A 19-member delegation of three top civil society organisations in Manipur met with Union Home Ministry officials in Delhi today and discussed a phased and time-bound roadmap for peace in the border state where ethnic clashes broke out in May 2023.
Here’s a 10-point update on the talks with the MHA
- In a joint statement after the meeting, the delegation said they conveyed their non-compromising stance on any initiative that could undermine the territorial integrity of Manipur. “This principle remains sacrosanct to every Manipuri,” the joint statement said.
- The 19-member delegation comprised representatives from the civil society groups COCOMI, AMUCO, and FOCS, while the Home Ministry team included Adviser on Northeast Affairs AK Mishra, Intelligence Bureau Joint Director Rajesh Kamble, and other senior officers.
- “The delegation pressed for the urgent need to ensure free movement for all, emphasizing that it is not only a fundamental right and a constitutional obligation of the government, but also the first essential step toward restoring peace in the state,” they said in the statement.
- The delegation asked the Centre to work out a phased and time-bound plan to resettle internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes, where they had been living before the outbreak of violence in May 2023.
- They reiterated their demand against extending the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement without a “prior comprehensive and amicable understanding among all stakeholders within the state.” The SoO agreement was signed between Kuki insurgent groups and the Centre and the state. It broadly says the insurgents should stay at designated camps and keep their weapons in locked storage.
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