COCOMI counters 'Manipur Ki Baat' with panel discussion
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 25 2025: Countering misinformed narratives presented during the 'Manipur Ki Baat' event held on February 18 in New Delhi, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) hosted a live panel discussion titled 'A rebuttal to Manipur Ki Baat' .

The discussion held at the Classic Hotel, North AOC, here, on Tuesday was moderated by UNI Imphal bureau chief Ningthoukhongjam Satyajit and former MSAD president Miraj Shah Kori.

Panel members responded, reviewed and countered statements/remarks made by speakers of the 'Manipur Ki Baat' event.

While RK Nimai (retired IAS) responded to 'Manipur Ki Baat' speaker Gen (retired) Shokin Chauhan, associate professor Dr Homen Thangjam of IGN Tribal University assessed statement of another speaker former Union home secretary GK Pillai.

COCOMI counters 'Manipur Ki Baat' with panel discussion

Associate professor Dr Noni Arambam of DM University reviewed the statement made by retired chief justice Siddarth Mridul while COCOMI coordinator Khuraijam Athoube responded to the statement of 'Manipur Ki Baat' host Agnostos Theose.

Historian Dr Malem Ningthouja also countered the statement made by advocate Prashant Bhusan during 'Manipur Ki Baat' at the live panel discussion.

Regarding the discussion, COCOMI coordinator Khuraijam Athouba said the discussion was initiated to provide fact-based response to misleading statements made at the 'Manipur Ki Baat' event held recently.

Misinformation campaigns being carried out in different parts of India vis-a-vis the nearly 21-month long conflict in Manipur has the potential to wrongly interpret critical issues with some already misrepresented.

At the time of drone bombing in Koutruk and Kadangband villages, retired top officers of Indian army denied use of drones with the apparent objective to divert the matter.

However, the NIA's statement submitted to the court revealed that more than 40 bombs were dropped from drones in the two villages of Imphal West district along with establishing identifies of the drone suppliers.

As part of disinformation campaign carried out by high ranking officials of India, a discussion event titled 'Manipur Ki Baat' was held in New Delhi on February 18 with the participation of eminent personalities.

Though some panel members particularly former Union home secretary GK Pillai and retired chief justice of the High Court of Manipur Siddarth Mridul presented holistic report on Manipur, statements of other panellists were misleading thereby creating fear of disinformation to wider population of India and the global fraternity about Manipur.

To defend, review and counter the disinformation campaign, COCOMI took the initiative to conduct the live penal discussion in the interest of the people of Manipur by mobilising resources, Athouba elaborated.

According to Athouba, COCOMI has launched a Youtube channel taking advantage of the live panel discussion so that videos related to incidents occurred in Manipur from time to time could be assessed by the global communities and the media.

This platform will enable COCOMI to hold rebuttal programmes so that wrong narratives being spread on critical issues of Manipur outside the state could be prevented/neutralised, he maintained, adding that Tuesday's discourse is first such programme which will be continued in the future as and when necessary.

He also conceded that the way 'experts' based in other states look into the affairs of the state will be far different from ground realities as they are most likely to rely on information fed by vested interests.

Moreover, information from the ground will be more authenticate than superficial information collected from outside and COCOMI's newly launched platform will try to share authenticated information not only to scholars of India deeply interested in affairs of Manipur but also to larger population of India, Athouba added.

Responding to the statement made by Gen (retired) Shokin Chauhan during 'Manipur Ki Baat' event, RK Nimai said Shokin Chauhan's remark that Delhi do not know Manipur or tried to know about the state was right.

Border fencing has been taken up by the Government of India based on its national security interest as done along the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh and Manipur state cannot take decision in this regard, RK Nimai said while rebutting Shokin Chauhan's remark.

Countering Chauhan's remark that there is no significant increase of Kuki population in Manipur as per the census, RK Nimai said increase of Kuki population in the state cannot be based on census of 2001 and 2011 but should be with reference to the data provided by Aadhaar.

Population data will be more reliable with Aadhaar as no government benefit could be availed without it, he stressed.

Steadfast opposition by the Kukis on NRC exercise while all the indigenous communities of Manipur have no problem with the proposed exercise proves that entry of Kuki people in Manipur is continuing still.

Moreover, there were only seven villages in Gwaltabi-Khamenlok reserved forest area in year 1946 which at present has rose to 52 villages.

This is clear example of continuing entry of immigrants, RK Nimai reasoned.

During the live panel discussion, associate professor Dr Homen Thangjam assessed statement of GK Pillai, stating that no one from outside could solve problems of Manipur.

He also said that the present crisis in Manipur is India's national security problem.

He also clarified that there was no conversion of Meetei Christian into Hindu.