Meitei and Naga groups hold rally in Manipur demanding end to proxy war
Thousands of protesters in Manipur called for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations agreement and the resignation of Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh.
Thousands of people from the Meitei and Naga communities held a rally in Manipur on Saturday, October 31, to demand an end to what they described as a proxy war by the Government of India.
According to The Pioneer, the procession was organised by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and several Naga civil society organisations, including the Joint Tribe Council Manipur and the Naga Peoples’ Union.
Participants marched from Tiddim Ground in Kwakeithel, Imphal West, along Tiddim Road, carrying placards that demanded the withdrawal of Assam Rifles and the resettlement of all internally displaced persons.
The protesters also called for an update of the National Register of Citizens using 1951 as the base year and demanded the scrapping of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki-Zo militant groups.
COCOMI accused the state government of failing to protect indigenous lives and properties and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh.
The mobilisation follows an October 19 ambush in Sunurok hills where three Meitei men were killed and three others were injured. The SoO agreement, signed in 2008, expired on September 4 without renewal.