Imphal, June 28: Thousands of people, including women and youths from across communities and tribes from Manipur’s valley districts, took out a mass rally under the aegis of Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) demanding territorial and administrative integrity of the state on Friday.

COCOMI is an umbrella organization of civil society groups of the Meitei community of Manipur.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Nagas and Kukis constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.

The protestors also demanded MLAs and Ministers, who are the people’s representatives, to come out courageously among the people to save Manipur.

The rally began at Thau ground in Imphal West district and culminated at Khuman Lampak stadium, covering 5 km in the capital city.

The protestors raised slogans demanding the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), abrogation of SOO with Kuki militant groups, no separate administration to be granted to Kukis, equal combing operations in both hills and valley, saving territorial and administrative integrity of Manipur and declaration of buffer zones should be in international boundaries and not within Indian districts.

“The rally resolved that Manipur’s territorial sanctity cannot be disturbed at any cost or under any circumstance,” CORCOMI coordinator Somorendro Thokchom said.

Meanwhile, commenting on the rally, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) said the COCOMI organized the rally only to oppose Kuki-Zo’s demands and desire for Manipur’s integrity. It highlighted the provocative and extreme sloganeering against the Kukis in the rally.

“It is evident that Kuki-Zo and Meitei cannot coexist. We must be separated. Total separation is the only solution. Peace in Manipur will only come when this total separation is officially acknowledged and formalized by the central government,” the ITLF said.

“By granting us a separate administration in the shape of the UT with a legislature under Article 239A, justice will then be served for the Kuki-Zo,” it added.

Over 220 people were killed, 1,500 injured and over 70,000 people displaced after the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023, after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’, organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

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