Meitei apex body to meet MHA officials to discuss Manipur issues

Imphal, May 26 (IANS) The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the Meitei community apex body, will meet the officials of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi on May 27 to discuss the prevailing situation in the state and their demands.

Laikhuram Jayenta, Convenor of COCOMI publicity committee, said on Sunday that the ensuing meeting in New Delhi aims to initiate follow-up action on the resolutions adopted during the Manipur People's Convention held on May 3, 2025, at Khuman Lampak in Imphal.

A seven-member delegation led by the COCOMI Convenor Khuraijam Athouba would represent the people of Manipur at the MHA meeting.

The COCOMI had organised a public convention as part of the observance of two years of ethnic violence on May 3, 2025, and observed a shutdown in the valley region, comprising six districts.

The COCOMI had been demanding restoration of peace in Manipur and action against the Kuki militant outfit.

They also strongly opposed the demand to create separate administrations (equivalent to a Union Territory) for the Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal organisations.

The Central and state governments also on a number of occasions rejected the Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal organisations' demand.

The demand also highlighted 10 MLAs belonging to Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal community.

After a 48-hour shutdown, the COCOMI, has started their second phase of agitation from Sunday in protest against the removal of the state's name from a government bus on May 20.

The COCOMI on Saturday announced a series of intensified agitations, including a daily gherao at the main gate of the Governor's bungalow starting on Sunday.

The COCOMI Convenor said that the organisation had resolved to escalate the agitation as the demand for a public apology from the Governor (Ajay Kumar Bhalla) over the May 20 Gwaltabi incident remained unresolved.

The Meitei body also demanded the resignation of Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, Security Advisor to the government Kuldiep Singh and Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, holding them responsible for failing to protect the dignity and integrity of the state of Manipur.

On the same demands, the COCOMI-sponsored 48-hour shutdown crippled normal life in five to six districts in Manipur's Valley region from Wednesday midnight to Friday midnight.

The issue arose after a media team, en route to cover the opening ceremony of the five-day-long Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul district on May 20, was forced to return to Imphal, allegedly after some security personnel blocked their bus at Gwaltabi in Imphal East district.

The All Manipur Working Journalists' Union and the Editors Guild Manipur, in a joint letter to Governor Bhalla said that the security personnel instructed the media team to hide the "Manipur State Transport Corporation" signage on front of the bus carrying 20 journalists and some Information Department officials.

Various political parties, leaders and organisations protested the incident.

In view of the five-day-long (May 20 to 24) Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul district, the Manipur government has taken huge security measures after reported threats by some individuals and organisations to the Meitei community against entering Kuki tribal-dominated areas during the festival.

Shirui Lily Festival, mostly organised by the Meitei community, is celebrated in honour of the state flower, the Shirui Lily.

--IANS

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