Latest news with #KhuraijamAthouba
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
In a first, 3 major Meitei groups unite to meet MHA officials in Delhi today
1 2 Guwahati: In a first, a 19-member delegation comprising representatives from three prominent Manipur-based organisations headed by Meiteis — COCOMI, AMUCO and FOCS — will meet senior officials from the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) in New Delhi on Monday, amid increasing calls to establish a democratically elected govt in Manipur. Leaders of these organisations previously met the home ministry officials separately but are now united to raise their demand jointly, as the Manipur crisis has lingered for more than two years now. Manipur has been under President's rule since Feb. The four key focus points where the three civil society organisations (CSOs) have planned to emphasise are — territorial integrity, opening of highways for free movement, resettlement and rehabilitation of the internally displaced people, and security for the farmers. The security of farmers has been a concern as Manipur has recently witnessed clashes between Kukis and Meiteis regarding the ploughing of lands in the peripheral areas, where Meitei farmers have gone for farming near Kuki settlements. Convenor of COCOMI, Khuraijam Athouba, said they will be pursuing the long-pending issues of the Manipur crisis and other key issues that need urgent solution. Seven members from AMUCO, seven from COCOMI and five members from FOCS have travelled to New Delhi on Sunday for the meeting, where the adviser (northeast) of the MHA, AK Mishra, and joint director of intelligence bureau Rajesh Kamble, are expected to be present. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Adidas Three Shorts With 60% Discount, Limited Stock Available Original Adidas Shop Now Undo The three organisations held a joint meeting at a hotel in Imphal on Saturday evening. "Farmers are not secure in the periphery areas. This must be highlighted seriously. Free movement along the national and state highways was assured by the home ministry in the first meeting but has not been successful. This should be discussed in the meeting for earliest and effective implementation of free movement in the highways," an AMUCO spokesperson said. Regarding the internally displaced people, he said their concerns have not yet been addressed to a satisfactory level. "The IDPs are living in a very pathetic situation, which we are witnessing," the spokesperson said. The three organisations are of the view that the IDPs should not be rehabilitated here and there, instead the focus should be on their resettlement in their original places. "We need to prioritise issues, while seeking lasting peace," Athouba said.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Meitei Civil Groups From Manipur To Hold Talks With Centre In Delhi On Monday
Imphal: A delegation of civil society organisations of the Meitei community in Manipur will hold talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi on June 30 over the current situation in the ethnic strife-torn state, officials said on Saturday. A team of All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO), Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) will hold a discussion with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs in the national capital on Monday, they said. Addressing a press conference, COCOMI convenor Khuraijam Athouba said, "A delegation of AMUCO, COCOMI and FOCS will meet officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs on June 30. We will apprise them of the concerns and frustrations of the people." AMUCO senior member S Bhubon said the main priority is to ensure that the territorial boundary of Manipur is not affected. "We would highlight the short and long-term measures that need to be taken up to stop threats faced by farmers in the peripheral areas of the Imphal valley." Opening of highways to all is another serious issue, and the plight of internally displaced people and their resettlement will also be discussed, he added. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands left homeless in ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki tribes since May 2023. The Centre on February 13 imposed President's rule in Manipur after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned. The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.
Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘In 3 months of President's Rule in Manipur, every attempt to restore peace has failed, those against it not held liable': COCOMI
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the umbrella body of the Meitei groups, has supported the move for government formation in the state. A day after the outfit held talks with the Union Home Ministry in Delhi over a row brewing on the covering up of 'Manipur' name on a state transport bus, its convenor Khuraijam Athouba told The Indian Express that the administration under President's Rule has not been able to restore peace nor punish those who disturbed it. In an interview, he also talked about the new row over which it announced a state-wide agitation starting May 25, and has demanded an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, and the removal of Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, DGP Rajiv Singh and Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh. Excerpts: * Why have you hit the streets over the alleged covering up of the word 'Manipur' on a state transport bus by security forces? This May 20 incident is widely seen as an insult to the identity of the state by the state administration… The top administrators in the state right now – as it is under President's Rule – are the Chief Secretary, DGP and the Security Advisor. If that incident happened under some kind of instruction, the three of them must have knowledge of it. So, we hold them responsible and demanded their replacement… The Governor is the head of the state… So, he should take moral responsibility and we sought an apology from him… There was notification of the constitution of an inquiry committee… but it is not an independent inquiry as it (will be supervised by) the Chief Secretary… We could not get any positive response from the government's side. So, we had to intensify the agitation. * How was your meeting