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India Today
02-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Restoring normalcy: Manipur Governor announces 3-phase resettlement of displaced
In a major step toward healing and restoring normalcy in violence-affected Manipur, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has announced that the phased resettlement of displaced persons will begin this month and is expected to be completed by December announcement was made during a high-level meeting at Raj Bhavan, Imphal on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by leaders of three key civil society organisations — the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) and the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS). Top security officials, including the Security Advisor to the Manipur Government, the Director General of Police, and the Home Commissioner, also participated in the to the media at the Manipur Press Club, COCOMI Convenor Kh Athouba said the meeting was a follow-up to recent discussions with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials in New Delhi. A 19-member delegation from the three civil organisations had returned to Imphal earlier in the day after meeting the central leaders. According to Athouba, the Governor confirmed that the state government has begun implementing crucial elements of the peace roadmap agreed with the MHA. These include the reconstruction of houses destroyed during the ethnic violence and renovation of partially damaged homes, with funding allocated for both hill and valley resettlement will occur in three phases, starting in July and aiming for full completion by December. Governor Bhalla assured the delegation that the process will be inclusive and the meeting, the Governor also addressed the recent Guwaltabi incident, where the word 'Manipur' was reportedly erased from a Manipur State Transport (MST) bus. Bhalla confirmed that the inquiry report is ready and will be made public within two concerns in farming zones were also discussed, particularly the June 20 Phubala incident, where a Meitei farmer was injured in an alleged attack by armed Kuki militants. In response, the government has deployed an additional 1,000 personnel from the Manipur Rifles and Indian Reserve Battalion to vulnerable agricultural areas. Five security personnel have also been suspended over reported lapses in the further enhance farmer safety across hill and valley regions, Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have been formed under the respective Deputy Commissioners for rapid deployment in case of threats. Civil society leaders also urged the police to issue a public assurance guaranteeing protection to the issue of illegal immigration, Athouba revealed that 13,935 undocumented individuals have been detected so far. Of them, 13,917 have already been deported to their places of origin. Work on Indo-Myanmar border fencing is also under progress, with 40 km already completed in Chandel and Churachandpur districts to prevent further delegation reiterated their firm stance that the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups should not be extended until peace is fully restored. They stressed that maintaining law and order must remain a priority for both the state and central has been gripped by ethnic unrest since May 3, 2023, resulting in over 250 deaths and the displacement of more than 60,000 people. The Governor's latest announcement offers a potential path forward in one of India's most challenging internal conflicts, with hopes that resettlement and reconstruction will help rebuild fractured communities.- EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Manipur: Meitei civil body urges govt to act after attack on farmers
Imphal: The coordinating committee on Manipur integrity (COCOMI), an apex Meitei civil body, issued a statement on Friday urging the government to take necessary action to counter the growing violence during the ongoing cultivation season. This comes a day after a 60-year-old farmer, Ningthoujam Biren, sustained a bullet injury on his left arm after he was allegedly shot by Kuki militants while working in his paddy field at Phubala in Bishnupur district. 'We have been alerting the authorities for years. The current pattern of security deployment is clearly inadequate. Armed militants are targeting farmers in their fields, and this latest incident only reinforces our warnings,' COCOMI convenor Khuraijam Athouba said. A clash also broke out on Sunday morning in Imphal East after a Meitei farmer from Leitanpokpi allegedly arrived with a tractor to plough a paddy field in Sadu Lampak, near a Kuki village. No casualties were reported. With paddy cultivation underway, the COCOMI has demanded deployment of additional security personnel along the first line of hill terrain and foothill ranges bordering the valley's agricultural zones. 'This is the cultivation season. Our farmers have the right to access and cultivate their fields safely. Denying them this security is denying them a basic right,' Athouba added. Also Read:Clash breaks out between Meitei-Kuki communities in Imphal East over farmland Clarifying that people in the valley do not oppose Kuki farmers cultivating on nearby lands, Athouba said, 'But the security forces must act decisively against those carrying arms and threatening either of the community.' Athouba accused the government of only issuing statements but making little implementation on the ground. 'The public is losing patience. This must be the last time such an incident occurs. The government must respond with urgency and seriousness. If not, we could witness another wave of massive public protests,' Athouba said. COCOMI has urged the government to take strong measures to neutralise threats from armed groups on both sides, said Athouba.
