COCOMI's October 31 mega rally in Imphal drew thousands as Naga organisations held solidarity protests across districts, demanding SoO abrogation, security changes and IDP rehabilitation.
Imphal, Oct. 31: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), along with several civil society organisations, held a mass rally in Imphal on Saturday, demanding the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups, the withdrawal of Assam Rifles from Manipur and the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The mobilisation also received support from Naga organisations, with the United Naga Council (UNC) endorsing the rally and calling for simultaneous sit-in protests and solidarity rallies at Naga district headquarters. The coordinated programmes were intended to press the Centre for action on the continuing conflict and the organisations' demands concerning security, indigenous communities and ancestral land.
The Imphal rally was jointly organised by COCOMI, the Joint Tribe Council Manipur (JTCM), Foothills Naga Coordination Committee (FNCC), Naga People's Union, Imphal (NPUI), Naga Humanitarian Aid Committee Manipur (NHACM) and Inpui Naga Union.
The participating organisations framed the mobilisation around four principal demands: an end to what they described as a proxy war against Manipur's indigenous people, abrogation of the SoO agreement, withdrawal of Assam Rifles from the state and the resettlement of displaced families.
The march began at Tiddim Ground in Kwakeithel, Imphal West, and proceeded towards THAU Ground at Thangmeiband, where a public meeting was held. The announced route passed through Keishampat, Wahengbam Leikai, Nagamapal and Khoyathong.
Tens of thousands of people joined the procession, according to media reports. Participants carried placards calling for the scrapping of the SoO agreement, peace and justice, and accountability from the authorities over the protection of lives and property.
Police barricades were erected at Keisampat junction, and the procession was prevented from advancing beyond that point towards the nearby Lok Bhavan, Chief Minister's Office and BJP state headquarters.
The rally took place amid renewed public anger over continuing violence in Manipur. Organisers said the mobilisation was intended to put pressure on the state and central governments to take concrete steps towards restoring security and enabling displaced families to return home.
At the conclusion of the rally, participating organisations adopted six resolutions calling for immediate action by the Centre and the Manipur government. The resolutions included demands for an end to what the organisers described as a proxy war, non-extension of the SoO agreement, safe return and rehabilitation of IDPs, withdrawal of Assam Rifles, implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) using 1951 as the base year, and the removal of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen from the state Cabinet.
The declaration called on the governments to take immediate and time-bound action. It also stated that people across communities and regions remained committed to peace, justice, mutual respect and equal dignity.
The demands reflect the position of the organisations that adopted the resolutions; the allegations against the Centre and armed groups were not independently established by the rally itself.
Naga organisations hold parallel protests across districts
The UNC and the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), organised simultaneous sit-in protests and solidarity programmes at Naga district headquarters from 11 am on October 31, in support of the Imphal rally.
The UNC had earlier appealed to Naga tribe hohos, village authorities, churches, women, youth and student organisations to participate either in Imphal or in their respective district headquarters. District-level apex bodies and tribal organisations were assigned responsibility for coordinating the local programmes.
The Naga Village Chiefs/Headmen Federation South (NVCHFS) had also endorsed the mobilisation following its assembly-cum-seminar in Chandel. The federation backed the demands for abrogation of the SoO agreement, an end to what it described as a proxy war, and the removal of Assam Rifles from border areas, with the Border Security Force (BSF) proposed as a replacement.
The district-level protests gave the rally a wider geographical reach, linking the mobilisation in the valley with parallel demonstrations in Naga areas of the hills.
UNC submits memorandum to Amit Shah
Alongside the protests, the UNC submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah through the Deputy Commissioner of Senapati district, seeking his personal intervention in the conflict.
The memorandum listed four demands: immediate abrogation of the SoO agreement with Kuki militant groups, an end to what the council described as a proxy war against indigenous communities, time-bound implementation of the September 26 tripartite talks agreements in Guwahati, and the withdrawal of Assam Rifles from border areas and conflict zones.
The council alleged that armed groups operating under the SoO arrangement had engaged in killings, extortion, land grabbing and other unlawful activities in Naga ancestral areas. It also questioned the role of Assam Rifles, accusing the force of acting in a partisan manner in some areas. These allegations were made by the UNC in its memorandum.
The council said the prolonged conflict had caused deaths, displacement and the destruction of villages, while damaging relationships between communities. It appealed to the Centre to address the issues raised and take urgent steps towards lasting peace.
Continuing demands for security and rehabilitation
The October 31 mobilisation brought together COCOMI and Naga civil society organisations around a set of shared demands concerning security, the SoO arrangement and the future of displaced families.
The demand for the safe return and rehabilitation of IDPs remained one of the central issues raised at the Imphal rally. The organisations also called for changes to security arrangements in the state and action on their concerns about armed groups operating under the SoO framework.
The rally and parallel Naga protests marked a coordinated public mobilisation across the hills and valley. The participating organisations urged the Centre and the Manipur government to respond to their demands, while the broader challenge of restoring peace and enabling displaced residents to return home remained unresolved.
