Thadou resolution will help restore peace: COCOMI
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 05 2024: Lauding the resolutions adopted by Thadou community for supporting implementation of NRC and 'war on drugs' during the two-day Thadou Convention held in Guwahati, Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) expressed that such decision will help restore peace and promote camaraderie among the various communities settling in Manipur.

Speaking to media persons at its Lamphelpat office on Tuesday, COCOMI coordinator Th Somorendro reflected on the age-old peaceful coexistence among 35 diverse communities while lamenting that such a bonding is being consistently undermined by external factors.

People have been facing the conflict orchestrated by outsiders overpowering the indigenous communities for 18 months.

Amidst such distressful situation in the state, the decision taken by the Thadou community at the recent convention is considered a right step by COCOMI.

Moreover, it is also a move of the Thadou for restoration of the long harmonious relationship between different communities, he added.

COCOMI warmly welcomes every initiative taken up for communal harmony and will extend all possible help to the decision taken by the Thadou community, Somorendro assured, while pointing out that implementation of NRC will establish a base year, effectively preventing outsiders who arrived after the cut-off year from residing in the state.

He urged every community of the state to endorse the policy aimed at detecting and deporting outsiders so as to restore the harmonious coexistence among the communities.

Stating that COCOMI has been campaigning for communal harmony on the idea of united Manipur and protection of Manipur integrity, the coordinator stressed that all the previous wrongs should be excused and forgiven and instead collectively fight the external forces.

With the disruption of 'Golden triangle', a new golden triangle is cooking in Manipur which subsequently affected the people of Northeast especially Manipur, Somorendro continued, while adding that the state government announced 'War on Drugs' to combat the issue that also garnered significant public support.

On the other hand, a controversy erupted over a report carried in Goa Chronicle wherein Mizoram chief minister Lalduhoma brought up the idea for forming a Christian state/Independent state by carving out portions of different states of Northeast including Manipur.

However, COCOMI has been standing firmly for protection of Manipur's territory, integrity and idea of Manipur, Somorendro asserted, while appealing to the central government not to turn a blind eye to Manipur while prioritising geopolitical interest.

"The issues in the land will be solved once India considers the people of Northeast as its citizens," he added.

Joining the media briefing, COCOMI spokesman Khuraijam Athouba welcomed decision by the Thadou community to support the government's initiatives regarding the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the ongoing War on Drugs campaign.

Referring to the Thadou Convention in Guwahati reaffirming commitment to the NRC, which aims to establish a comprehensive register of citizens in India, thereby ensuring legal status for all residents, Athouba noted that such initiatives are crucial for fostering a safe and secure environment in Manipur.

"We stand by the inclusive idea of Manipur and welcome every step taken by ethnic communities coexisting in the region," he said urging other groups tp join in support of these pivotal measures.

Athouba also expressed his eagerness to collaborate with the Thadou community moving forward, emphasising the importance of unity among different ethnic groups to ensure the welfare of the state.

COCOMI, meanwhile, criticised Mizoram chief minister Lalduhoma regarding his remarks advocating for the integration of Chin-Kuki-Mizo communities across three sovereign nations.

Athouba cautioned against any encroachment on Manipur's territory as discussions around this integration continue.

He remarked, "While we do not oppose the idea of integration, we must assert that not a single inch of Manipur's land should be compromised" .

Athouba further criticised the current political landscape in Mizoram, suggesting that the Mizoram Accord, which provided statehood to the region, has become ineffective.

"The current chief minister, a product of the Mizo Accord, is now promoting a vision of Chin-Kuki-Mizo nationhood, which raises concerns about territorial integrity," he said.

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