Manipur violence: COCOMI calls for state and Central offices shutdown, boycotts Amit Shah

Condemning the state and central government for not materialising their demands within the given stipulated time, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has decided to boycott Union Home Minister Amit Shah with immediate effect till the present conflict is addressed. 

The committee also announced to shutdown all state and central government offices for two days, however, essential services and educational institutions will be exempted.

Addressing the media during a press conference held this evening, the convenor of COCOMI, Thokchom Somorendro that the state government in its recent meeting of NDA legislators on November 18 had resolved for remove of AFSPA and to conduct mass operations against Kuki militants within seven days. They also assured that if no actions were taken, the government will take up steps in accordance with the wish of the people. However, the government has failed to translate their resolutions into action within the time frame.

As per the decision taken earlier, the committee will resume the agitation with shutting down all state and central government offices for two days. However emergency services and educational institutions will be exempted, he informed. 

Announcing the boycott of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he claimed the ongoing conflict as a proxy war engineered by the Centre led by Amit Shah. As such the committee resolved to boycott the said minister with immediate effect until the crisis is resolved. 

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The committee also demanded to remove two cabinet ministers from the Kuki community from their respective posts. 

It may be mentioned that COCOMI made several demands to the government on November 16 after a wave of tension flared up due to the killing of six hostages from Jiribam and the reimposition of AFSPA in six identified police stations. 

The committee launched an indefinite sit-in protest at Khwairamband Ima Market along with women vendors.

During the protest, they put up demands including a military crackdown against Kuki narco-terrorists who are under Suspension of Operation with the government of India, declaring them as unlawful organisations, arrest those armed groups involved in the Jiribam massacre, repealing AFSPA, 

Responding to agitation, a high-level meeting of NDA legislators was held on November 18. Considering the response, the protest was lifted temporarily as the meeting made several assurances. 

A high-level meeting had resolved to urge the centre to review the decision of AFSPA reimposition in six police stations; to urge the centre to launch mass operations against Kuki militants involved in kidnapping and killing three Meitei women and three Meitei children; to urge the centre to handover the case of murder of six innocent Meitei woman and children, the death of one Hmar woman on November 7 and the killing of one Meitei woman on November 9 to NIA.

The meeting also resolved to declare Kuki militant groups responsible for the killing of three children and three women as unlawful organisation within one week, the meeting also resolved that if the resolutions are not materialise within a week the NDA legislators will decide their own future course of action with consultation with the people of the state.