Manipur: COCOMI Volunteers Resume Protests, Lock Multiple Government Offices in Imphal

IMPHAL: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) today re-launched its agitation, locking a large number of offices across the Imphal West and Imphal East districts.

These include the Old Secretariat, the Transport Office, the Deputy Commissioner's Office of Imphal West, and the Forest Department and SDO Office of Porompat in Imphal East.

A large number of volunteers from the student wing and others from COCOMI, including women, turned up at the Old Secretariat around 1 pm. After a heated discussion with the police, who had also gathered in heavy numbers, they locked down the office gates. Even the New Secretariat's office was locked from within before the volunteers reached that venue. No violent incidences were reported during this agitation.

Speaking to the media, COCOMI volunteer Ningthoujam Dhanakumar Meitei explained that the protests were reignited after the expiry of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the government.

The ultimatum demanded immediate action on several pressing issues, including the prosecution of those responsible for the recent killings of innocent women and children in Jiribam and other areas.

Meitei said that even though COCOMI had suspended the agitations to allow the government to respond, there is no tangible progress in anything.  On Tuesday, COCOMI called a total shutdown of all the state and central offices across Manipur. Thokchom Somorendro, coordinator for the committee, expressed dissatisfaction as the government has been inert on crucial demands. They are:

1. Scrutiny of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in six police station areas.

2. Prosecution of perpetrators of the Jiribam massacre.

3. Declaring the armed group which perpetrated the killings as a terrorist organization.

Somorendro said that at the ruling party meeting on November 18, the government had decided to solve these crucial issues.

However, without any positive output, COCOMI was forced to resume its agitation again. He also pointed out a statement by the Chief Minister where he claimed that if the government doesn't act, he along with the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) would take the initiative to secure the state.

Somorendro requested the Chief Minister and MLAs to keep up on this and to take some concrete initiatives towards the situation. As COCOMI continues to intensify protests, public attention remains glued on whether the government will indeed take meaningful action toward resolving the committee's demands.

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