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COCOMI Calls 'Final Question to Govt' Rally; Rejects Govt's Dialogue Offer Amid Worsening Violence

by NE Dispatch - Apr 23, 2026 15 Views 0 Comment

COCOMI has called a public rally on April 25 toward the CM's Bungalow to demand answers from the government, rejecting a High-Level dialogue offer. The move comes amid deepening unrest following militant attacks, civilian deaths, and communal tensions across Manipur.

COCOMI Press Release

IMPHAL – The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has issued a public appeal calling on citizens to participate in what it has described as the "Final Questioning of the Government" rally, scheduled for April 25, 2026, at 1:00 p.m., marching toward the Chief Minister's Bungalow in Imphal.

The appeal comes on the back of a sustained series of democratic movements that COCOMI and the public have been jointly organising in recent weeks, including Meira Rallies and Sit-in Protests. Despite these sustained civilian-led agitations, COCOMI stated that the government has shown no meaningful sign of responding to the people's demands, and that a clear disconnect has emerged between those in power and the voices of ordinary citizens.

In its appeal, COCOMI articulated the purpose of the rally as a collective effort to pose specific, clear questions to the government from all directions simultaneously, with the aim of arriving at a definitive resolution to the long-standing unrest that has gripped Manipur. The organisation stated that the people's further course of action would be determined only after compelling the government to respond to the questions raised.

"Let us strive to decide our further course of action only after forcing an answer from the government," COCOMI said in its communiqué, urging mass turnout at the rally.

Government Had Extended Dialogue Invitation, Which COCOMI Declined

Prior to COCOMI's rally announcement, the Government of Manipur had reached out formally to COCOMI with an offer for dialogue. A communication dated April 22, 2026, signed by Neilenthang Telien, Secretary to the Chief Minister, conveyed the desire of the Chief Minister for a meeting between a High-Level Government Delegation — to be led by the Home Minister and accompanied by two senior MLAs — and COCOMI representatives, to discuss the prevailing situation in Manipur.

The letter, addressed to the Convenor of COCOMI, requested that the organisation convey a convenient time for the meeting and sought confirmation in the matter.

However, COCOMI declined the government's invitation, asserting that there was nothing left to discuss and that the government must fulfil its responsibilities on its own. The rejection underscores the deepening mistrust between the civil society body and the state administration, and signals that COCOMI has moved beyond the stage of behind-closed-doors engagement in favour of direct, public confrontation with the government.

Backdrop: Escalating Violence and Communal Tensions Across the State

The rally call and the breakdown of dialogue come against a backdrop of sharply deteriorating security conditions across Manipur.

The current wave of unrest was significantly inflamed by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack by Kuki militants on April 7 in Tronglaobi, Bishnupur district. The attack claimed the lives of two young children — a five-year-old boy and his five-month-old sister — who were killed while asleep in their home. Their mother sustained injuries in the strike.

The brutal killing of the infants triggered immediate and widespread public outrage. The following day, hundreds of enraged protesters stormed a nearby Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp, demanding accountability and questioning how security forces could have remained passive while the attack occurred in their operational vicinity. The protest turned violent, with the mob burning vehicles and vandalising structures within the camp. CRPF personnel responded with live firing, resulting in the deaths of three protesters, with approximately 20 others sustaining injuries — a development that further inflamed public sentiment against both militants and the security establishment.

Highway Ambush in Ukhrul Deepens Communal Fault Lines

Adding to the volatile atmosphere, two Tangkhul civilians — including a retired army soldier — were killed in a highway ambush by armed militants in Ukhrul district. The Tangkhul and Naga communities have attributed the attack to Kuki Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups.

The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a civil society organisation based in Churachandpur, issued a statement within an hour of the ambush denying the involvement of any of the dozen Kuki militant groups under the SoO framework. The speed of the denial — issued even before news of the incident had spread widely — drew scrutiny and raised questions about the intent and context behind the clarification.

The ambush prompted the United Naga Council to call a three-day shutdown across all Naga-inhabited hill districts. In a further escalation, Kuki groups are also reportedly imposing counter-bandhs in their respective areas, following a violent confrontation that drew in armed elements in the T. Khullen area — signalling that tensions are now threatening to spiral into a broader, multi-community standoff.

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Imphal Manipur Manipur Crisis 2023 Northeast India Humanitarian Crisis COCOMI Protest 2026 Law and Order
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