National security threat flagged over 'secret' tunnel
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 25 2025: Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) Manipur have raised alarm over reports of a secret tunnel operating along the Indo-Myanmar border in Mizoram allegedly used for smuggling drugs into Indian territories - which was reported by News18, and republished by this daily.

In a statement, COCOMI said that the existence of this tunnel poses a grave threat to national security of India, particularly to the vulnerable Northeastern region and its indigenous population.

COCOMI has long suspected the involvement of external and internal forces in facilitating such illicit activities.

The tunnel, reportedly located along the Myanmar- Mizoram international border, is said to be large enough to accommodate heavy vehicles, suggesting an operation of significant scale and sophistication.

Such infrastructure cannot be attributed to ordinary drug smugglers and likely involves powerful actors, including influential entities from Mizoram and Myanmar's Chin State.

The Committee also raised serious concerns about the alleged complicity of certain groups in Mizoram, reportedly collaborating with the United States Chin Groups to establish a Christian State, or "Zo-land", encompassing territories in India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

This development raises critical questions about the intentions and activities of those in positions of power in the region, COCOMI claimed.

In its strongly worded statement, COCOMI demanded that the Government of India declares a state of "Narco-Terrorist Emergency" in the Northeastern region and takes aggressive and transparent action to curb the rising narco-terrorism activities, while accusing successive governments at the Centre of displaying longstanding apathy toward such serious threats, which has emboldened per petrators and jeopardised the region's security.

This negligence, according to COCOMI, amounts to tacit complicity that can no longer be ignored.

The Committee further noted the critical need for the government to prioritise the fight against narco-terrorism, which is undermining political stability and exacerbating the ongoing crisis in the state.

"The increasing prevalence of drug and arms smuggling in conflict zones, is a direct consequence of a weak and unresponsive security framework," COCOMI asserted and urged the government to immediately implement a transparent and robust security policy to prevent further destabilisation in the region.

The Committee also highlighted the international dimensions of the Manipur crisis, pointing to a recent report by the American journal Foreign Policy that included Manipur among the world's top most alarming conflicts.

"This recognition underscores the potential for the crisis to escalate into a broader geopolitical conflict with implications beyond India's borders," it said and cautioned that the government's continued failure to act decisively risks turning Manipur into a flashpoint for regional instability.

Pointing out that any further neglect of the Manipur crisis and its associated narco-terrorism activities would have serious consequences, both domestically and inter nationally, COCOMI declared that the indigenous people of Manipur will hold the Indian Government fully accountable for any the same.

While outlining several key demands, including a transparent and time-bound security and resolution policy from both the central and state governments to address the Manipur crisis comprehensively, the Committee called for a thorough investigation into the alleged complicity of influential individuals and entities in Manipur, Mizoram, and Chin State in narco-terrorism activities.

At the same time, COCOMI demanded immediate measures to dismantle the underground tunnel and other infrastructure supporting drug smuggling and illegal arms trafficking, urging both the central and the state governments to officially recognise the geopolitical and narco-terrorism dimensions of the Manipur crisis and take concrete steps to counter these threats.

"The ongoing crisis in the state cannot be dismissed as a mere ethnic conflict, as claimed by union home minister Amit Shah and his colleagues like Kiren Rijiju in public forums.

Instead, it is a complex issue intertwined with narco-terrorism and broader geopolitical dynamics," COCOMI contended and urged the Government of India to act decisively and transparently before the situation spirals further out of control.

Failure to do so, the Committee warned, will not only destabilise the region but also tarnish India's reputation on the global stage.

In a separate statement, the FOCS, Manipur, also expressed grave concern over the discovery of a drug smuggling tunnel, large enough to allow trucks to pass through, along the India-Myanmar border in Mizoram, despite the tight security measures in place along the international border.

The federation viewed this revelation as a significant threat to the country's internal security and called for an in-depth investigation into the matter.

FOCS further voiced apprehension over the potential use-of the tunnel to aggravate the ongoing conflict in the state, noting that the Chin-Kuki-Zo groups have long harboured aspirations of establishing a Christian nation spanning territories in India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, which would also serve as a hub for illegal poppy cultivation.

According to FOCS, this ambition is a key factor behind the current crisis in Manipur.

Taking serious note of the matter, FOCS urged the Government of India to take immediate and decisive steps to resolve the crisis, setting aside its geopolitical interests in the region.

"Continued inaction by the government could lead the people of Manipur to take extreme measures, including seeking self-determination, as a last resort," the Federation warned.

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