Meitei and Naga groups hold rally in Manipur demanding end to proxy war
Thousands of people marched in Imphal on Saturday to demand the scrapping of the SoO agreement and the resignation of the Chief Minister.
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 called a proxy war by the Government of India.
According to The Pioneer, the protest 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.
The procession started at Tiddim Ground in Kwakeithel, Imphal West, and moved along Tiddim Road. Participants carried placards calling for the withdrawal of Assam Rifles, the resettlement of internally displaced persons, and an update of the National Register of Citizens using 1951 as the base year.
COCOMI also called for the resignation of Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh, alleging that the state government has not protected the lives and property of indigenous people.
The rally occurred following an October 19 ambush in Sunurok hills that killed three Meitei men and injured three others. The Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, signed in 2008 between the Centre, the Manipur government, and Kuki militant groups, expired on September 4 without renewal.
While some reports stated the march reached THAU Ground for a meeting, PTI reported that police barricades at Keisampat prevented the procession from moving further.