Manipur's territorial integrity cannot be compromised, civil society groups to Centre

Three civil society organisations in strife-torn Manipur have conveyed to the Centre that the territorial integrity of the state cannot be compromised at any cost, an official said on Wednesday. These organisations had held talks with officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi on June 30. Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) Convenor Khuraijam Athouba told reporters here that any kind of solution to the conflict in the state must respect the territorial boundary of Manipur.

A 19-member delegation, comprising representatives from COCOMI, All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO), and Federation of Civil Society (FOCS), engaged in dialogue with MHA officials.

''We also discussed issues related to free movement by any citizen, the plight of internally displaced people, farmers' inability to carry out agricultural activities in peripheral areas,'' Athouba said.

''We also agreed to engage in further talks to bring a lasting and peaceful solution within the boundary of our concerns,'' the COCOMI functionary said. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.

The Centre had on February 13 imposed the 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.

''This evening, we also held a follow-up meeting with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, DGP and security advisor to discuss the Gwaltabi incident in which the state name was removed from a state government bus during the Shirui festival.

''We were informed that a report, submitted by an enquiry committee in connection with the incident, is with the governor and will be made public soon,'' Athouba said.

The COCOMI functionary said they have been informed that preparations are underway to resettle internally displaced people at some of their original places in phases after due examination of the ground situation.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)