Manipur: COCOMI accuses COTU/ITLF of 'exploiting' public sentiment for political gain

The Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has strongly criticized the recent statement issued by the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), alleging that their persistent efforts to manipulate public sentiment are part of a calculated strategy to achieve their long-standing demand for Separate Administration.

According to COCOMI, COTU and ITLF have continuously shifted their narrative to adapt to changing political dynamics, using new justifications to sustain unrest while exploiting their own people’s grievances for political gain. Even when speculations arose about the possible resignation of Manipur’s Chief Minister for the greater good, COTU allegedly sought another pretext to sustain its movement for Separate Administration.

COCOMI asserted that despite varying reasons and evolving strategies, the ultimate objective of COTU/ITLF remains the same—to establish conditions that reinforce their territorial and political aspirations. Their demands, COCOMI claimed, have progressively escalated from seeking Separate Administration to advocating for an exclusive Kukiland, then proposing a merger with Mizoram under the concept of Greater Mizoram, followed by a push for Zoland or Zalengam, and eventually aligning with Myanmar’s Chin State in pursuit of a larger Christian state under the Burma Act of the United States.

Urging the Government of India to recognize this systematic agenda, COCOMI called for stringent measures to hold accountable any individuals, organizations, or groups that justify instability and violence to fulfill their political ambitions. The organization emphasized that the people of Manipur deserve peace, stability, and a resolution that preserves the state’s territorial integrity.