Meitei Organisations hold protest at Jantar Mantar on Manipur conflict anniversary

Several Meitei student, youth and civil society organisations from Manipur, Assam and Tripura staged a protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on May 2, marking three years since the outbreak of violence in Manipur on May 3, 2023.

Under the banner of the “3rd May Organising Committee,” the groups called upon the Government of India to immediately resolve the Manipur crisis and alleged that Kuki militant groups were being “protected” and “shielded.”

The protest was organised by multiple organisations including Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD), Delhi Meetei Co-Ordinating Committee (DMCC), Manipur Innovative Youth Organisation Delhi (MAIYOND), Meitei Heritage Society, Delhi Manipuri Society (DEMAS), World Meetei Council and others.

During the demonstration, speakers alleged that the violence which began on May 3, 2023 started with coordinated attacks on Meitei villages in different parts of Manipur. Protesters also criticised the response of security forces and demanded restoration of law and order in the state.

The organisations claimed that hundreds of people had lost their lives, thousands were displaced, and several houses and temples were destroyed during the conflict.
Representatives from participating groups demanded:

Immediate dismantling and disarmament of militant groups,

Restoration of constitutional order and security in Manipur,

Time-bound justice for victims of the violence,

Permanent rehabilitation of displaced persons,

And decisive intervention by the Centre to restore peace.

Several speakers at the protest expressed concern over the prolonged displacement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in relief camps and called for urgent government action.
The protest coincided with the third anniversary of the ethnic conflict in Manipur, which erupted in May 2023 and continues to impact normalcy in several parts of the state.