DMCC urges PM to help access Mt Koubru
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 06 2025: The Delhi Meetei Coordinating Committee (DMCC) on Saturday submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in protection of religious sites and access to pilgrimage sites in Manipur, especially Mt Koubru, Mt Thangjing, and Wangpurel.

The demand was raised during a peaceful protest and prayer gathering held at Jantar Mantar under the title "Koubru Kashi", which means "Let us ascend Mt Koubru" .

The event was held from 2 to 5 pm and was a solemn expression of cultural identity, religious freedom, and indigenous rights by the Meetei people.

DMCC urges PM to help access Mt Koubru

The memorandum highlighted the significance of Mt Koubru as the sacred cradle of Meetei civilisation, calling it the origin mountain of the Meeteis and the birthplace of their collective history, faith, and memory.

The gathering was held in reverence to the Meetei deities - Iputhou Koubru, Iputhou Thangjing, Iputhou Wangpurel, and Iputhou Marjing.

Traditionally, Meeteis undertake annual pilgrimages to these sacred mountains to offer prayers to LainingthoU Salailen Sidaba, the Creator, and Leimaren Sidabi, the Supreme Goddess, alongside their guardian deities.

However, since May 3, 2023, the community have been forcibly denied access to these holy sites by armed Kuki groups.

The memorandum accused the armed groups of enforcing a blockade under the passive watch of central security forces, terming it a grave violation of the right to worship and indigenous existence.

The DMCC expressed concern that despite the imposition of President's Rule in Manipur and the resolution passed on March 8, 2025 - chaired by union home minister Amit Shah and top officials - there has been no change in ground realities.

The continued presence of armed groups undermines the authority of the Constitution and deny Meeteis access to their own land and gods, it maintained.

The memorandum also called for attention to what it described as structural injustice rooted in colonial-era divisions between hill and valley.

While Manipur is a hill state, the Meeteis are confined to just 6 per cent valley land, and barred from 92 per cent of the state's territory, now dominated by recently migrated Chin-Kuki groups who enjoy Scheduled Tribe status.

Since the violence began in May 2023, more than 370 Umang Lai shrines, 5,500 Sanamahi temples, 40 Hindu temples, and even churches have been desecrated or destroyed, according to DMCC.

Calling the current situation existential, the memorandum stated that Meeteis "will not compromise" and "cannot live without Koubru" .

It insisted that denying access to these mountains tantamount to denying their gods, history, and breath.

The memorandum likened the situation to hypothetically denying Sikhs access to the Golden Temple or Muslims to Mecca, and questioned why Meeteis alone must suffer such restrictions.

DMCC urged the Prime Minister to ensure protection of Meetei religious sites, rebuild destroyed places of worship, end state support to Chin-Kuki armed groups allegedly used for geopolitical agendas, and allow displaced persons to return safely to their homes.

The appeal concluded with a strong declaration of resolve: "Koubru is the origin place of Meetei and Yelhoumee (Indigenous people) of Manipur.

Manipur is ours.

We will rise.

We will pray.

We will protect" .