Manipur: COCOMI calls for military crackdown on Chin-Kuki Narco-terrorist groups

Restating that the present violence in Manipur is not a Meetei-Kuki conflict but rather an alleged proxy war initiated by the government of India, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) said that the problem wouldn’t be settled by sitting down between Meetei and Kuki. 
 

The matter should be resolved only government of India through their decisive action and addressing the root cause of the violence. 
 

Briefing to media person, the convenor of COCOMI, Khuraijam Athouba said that COCOMI and like-minded Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) express our deep anguish and concern over the continued inaction and misplaced priorities of the Government of India in addressing the root causes of the ongoing crisis in Manipur. It is now evident that the current conflict is not merely a case of ethnic clashes but a well-orchestrated proxy war initiated and sustained by the Indian State against the indigenous Meetei people (its own citizens).
 

He further said that for nearly two years, the Meetei population has been subjected to relentless attacks, ethnic cleansing, and displacement by foreign-origin Chin-Kuki narco-terrorist groups, operating freely in the hill areas of Manipur under the protection of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement since 2008. These groups, armed and funded through the thriving drug trade, continue to challenge the integrity of the state.
 

While stating that government of India must stop running away from the reality on the ground, they have placed a demand to carry out immediate military crackdown on all Chin-Kuki narco-terrorist groups operating in the hill areas of Manipur, detection and deportation of all illegal immigrants from Myanmar and elsewhere, who have infiltrated Manipur since the 1950s, urgent implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur to identify and segregate illegal immigrants from genuine native citizens.
 

The committee also demanded massive, state-led operations to destroy illegal opium poppy cultivation in the hill areas and strict action against all individuals, organizations, or political groups involved in or defending the drug cartel. Immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement and cessation of sheltering foreign-origin armed mercenaries in Manipur's soil. Subdue all resistance in the opening of highways and roadways in the state of Manipur as per the declaration of the union home minister which failed on March 8, 2025.
 

Athouba said that without addressing the above fundamental issues, any attempts by the Government of India to initiate dialogues or other peace exercises will remain hollow and futile. The root of the problem lies in the Government's false and failed policies that have emboldened terror groups, compromised the state's safety and security, and pushed the indigenous people to the brink.