Manipur CSOs to jointly meet MHA officials in Delhi on June 30

A 19-member delegation comprising representatives from the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) Manipur, and the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) is set to jointly meet officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on June 30 in New Delhi. 

The team will depart from Manipur on Sunday.

This will be the third round of talks between the MHA and civil society organisations (CSOs) from Manipur, and for the first time, AMUCO, COCOMI, and FOCS will attend the meeting together.

Addressing an emergency press conference at the Manipur Press Club on Saturday, COCOMI convenor Khuraijam Athouba said the decision was taken unanimously during a joint meeting of the three organisations held earlier in the day at Hotel Imphal.

“Given the gravity of the situation in the state, we have decided to jointly pursue our long-pending demands. Although we had met the MHA separately in earlier rounds, there has never been any disagreement among our organisations,” said Athouba.

According to him, seven delegates each from AMUCO and COCOMI, and five delegates from FOCS, will represent their respective organisations during the meeting.

The agenda will include reiterating demands already raised in earlier talks, such as ensuring unhindered movement along national and state highways, the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and guaranteeing the safety and security of farmers residing in peripheral areas.

Also Read: Manipur governor orders major police reshuffle, 11 senior officers transferred

Athouba expressed disappointment that although the MHA had assured action on most of the key issues in previous meetings, none have materialised so far.

"In this meeting, we will issue an ultimatum, stating that if these assurances are not acted upon, we may reconsider future participation in the talks," he said.

“Our collective aim is to bring lasting peace to the state, but for that, we must first address urgent concerns like the safe return of IDPs, restoration of farmers’ rights, and secure mobility across Manipur. Only after tackling these immediate needs can long-term peacebuilding begin,” Athouba added.

It may be noted that the first round of talks between the MHA and CSOs from both the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities was held on April 5. In that meeting, AMUCO and FOCS represented the Meitei side, while the Kuki-Zo side included members from the Kuki-Zo Council, Kuki Inpi Manipur, Zomi Council, United Zou Organisation, and Hmar Inpi.

A second round followed on May 27, when the MHA held a separate meeting with Meitei CSOs. While COCOMI and FOCS participated, AMUCO did not attend. That meeting too ended inconclusively.