Setback for Centre’s Peace Initiative in Manipur: 3 prominent pressure groups oppose Manipur Peace Committee

COCOMI has decided to pull out of the committee, while the Kuki Inpi has objected to inclusion of its President without prior consultation

It is a major jolt to the Centre’s peace initiative in Manipur. Within hours of announcing the Manipur Peace Committee, three prominent civil society organisation – Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), and Kuki Inpi, the apex body of Kukis in Manipur, have opposed the Peace Committee set up by the Union Home Ministry in a bid to restore peace in battered and bruised Manipur that has been witnessing violence and killing since May 3. The Peace Committee is being headed by Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey and has Chief Minister N Biren Singh as a member.

The Kuki Inpi opposed the inclusion of its President as a member of the 51-member Peace Committee without “prior and proper consultation and information; the Kuki Inpi Manipur is compelled to object the same.

“The Kuki Inpi Manipur has never objected any peace effort envisaged with an intent of justice. However, the recent order made by the Ministry of Home Affairs North East Division with regards to the selection for peace committee members is an exception as the Kuki Inpi Manipur senses no rationale to pursue for peace solely with individuals who have engineered the ethnic cleansing against our people,” the organisation said.

The Kuki Inpi Manipur have reiterated time and again that it has always treasured the idea of Peace and is always open to welcome the same. However, any call for peace or therefore any effort to ensure “lasting peace” needs to be focussed on the right approach with the proactive involvement of all stakeholders on a proper table. Any blatant bull-dozing and authoritative and arbitrary direction such as this one can only hamper the Peace Process, the organisation further said.

COCOMI has decided to pull out of the peace committee. COCOMI coordinator Jeetendra Ningomba who was appointed as a member of the peace committee, stepped down on grounds that the government of India has not taken any visible action taken against alleged narco-terrorists and illegal immigrants.

Another Kuki CSO, the ITLF, has also expressed its displeasure at having CM N BIren Singh as a member of the committee as well as COCOMI.

Also Read: Jo ho gaya so ho gaya. Give peace a chance: Manipur CM N Biren Singh

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