Meitei apex body to boycott Manipur government for not convening assembly session

COCOMI, an umbrella body of the Meitei community, announced an indefinite social boycott of the Manipur government.

IMPHAL — Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of the Meitei community, on Sunday announced an indefinite social boycott of the Manipur government in protest against the state government’s delay in convening the assembly session.

COCOMI Convenor Jitendra Ningomba said that during a mass rally in Imphal on July 29 it was communicated to the state government to convene a special assembly session within five days.

“The government did not accept the demand and refused to act as per the demands of the people. Hence, COCOMI has urged the people to boycott the state government. The organisation would remain with the people of Manipur and would give no support to the government,” Ningomba told the media.

He said that the organisation strongly condemned the brutal killing of the three Meiteis at Kwakta Lamkhai village in Bishnupur district on Saturday by alleged “armed Kuki militants”.

“How were the Kuki militants able to enter into the Meitei village which was guarded tightly by Assam Rifles and butchered the three unarmed innocent people?” the COCOMI leader asked.

“COCOMI also condemned the dismantling of hundred Meitei houses at Torbung Bangla by more than seven thousand Kukis, both men and women, using five bulldozers.”

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“The unfortunate bulldozing and inhuman activity took place in broad daylight in front of the central paramilitary forces. Central force personnel didn’t try to save a single Meitei house,” Ningomba claimed.

He said that the COCOMI would continue to agitate in support of its demands, which include, ‘Stop illegal infiltration’, ‘implement National Population Register (NPR)’, ‘no division of Manipur’, ‘protect indigenous people’, ‘protect forest and environment’ and ‘stop crime against women.’

The COCOMI is the main organisation of the Meiteis, who account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s around 3.2 million population and live mostly in the valley regions.

Tribal Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.

Meanwhile, in the wake of demands from various circles, including the opposition Congress, the Manipur government last week decided to convene an Assembly session from August 21.