Centre urged to act decisively to resolve crisis
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 02 2025: On completion of the second year of the violence that erupted in the state on May 3, 2023, the Meitei Alliance on Friday issued a strong call for decisive action from the Central government to resolve the crisis, while accusing it of failing to restore peace, security, and normalcy in the state.

In a statement released ahead of the commemoration, the Alliance said that the unrest was triggered by "armed aggression by Kuki militant groups allegedly funded by drug money", claiming that the attacks were orchestrated to disrupt communal harmony and pressure the Manipur governtnent into abandoning its crackdown on cross-border drug trafficking, illegal poppy cultivation, forest encroachments, and illegal immigration from Myanmar.

Despite the Centre assuming control over the law and order situation in the immediate aftermath of the violence, the Alliance accused it of responding with "delay and inadequacy".

"This enabled Kuki militants under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement to launch coordinated attacks against Meetei civilians," it claimed.

The Alliance further contended that the establishment of buffer zones by central forces, meant to prevent further conflict, has instead resulted in "de facto enclaves" that have been used to launch continued terrorist attacks.

According to the Alliance, these security failures have resulted in hundreds of deaths, thousands injured, and nearly one lakh people displaced.

"Economic activity has stalled, prices have surged, and lawlessness has increased, creating immense human suffering," the Alliance noted and warned that continued leniency toward the militant groups has emboldened their ambitions to carve out exclusive territory with an aim to integrate it into a proposed new nation.

Although President's Rule was imposed on February 13, 2025, the Alliance said the Centre has yet to take substantial steps to meet public expectations regarding peace, political stability, free movement, and economic recovery.

The Alliance called on the Centre to terminate the SoO agreement with Kuki militants, intensify the war on drugs, conduct an NRC update, deport illegal immigrants, remove artificial buffer zones, enable the return of displaced persons, and delist "Any Kuki Tribes" (AKT) from the Scheduled Tribes list.

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