Manipur native groups pass resolution against SoO pact, plan push in Delhi

Native civil society groups in Manipur have resolved to press for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement signed between Kuki militant groups, the Centre and the state government, describing the demand as a key priority until it is addressed by the authorities.

 

The resolution was adopted at the first-ever Native Peoples' Convention, held at Makhan village in Kangpokpi district on June 4. Organised by the newly formed Native Peoples' Committee Manipur (NPCM), the gathering brought together representatives of Meitei and Naga civil society organisations under the theme "Unified Response".

 

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the convention, NPCM convenor Ashang Kasar said the ongoing crisis in Manipur posed a threat to indigenous communities and called for greater unity among what he described as the state's native populations.

 

Kasar alleged that illegal immigration from neighbouring Myanmar had contributed to the present conflict and accused Kuki militant groups operating under the SoO framework of violating ground rules. He claimed that the agreement had facilitated the influx of undocumented migrants and contributed to the state's instability.

 

Among the major resolutions adopted at the convention were demands for the withdrawal of the SoO agreement, the removal of the Assam Rifles from Manipur and an update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

 

Kasar further alleged that the Assam Rifles had failed to maintain neutrality during the conflict and had assisted Kuki groups, a claim that has been denied by security agencies in the past. He said the convention had decided to seek the force's removal from the state.

 

The NPCM convenor said the committee would hold discussions with Naga and Meitei legislators before submitting memoranda to national leaders in New Delhi to highlight their concerns regarding the situation in Manipur.

 

Retired Indian Revenue Service officer Timothy Zimik, who spoke on the topic "Challenges of Influx and Demographic Threat", presented a historical overview of migration patterns from Myanmar into Manipur. According to him, major waves of migration occurred during the civil conflict in Burma in the 1950s and 1960s, the military crackdown in the 1980s, the period following the informal ceasefire between security forces and militant groups that later evolved into the SoO arrangement, and after the outbreak of the Myanmar civil war in 2021.

 

Zimik also claimed that more than 1,700 new villages had been established in the hill districts between 1969 and 2023, primarily in areas he described as Naga ancestral land.

 

The convention concluded with participants pledging to work jointly on issues relating to land, identity and security, while reiterating calls for what organisers described as stronger measures to protect the interests of Manipur's indigenous communities.