Meitei Group Refuses To Join Manipur Peace Talks Amid Protest By Kukis

Soons after Kuki groups expressed unhappiness at Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh being included in a committee set up by the Centre to facilitate the peace-making process among various ethnic groups of the strife-torn state, one of the major Meitei civil society groups, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), has vehemently rejected the appointment of its convenor, Jeetendra Ningomba, as a member. The Meitei group has denied being part of the peace committee, saying peace cannot be achieved without withdrawing Suspension of Operations (SOO) with insurgents, and issues of "narco-terrorism" and illegal immigration are effectively addressed.