Two key civil society organisations of the Meitei community and the Kuki tribes in violence-hit Manipur have accused each other of working against the interest of the state and the Centre amid the President's rule. The Centre has ordered road blockades across Manipur to be removed from March 8, failing which action would be taken.
The Meitei organisation, Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), condemned what it called an act by the Kuki group Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) to "openly challenge the authority of the Union Home Minister and the Government of India."
"By declaring their struggle for a 'separate administration' as 'non-negotiable' and threatening to 'carve their own path, no matter the cost,' CoTU has openly challenged the constitutional framework of India. This defiance undermines the authority of the Union Home Minister and disrespects the due process of law," COCOMI said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The statement that 'no free movement shall be permitted in Kuki-Zo land' is an unlawful act that directly contravenes the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. No entity or community has the legal right to impose restrictions on citizens' movement within Indian territory," COCOMI said.
In response, the Kangpokpi district-based Kuki group said COCOMI's representations to the Centre are "not of the sentiments of unsuspecting masses in the valley."
"The nation needs to know that valley-based misnomer organisations such as COCOMI are the mouthpiece and frontal organisations behind these hegemonic ideals of hatred and perpetrators of mass genocide programme on the Kuki-Zo community since May 3, 2023," CoTU said in a statement shared with the media hours after COCOMI's communique.
"Mentioned may be made that all representations made to the Union Government of India by COCOMI are in sync with the ones made by their armed militias, the so-called Arambai Tenggol and not of the sentiments of unsuspecting masses in the valley," the Kuki group said.
CoTU on Monday said they will oppose the Centre's recent measures such as the order to ensure free movement on roads "until a resolution that respects the community's aspirations is reached".
The Kuki organisation cited eight points, the local media reported, as their main thrust i.e. unwavering struggle for a separate administration, restricted access to roads, fight for separate administration to continue through democratic resistance, anyone aligning with the government or keeping personal interests first before collective cause to be labelled as a traitor, retraction of Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla's statement on the Kukis' separate administration demand, no arrests of Kuki-Zo volunteers, total resistance against forced peace, and final demand for a Union Territory.
The Meitei group, however, alleged the "explicit statement that CoTU will 'unleash total resistance' if the government enforces peace without addressing their demands is a clear act of rebellion."
"Such statements by so-called civilian groups called CoTU encourage violence and create an atmosphere of intimidation and civil unrest. The declaration that their demand for a Union Territory with legislature is 'final' and 'not negotiable' contradicts the democratic principles of dialogue and resolution. This inflexible stance is a deliberate attempt to destabilize peace efforts in Manipur," COCOMI said.
CoTU in its response alleged COCOMI represents "armed militias" and also "at the same time... claims to represent the masses in the valley who rejected them in the first place to play a higher moral ground to accuse... or openly declared war on the Kuki-Zo community."
Since the President's rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, many Kuki groups and leaders have been pointing at former Chief Minister N Biren and seeking justice and accountability before talking about peace.
A petitioner from the Kuki tribes filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking an investigation into a leaked audio tape in which a voice purportedly of the former chief minister was heard taking responsibility for the outbreak of violence. The hearing is scheduled later this month.
'Justice Not One-Way Street': Thadou Tribe Leader
While civil society groups of the Meitei community and the Kuki have been trading barbs, Thadou tribe leader T Michael Lamjathang Haokip on Monday called CoTU's list of points a smokescreen to ensure Manipur remains on the boil.
Mr Haokip - whose house was set on fire twice - has been pushing back against what he alleges is a plan by "Kuki supremacists" to break up Manipur, and not a demand that arose out of the ethnic clashes that began in May 2023.
The Thadou leader has been asking the Manipur government to remove 'Any Kuki Tribe', which was added to the Scheduled Tribes list in 2003 under the then Congress government in Manipur, over his tribe's allegations that anyone who is not part of a distinct tribe can become 'Any Kuki Tribe', which leaves it wide open to demographic engineering in the state.
"Justice and accountability is not a one-way street because both sides have innocent people as well as perpetrators. But there can be no bigger liar than the community that talks about justice only for themselves and conveniently ignores the crimes they have committed. It's not just the community that CoTU represents that suffered. Thousands of Meitei families have also suffered. Some of the worst sufferers are from the Thadou tribe despite not having any connection whatsoever with the violence. Many of them living on surveyed land have lost their homes and history of their existence has been wiped out," Mr Haokip said.
"Their militants pretending to be 'volunteers' have killed innocent Meiteis. Their militant leaders, politicians have given aggressive speeches long before May 2023. Everybody knows what CoTU is in Kangpokpi. Who will believe their argument that there can be no free movement or peace without getting what they want first? This proves they want violence, not talks. People can continue living peacefully and rebuild their lives while talks are happening. This is the civilised way followed across the world," Mr Haokip said.
The valley-dominant Meitei community and over a dozen distinct tribes collectively known as Kuki, who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation. Over 250 have died in the violence and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his council of ministers resigned on February 9, after which the Governor placed the assembly in suspended animation, or MLAs active but without powers, following the imposition of the President's rule in the state that shares a porous border with Myanmar.
