The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), one of the largest Meitei civil society groups in Manipur, has rejected the signing of a Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact with the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, stating that the decision taken by the Centre “reflects an undemocratic and hegemonic imposition upon the indigenous people and its elected representatives of Manipur.”
COCOMI, which has been in talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to find a road map for peace in Manipur, said the extension of the SoO agreement despite “the series of terrorist and criminal acts” committed by these groups was a decision that ran completely against the interests of the indigenous people of Manipur.
The MHA and the Manipur government signed the SoO pact with the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups on Thursday (September 4, 2025) with “re-negotiated terms and conditions or ground rules”. The development comes days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Manipur on September 13, his first visit since ethnic violence between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei people erupted in the State on May 3, 2023.
The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a conglomerate of civil society organisations, agreed to open the National Highway-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) passing through Kangpokpi district “for the free movement of commuters and essential goods,” the MHA said.
COCOMI said the popularly elected Government of Manipur had, through a Cabinet decision on March 10, 2023, unanimously resolved to abrogate the SoO agreement.
“Under the current President’s Rule, the administration is being run by an authority appointed from New Delhi, which lacks the legitimacy to represent the people of Manipur in letter and in spirit. The decision to extend the SoO under such circumstances is illegitimate,” COCOMI said in a statement on Friday (September 5, 2025).
It said that by extending legitimacy and recognition to the armed groups under the deceptive pact of the SoO, the Government of India had raised serious doubts about its role and responsibility in dealing with narco-terrorism in the region.
“GoI has wilfully disregarded the unanimous resolution of the Manipur Legislative Assembly taken on February 29, 2024 to revoke (abrogate) the SoO. Instead, the President’s Rule administration in Manipur has been made a party to the tripartite talks without any mandate from the people. This act represents a complete compromise of the basic principles of democracy,” it said.
It added that the Constitution of India guarantees free movement to every citizen across the country as a fundamental right. However, by turning this into a bargaining chip with armed groups, the Government of India had undermined its own constitutional obligations.
Manipur was placed under President’s Rule on February 13. Around 250 people have been killed and more than 60,000 people displaced from their homes since ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo people erupted in the State on May 3, 2023.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Imphal West Y. Khemchand Singh welcomed the reopening of the Imphal-Dimapur Road, National Highway-2. “This development constitutes a substantial milestone in the restoration of normalcy and is a notable development for all of us. … As we move forward, I appeal to all concerns and fellow citizens to put aside past differences and work collectively towards building a progressive and inclusive Manipur like before, where we used to live in communal harmony and mutual respect,” Mr. Singh said in a statement.
Published – September 05, 2025 11:06 pm IST
