Thousands unite in Manipur rally for territorial integrity
Thousands of individuals from various communities converged in Imphal, Manipur's capital, to rally for the state's territorial and administrative integrity on Friday. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) organized the rally that spanned nearly 5km through the city center. Participants included elderly women members of Meira Paibi (torch holders), who marched chanting unity-themed slogans and advocating for indigenous people's rights.
Rally participants demand government action
Protestors held banners and posters with messages such as "save indigenous and rightful citizens of India," "no separate administration" and "save territorial integrity of Manipur." They proposed six points for the central government to consider, including carrying out the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise, scrapping deals with Kuki insurgent groups, equal combing operations in both valley and hills, preserving Manipur's territorial integrity, and removing buffer zones preventing displaced people from returning home.
Protestors voice concerns over displacement, violence
At the rally, participant N Shanti Devi expressed concern about displaced people being unable to return home due to barriers erected by Kuki tribes. Another protestor, Keisham Khambi, voiced fears about those demanding a separate land not stopping at that demand. Khambi accused Kuki insurgents and their fronts of using violence as a pretext to push their agenda.
Ethnic strife between Meitei and Kuki communities
The Meitei community, dominant in the valley, and the Kuki tribes, dominant in the hills, have been engaged in conflict for over a year. The Meiteis are seeking inclusion under the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category as they claim to be essentially and historically a tribe. Conversely, Kuki tribes are demanding a separate administration, or "Kukiland," citing their need for a homeland for their scattered tribes, who share ethnic ties with tribes in neighboring Mizoram and Myanmar's Chin State.