with Home Ministry officials on Tuesday? The meeting was earlier to be held ahead of our May 3 'People's Convention'. But because of Operation Sindoor – the entire nation stood with the government against terrorism – we held it back and extended our solidarity, waiting for the right time. By the time we met on Tuesday, the incident of May 20 had happened. So we included it in our agenda. We told Home Ministry officials that there should be some action from the government's side… We are waiting for the government's response. Hopefully we will see some decisions. * Ten Manipur MLAs met the Governor Wednesday claiming the support of 44 legislators to form a government. Are you in touch with these MLAs? We are not as such, but are planning to hold talks with MLAs regarding the resolutions we adopted so that there can be a unanimous voice before the Centre and an early settlement to the crisis… The MLAs are on the side of the people. However, the general feeling is that they are not doing enough, and have left matters to the civil society rather than functioning as people's representatives. * Do you think President's Rule should be lifted in Manipur and a popular government restored? Yes. The recent incident also shows that President's Rule is an alien administration. They don't understand the state's history and its identity; how the people are sensitive about it. The lack of that kind of understanding creates issues. They are unable to relate to the people. So, President's Rule is not a good choice. We have had bitter experiences with President's Rule in the past as well. If you remember 2001, the Assembly was burnt down during President's Rule… The government was not able to cope with the long-drawn crisis (since May 2023) and so thought of handing over things to the Centre… But after three months of President's Rule, there are no visible results. Every attempt to restore peace has failed, and those against peace have not been held liable. They haven't been punished, controlled or contained. * Has any effort been made to initiate talks with the Kuki side? No, not as of now, as the sane voices among Kuki civilians are yet to come forward. They are completely controlled by armed militant groups, who are solely responsible for this crisis. At Tuesday's meeting too, we told the Home Ministry that it is very important that the government control and contain all the elements trying to disrupt or suppress the voice of innocent civilians on the Kuki and Meitei side as well. We should help these voices emerge. If the government is able to control the separatists, we will also extend our support to talks for reconciliation and restoration of peace and normalcy in the state. We are waiting for that. * In case a popular government does take over, who could be the possible CM? It is difficult for us to comment on that… There are many people who want to become Chief Minister. I don't know what their (motivation) is. Are they trying to prove themselves capable of resolving the crisis, or are they just driven by hunger for power? * One concern of the Centre is that a large portion of the looted weapons and ammunition have not been surrendered yet. As per a government report, 5,000-plus arms have been recovered, most of them from the (Meitei-dominated) Valley. The hill volunteers and armed groups have openly defied the call of the government asking for surrender of arms. Despite this defiance by organisations and village volunteers, the government has not taken any counter-measure. This has created an apprehension in the minds of Valley people about whether surrendering of arms is the right thing or not… This is not conducive.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur shall remain ‘indivisible', say Meitei groups
Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity', representatives of two Meitei civil society groups told officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday (May 27, 2025), presenting their perspective on the ongoing crisis in Manipur to the Union government. The MHA's North-East Advisor A.K. Mishra led the Ministry's team at both meetings. The officials first met with a seven-member delegation of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an Imphal-based civil society organisation, for about two hours. This was followed by another two-hour meeting with a delegation from the Federation of Civil Society (FOCS), a coalition of valley-based civil society organisations. The COCOMI delegation, led by its convener Khuraijam Athouba, spoke about the resolutions adopted at the Manipur People's Convention held on May 3 this year, which were 'extensively deliberated upon', it said in a statement after the meeting. COCOMI also said it had 'urged the MHA to acknowledge the public mandate and take steps to formally escalate the resolution to higher levels of the Government of India'. 'Indivisible entity' The May 3 convention had resolved to send a message that Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity'; declared that the Union government 'either wilfully neglected or strategically prolonged' the crisis in the State 'to serve its own national and geopolitical interests'; called for the Union government to 'formally accept responsibility for its role'; and rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah's characterisation of the crisis as an ethnic conflict. COCOMI also spotlighted an incident which took place at Gwaltabi last week, when a State bus carrying journalists to Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily festival was forced to cover up the word 'Manipur'. MHA officials 'assured [the delegates] that the matter has been noted for necessary governmental action', the statement said. The incident has led to protests across Imphal in the last two days. The statement added: 'Both sides agreed to maintain communication and continue dialogue in the future, with a shared goal of restoring peace and stability in Manipur at the earliest.' Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Athouba told The Hindu, 'There is anger amongst people in Imphal about the way things are being run under President's Rule. It is important that a popular government is brought back in the State. They have the majority; leadership should not be an issue.' Outdated moral lens Meanwhile, the FOCS delegation, led by its president B.M. Yaima Shah, largely discussed the 'moral reframing' of the ongoing crisis in the State, arguing that 'senior government officials continue to approach the current crisis in Manipur through the same moral lens that was applied at its onset', according to a statement. This moral lens still 'framed the Kuki-Zo communities as victims of 'incredible brutality'' though the crisis has turned into a 'complex, militarised conflict requiring urgent strategic reassessment', FOCS said. It added that 'if this outdated framing persists', it will signal a 'dangerous misjudgement and failure to adapt to the current threat environment' amounting to 'enabling further violence through inaction or miscalculated restraint'. Principled stance needed FOCS also argued that there is a need to tailor the way the Union government is denying Kuki-Zo demands for a separate administration. Government officials denying this demand solely on 'administrative convenience or feasibility' will not deter the Kuki-Zo communities from persisting with this demand, and 'the Meitei community may find little moral reassurance or sense of closure', said FOCS. Instead, it called for a 'principled stance' taking into account the 'distinctly historic and indivisible identity of Manipur'. COCOMI clarified its position on engagement, noting that it would engage 'exclusively with the Government of India' on all matters related to the crisis in the State, and rejecting the legitimacy of the Suspension of Operation groups of the Kuki-Zo communities. It also communicated its sustained opposition to 'narco-terrorism and armed groups', the statement said. Both delegations also raised issues requiring immediate intervention, such as the return of displaced people, justice for missing people, and the redressal of grievances of the displaced families.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur must be recognised as ‘indivisible', Meitei civil society delegates tell MHA officials
Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity', representatives of two Meitei civil society groups told officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday (May 27, 2025), presenting their perspective on the ongoing crisis in Manipur to the Union government. The MHA's North-East Advisor A.K. Mishra led the Ministry's team at both meetings. The officials first met with a seven-member delegation of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an Imphal-based civil society organisation, for about two hours. This was followed by another two-hour meeting with a delegation from the Federation of Civil Society (FOCS), a coalition of valley-based civil society organisations. The COCOMI delegation, led by its convener Khuraijam Athouba, spoke about the resolutions adopted at the Manipur People's Convention held on May 3 this year, which were 'extensively deliberated upon', it said in a statement after the meeting. COCOMI also said it had 'urged the MHA to acknowledge the public mandate and take steps to formally escalate the resolution to higher levels of the Government of India'. 'Indivisible entity' The May 3 convention had resolved to send a message that Manipur 'was, is, and shall always remain an indivisible entity'; declared that the Union government 'either wilfully neglected or strategically prolonged' the crisis in the State 'to serve its own national and geopolitical interests'; called for the Union government to 'formally accept responsibility for its role'; and rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah's characterisation of the crisis as an ethnic conflict. COCOMI also spotlighted an incident which took place at Gwaltabi last week, when a State bus carrying journalists to Ukhrul for the Shirui Lily festival was forced to cover up the word 'Manipur'. MHA officials 'assured [the delegates] that the matter has been noted for necessary governmental action', the statement said. The incident has led to protests across Imphal in the last two days. The statement added: 'Both sides agreed to maintain communication and continue dialogue in the future, with a shared goal of restoring peace and stability in Manipur at the earliest.' Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Athouba told The Hindu, 'There is anger amongst people in Imphal about the way things are being run under President's Rule. It is important that a popular government is brought back in the State. They have the majority; leadership should not be an issue.' Outdated moral lens Meanwhile, the FOCS delegation, led by its president B.M. Yaima Shah, largely discussed the 'moral reframing' of the ongoing crisis in the State, arguing that 'senior government officials continue to approach the current crisis in Manipur through the same moral lens that was applied at its onset', according to a statement. This moral lens still 'framed the Kuki-Zo communities as victims of 'incredible brutality'' though the crisis has turned into a 'complex, militarised conflict requiring urgent strategic reassessment', FOCS said. It added that 'if this outdated framing persists', it will signal a 'dangerous misjudgement and failure to adapt to the current threat environment' amounting to 'enabling further violence through inaction or miscalculated restraint'. Principled stance needed FOCS also argued that there is a need to tailor the way the Union government is denying Kuki-Zo demands for a separate administration. Government officials denying this demand solely on 'administrative convenience or feasibility' will not deter the Kuki-Zo communities from persisting with this demand, and 'the Meitei community may find little moral reassurance or sense of closure', said FOCS. Instead, it called for a 'principled stance' taking into account the 'distinctly historic and indivisible identity of Manipur'. COCOMI clarified its position on engagement, noting that it would engage 'exclusively with the Government of India' on all matters related to the crisis in the State, and rejecting the legitimacy of the Suspension of Operation groups of the Kuki-Zo communities. It also communicated its sustained opposition to 'narco-terrorism and armed groups', the statement said. Both delegations also raised issues requiring immediate intervention, such as the return of displaced people, justice for missing people, and the redressal of grievances of the displaced families.
