrocities.

He also highlighted the disappearance of L Kamalbabu from the Leimakhong army camp.

Despite such incidents, the Gol has not declared any of these groups as unlawful organisations, which, he argued, reflects its unwillingness to take stringent action against them.

He observed that while the state government has withdrawn from the SoO tripartite agreement, the Centre has kept the public in the dark about whether the agreement has been extended or not.

He alleged that Kuki militants are attacking Meetei villages from bases located near army camps in the hill areas, where the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is in effect.

This, he claimed, demonstrates a collaboration between the Gol and the Kuki militants.

He criticised the central government for delaying the formulation of a clear policy to resolve the crisis and accused it of exploiting the Meeteis in the valley.

Somorendro further alleged that the Gol continues to view Manipur as an occupied territory and its people as sub-citizens.

Centre should have initiated a military crackdown on Kuki militants for their repeated violations of the law.

Unfortunately, there is no such plan.

As long as the central government continues to support these militants and turns a blind eye to illegal immigration from Myanmar, the crisis will remain unresolved, he continued.

He also cautioned that the Centre's inaction could lead to the extension of the Golden Triangle - a region notorious for production and trafficking of drugs - into Manipur, exacerbating the state's troubles.

Somorendro said that the Gol's policies are undermining the state's stability and urged the public to recognise these actions as part of a larger geopolitical agenda.

He reiterated that resolving the crisis requires the Gol to abandon its collusion with Kuki militants, conduct NRC to detect and deport illegal immigrants, and address the root causes of the unrest.

Only through genuine efforts and accountability, can peace and stability be restored in Manipur, he said.

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