On Wednesday, volunteers from an Imphal valley-based civil society group forced government employees to vacate their offices as part of a two-day shutdown of state and central government offices, officials reported.
Members of the student wing of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) entered the state secretariat and the Directorate of Transport, located just meters from the Manipur Police headquarters and the chief minister’s residence, and instructed employees to leave their offices. In some instances, they attempted to lock the gates, though security personnel managed to prevent this.
Volunteers also targeted other government buildings, including the Forest Department’s head office in Sanjenthong and the sub-divisional officer’s office at the DC Complex in Porompat, Imphal East district. Despite the presence of heavy security, including CRPF personnel, the protesters succeeded in locking some office doors, according to officials. A large number of security forces had been deployed across government offices in valley districts and Jiribam.
COCOMI, a coalition of Meitei civil society groups, was formed in 2019 in response to peace talks between the Indian government and Naga rebel groups, which sought autonomy and the integration of Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur into a “Greater Nagaland.” The group campaigns for the preservation of Manipur’s territorial integrity.
COCOMI Students Front Coordinator Dhanakumar Meitei told reporters, “We began this campaign by shutting down state government offices. We hold government officials accountable for failing to restore peace and end the violence. We also urge government employees to stay away from work.”
On Tuesday, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh appealed to COCOMI not to escalate the situation. However, COCOMI coordinator Thokchom Somorendro said the state government had not acted on resolutions passed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to conduct mass operations against Kuki militants within seven days and to lift the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in areas where it had recently been imposed. As a result, COCOMI decided to proceed with its office shutdown.
In a related development, the state government extended the suspension of mobile internet services for an additional two days in nine districts, until November 29, in light of the ongoing unrest. The decision, made by the Home Department, cited concerns over the law and order situation. The suspension, initially imposed after violence erupted in the state on November 16, was intended to prevent the spread of provocative content by anti-social elements. The suspension has been extended multiple times since then.
Meanwhile, the state government lifted the suspension on broadband services (ILL and FTTH) on Tuesday, citing the difficulties faced by ordinary citizens, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and other offices.
In another development, the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) in Assam announced plans to assist around 1,000 Kuki-Zo people who had sought refuge in the Singhason Hills following the outbreak of violence in Manipur in May 2023. KAAC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Tuliram Ronghang confirmed that meetings with various stakeholders, including social and political organizations, would be held to facilitate the return of the displaced Kuki-Zos. However, he emphasized that the return would be voluntary, with no forceful eviction.
Ronghang also clarified that only long-term residents of Karbi Anglong district would be granted land rights through the council’s land distribution scheme. Migrants from other regions, particularly from Manipur, would not be eligible for land rights under the initiative.
A meeting on the matter is scheduled for November 28, with hopes of resolving the issue through dialogue.
Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts, governed by the autonomous council under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, are home to various ethnic communities, including the Karbis, Kukis, Hmars, and Thadous. The region has a history of ethnic conflict, notably between Karbis and Kukis, which escalated in the late 1990s and early 2000s, leading to deadly clashes between militant groups. A peace agreement signed in 2021 ended the violence, but tensions over land, resources, and political representation remain.
The ethnic conflict in Manipur between the Kuki-Zo people and the Meitei community has resulted in the deaths of over 250 people since May 2023, with thousands more displaced. The violence erupted over the Meitei community’s demand for tribal status and opposition to the demand by Kuki-Zo groups.