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Row over covering ‘Manipur' on bus: Protesters scuffle with forces, Meitei group to meet MHA officials in Delhi
Amid the growing unrest over central forces allegedly forcing staffers to cover the word Manipur on a state-run transport bus carrying journalists enroute to attend the Shirui Lily festival, protesters, led by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), clashed with police Sunday when they allegedly tried to storm the Raj Bhavan in Imphal. The group's convenor Khuraijam Athouba said Sunday that a seven-member delegation of COCOMI, an umbrella body of Meitei groups, will meet Union Home Ministry officials in New Delhi Tuesday and discuss the present situation in Manipur, particularly the row over hiding the state's name on a government bus in Gwaltabi. He said the agenda for the meeting includes the demand for a public apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla over the Gwaltabi incident, and the removal of the chief secretary, DGP, and security advisor. 'The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended an invitation to COCOMI for an exclusive meeting. The meeting is scheduled on Tuesday,' Athouba said. The group said the meeting aimed to initiate follow-up action on the resolutions adopted during the Manipur People's Convention May 3, 2025 at Khuman Lampak, Imphal. It was alleged that on May 20 security forces stopped a state-run bus, carrying journalists in Ukhrul district near the Gwaltabi checkpost and forced the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) staffers to cover the state's name written on the windshield with a white paper. On Sunday, a scuffle broke out between protesters and security forces. The forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, resulting in at least seven women sustaining injuries. Condemning the action , COCOMI said, 'The deployment of such aggressive crowd control measures against unarmed civilians, many of whom were mothers and elderly women, is deeply concerning. COCOMI demands that such hostile actions by security forces must immediately cease.' Athouba reiterated the demand for the resignation or immediate transfer of the Chief Secretary, DGP, and Security Advisor.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Amid bus row, Meitei group COCOMI says it will meet Home Ministry officials on Tuesday
Imphal, A seven-member delegation of COCOMI, an umbrella body of Meitei groups, will meet Union Home Ministry officials in New Delhi on Tuesday and discuss the present situation in Manipur, particularly the row over hiding the state's name on a government bus in Gwaltabi, its convenor Khuraijam Athouba said. He said the agenda for the meeting includes the demand for a public apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla over the Gwaltabi incident, and the removal of the chief secretary, DGP, and security advisor. "The central government and COCOMI have been communicating. The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended an invitation to COCOMI for an exclusive meeting. The meeting is scheduled on Tuesday," Athouba said. "Our aim is to push forward the pending political and security processes regarding the prolonged crisis. However, the agenda has now expanded in light of the recent Gwaltabi incident and the resulting public unrest," he added. Reiterating the demand for resignation or transfer of the top three officers, he claimed that they are "viewed as incompetent and responsible for making anti-state decisions which have added to the deteriorating situation". It was alleged that security forces had stopped a state-run bus, on which journalists were being taken by the government to cover the Shirui Lily festival in Ukhrul district on May 20, near the Gwaltabi checkpost and forced the Directorate of Information and Public Relations staffers to cover the state's name written on the windshield with a white paper. "The Gwaltabi incident has been further aggravated by the continued inaction and ignorance of the governor and state administrators under the President's Rule," Athouba alleged. He also raised concerns over the use of "force" by the security personnel on "unarmed people" demonstrating over the incident in Imphal. "The deployment of such aggressive crowd control measures against unarmed civilians, many of whom were elderly women, is deeply concerning and unbecoming of a democratic and sensitive administration... The injury of several women protestors is unacceptable," he said. A scuffle broke out between protesters and security forces earlier in the day while they were on the way to gherao the Raj Bhavan over the Gwaltabi incident.
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Manipur: Meitei body calls strike over MST bus row; govt sets up probe panel
IMPHAL: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex Meitei civil body, has called a 48-hour general strike across Manipur in protest against the alleged directive by security forces to remove the word 'Manipur' from a Manipur State Transport (MST) bus. The bus was ferrying journalists to the 5th Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul on Tuesday. COCOMI convenor Khuraijam Athouba addressed the media at the group's office here on Wednesday, condemning the reported action by personnel of the 4th MAHAR Regiment. The incident occurred on Tuesday at Guwaltabi, Imphal East, along the Imphal-Ukhrul road. According to Athouba, security personnel allegedly instructed MST officials to remove the word 'Manipur' from the bus before allowing it to proceed. The MST bus was transporting media personnel from Imphal to Ukhrul to cover the five-day festival, which began on Tuesday. Amid the controversy, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla inaugurated the festival as scheduled. Athouba demanded a formal apology from the governor and called for the resignation of three top state officials-- security advisor Kuldiep Singh, chief secretary PK Singh, and director general of police (DGP) Rajiv Singh, holding them accountable for the incident. He said the 48-hour general strike will be effective from Wednesday midnight. In a related development, members of Imagi Meira, a women's body, met with security advisor Kuldiep Singh on Wednesday in Imphal. After the meeting, the group's convenor briefed the media, quoting Singh as saying that the decision to suspend MST services was taken by higher state authorities. Singh reportedly cited a March 8 incident in which an MST bus was attacked by a mob in Kangpokpi district as justification for the precautionary directive. The convenor questioned the rationale behind the security measures, asking, 'If one MST bus was attacked in Kangpokpi, why weren't adequate security arrangements made along the Imphal-Ukhrul route to protect the bus? Is the Kuki-Zo community above the government? If such a minor issue cannot be addressed, what is the point of imposing President's Rule? The security advisor's explanation is unreasonable.' She also questioned the role of Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla 'The Governor of Manipur, who could handle the situation in Kashmir, is now unable to deal with this issue in Manipur. Why was he involved in the decision to suspend the MST bus?' The All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) and the Editors' Guild Manipur (EGM) also condemned the incident and observed a 'pen-down' strike from Wednesday in protest. Reacting to the incident, BJP's Northeast in-charge, Sambit Patra, termed the action by security forces as an 'avoidable misunderstanding.' He emphasised that the 'integrity of Manipur is non-negotiable.' Meanwhile, the Manipur Home Department has issued an official order to constitute an inquiry committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident. 'The Governor of Manipur is pleased to constitute an Inquiry Committee to examine the facts and circumstances around the incident involving security personnel and the Manipur State Transport bus carrying media personnel to cover the Manipur Shirui Festival, 2025, on May 20 near Gwalatabi checkpost, Imphal East district,' the order stated. The committee will comprise N. Ashok Kumar, commissioner (home), and Th. Kirankumar Singh, secretary (IT), Government of Manipur. It has been directed to investigate any lapses and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. The report is to be submitted within 15 days.
