Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity demands CM to take charge of Unified Command

With suspected militants killing four villagers, including a father and son, in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Thursday, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of the Meitei community, has demanded that the Manipur chief minister take over charge of the Unified Command as they feel that the role of security adviser, Kuldiep Singh, has been unfruitful.

The four slain villagers were from Akasoi village in Bishnupur district. They had gone to nearby forested areas of Churachandpur district on Wednesday to collect firewood and were kidnapped by the militants and then killed.

COCOMI stated that the brutal killing of three individuals by Kuki assailants in the Haotak area of Wangoo Sabal Akasoi exposes a disturbing depth of barbarism ingrained in their psyche. This was not just a tragic event, it was a calculated and cold-blooded murder of four unarmed individuals innocently gathering firewood for their livelihood, they stated.

The body stated, “The prevailing security arrangements have undeniably failed, and the role of the security advisor over the past eight months has been utterly ineffective, with no discernible signs of improvement. Compounding the distress is the disturbing spectacle of Kuki armed personnel gleefully celebrating the killing of the four villagers and shamelessly broadcasting it on social media to provoke the Meitei people. Amid this macabre display, the state government remains a passive spectator”.

COCOMI stated, “The glaring inadequacy of the 70,000-strong central forces deployed in the state raises questions about their effectiveness in preserving civilian lives and property. Perhaps it is time to reconsider their presence and empower the state government to handle the situation. The alarming absence of law and order in Kuki-infiltrated hill areas poses a grave threat to Manipur. These regions resemble rogue districts, with elected representatives, civil society organisations, and narco-terrorist groups rallying together in aggressive opposition to the Meitei and Manipur government, all transpiring under the indifferent gaze of the central government. Immediate and comprehensive intervention is imperative to avert further jeopardy in Manipur. We demand the Chief Minister of Manipur to take over the charge of Unified Command and protect the indigenous people’s life, property and integrity of the state and its value”.

The Centre has appointed security advisor Kuldiep Singh for Manipur and to coordinate the operations of security forces working in the state, a unified command structure was constituted.Manipur has witnessed unprecedented violence in more than 10 districts since May 3 between the non-tribal Meitei and tribal Kuki-Zo communities. Over 185 people have been killed and more than 1,500 people were injured while around 70,000 people of both communities have been displaced, so far.