COTU Considers Resolution to Abrogate SoO as "Against Peace", Calls for Total Shutdown, Public Rally

Considering the complete constitutional breakdown in the valley and the recent Manipur State Legislative Assembly’s resolution to abrogate the Suspension of Operations with the two umbrella organizations of the Kuki groups, the United People’s Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organization (KNO), the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District has termed it as “Communalised and against peace”, and decided to impose a 24-hour total shutdown in the Sadar Hills Kangpokpi district.

The committee also called for a public rally on March 4 to demonstrate resentment over the “derogatory resolution” adopted by the Meitei-centric Government. The total shutdown in the entire Sadar Hills Kangpokpi district will begin at 10:00 a.m. on March 4 and culminate at 10:00 a.m. on March 5.

Vehemently opposing the “derogatory and communalised” resolution passed by the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on February 29, CoTU’s Information Secretary, Thangtinlen Haokip stated that this vile attempt in the Manipur Assembly is the creation of N Biren Singh and his cohorts to divert the attention of the general public from the imbroglio prevalent in Imphal by adopting, in particular, a resolution to abrogate Suspension of Operations with the UPF and KNO.

He also said that the assembly’s communal resolution adopted in the interest of one community, the Meitei community, accentuated the irrelevance of the Government vis-a-vis the Kuki-Zo people, while adding that the exclusive attempt to malign the Kuki-Zo not only highlighted the Government’s acquiescence to the unconstitutional diktat of the Arambai Tenggol but categorically presents its communal-centric, pathological nature.

He also said that the Suspension of Operations with the Kuki-Zo groups has heralded peace and tranquility, and this demand for the abrogation of SoO with the Kuki-Zo groups by the Manipur Legislative Assembly clearly indicated that the majority Meitei community and the Meitei-centric Government are not peace-loving, but against peace.

“The untoward development in the state assembly amplified the importance of Kuki-Zo’s demand for Constitutional safeguards to be addressed by the Government of India at the earliest in the interest of communal harmony and peace”, he asserted. He continued that N Biren Singh has miserably failed to control his secessionist Meitei militants and armed militias from breaching the “Rules of Law”, and has given them a free hand to terrorize the civilians, to openly brandish the looted arms from the state armouries, and has been reluctant to take action against them. Such an unlawful situation calls for an immediate declaration of all valley districts as “Disturbed Areas”, and the imposition of the Armed Forces Special Power Act, or the AFSPA, in all 19 Police Stations in the valley districts to curtail terror acts of state-sponsored pogroms, he added.

He further maintained that such policies to placate the majoritarian Meitei community, at the cost of the minority Kuki-Zo community, will be firmly dealt with and such policies only compelled them to impose a 24-hour Total Shutdown in the entire Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District to demonstrate their resentment against the derogatory resolutions  adopted  by  the  Meitei  Government.

Views of TLM: The Meitei government has already abstained itself from being a part of the SoO agreement with the Kuki groups since March 2023, and as such its resolution is immaterial to the SoO agreement. As clearly stated by CoTU, this resolution was made for two main reasons:

1. the Meitei government is scared of Sanajaoba-Kourounganba led Arambai Tenggol and does not want to offend it,

the Meitei government wants to hide its inefficiencies in maintaining law and order in the Meitei valley as the UNLF-P and Arambai Tenggol are freely engaging in extortions, beatings and meting out punishments to those they find guilty in their Kangaroo courts.