GoI keen on solving conflict, preserving Manipur's integrity: FOCS
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 30 2025: Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) has informed that the Government of India is keen to resolve the over two-year long conflict in Manipur while preserving its territorial integrity.

In a press meet held at Manipur Press Club here Friday, consultative member (organisation) Puyam Rakesh said that FOCS was invited by the Ministry of Home Affairs for holding talks and as such, a team led president BM Yaima and spokesperson Jamson met the top officials of the Ministry on May 27.During the meeting, FOCS put forth five points.

As the conflict has changed direction, there is a need for moral reframing, along with rationale for reframing, reframing the denial, conceptual refraining and operational reframing.

FOCS further conveyed that when the conflict broke out two years ago on May 3, the Meetei community was falsely branded as the aggressor.

GoI keen on solving conflict, preserving Manipur's integrity: FOCS

However, by May 27, the conflict showed another face with armed Kuki-Zos no longer playing victims but constructing bunkers in Manipur and engaging in the art of warfare, targeting Meetei civilians.

It became an extremely militarised conflict.

In September, the use of sophisticated weapons became evident with the drone bombing at Koutruk and rocket attack at Moirang, both attacks resulting in fatalities, he recounted.

Reminding that such attacks prevented farmers from tending to their fields, villagers from collecting fire-woods and making insecure many others from their source of livelihood, and even went on to affect critical infrastructures, the consultative member said many Meetei civilians remain missing.

In such a situation, there is not much legal avenues to explore.

Thus, it would be wrong to consider the other side as victims, he further said.

Rakesh continued that when the matter was taken up in the parliament, the union home minister projected the conflict as a clash between two communities, as if it was a "tradition" in Manipur, which is wrong.

Manipur has no such "culture" .

Whenever any previous conflict occurred in the state, the Meeteis have been the one to calm both sides and maintain harmony.

The Meetei and Meitei-Pangal conflict in 1993 also lasted only for a short while, he said, adding that the communities are not habitual warmongers.

FOCS also conveyed that the Government of India has the power to take full control of the conflict and questioned why no action had been taken against the armed Kuki-Zos.

The government must make clear to the people with matters related to the territorial integrity of the state, and also ensure a complete stop to the repeated threats to Manipur's integrity by separatist elements, he said.

Rakesh then said that in response, the officials assured to preserve the integrity of Manipur, while resolving the conflict as soon as possible.

FOCS also urged for resettlement of IDPs and restoring movement along the highways, which the officials were empathetic about.

The Federation also apprised the Ministry officials about the Gwaltabi incident and urged them to take up requisition action in the matter, he added.