Manipur: Meitei groups rally in Imphal, demand CM’s resignation & scrapping of SoO pact

Thousands of people took to the streets in Manipur’s capital Imphal on Saturday, demanding the resignation of the chief minister, protection of indigenous communities and the termination of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki-Zo militant groups amid continuing violence in the state.

The rally, organised by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), came days after militants ambushed 14 Meitei men and killed three of them, triggering protests across the state, which has been affected by ethnic violence since May 2023.

Participants began marching from Tiddim Ground towards THAU Ground in Imphal West district. The United Naga Council, the apex body of Naga organisations in the state, also endorsed the rally.

Police erected barricades at Keisampat junction, a few hundred metres from Lok Bhavan, the chief minister’s office and the BJP state headquarters, preventing the march from proceeding further.

Protesters carried placards reading “Save Manipur”, “We want peace and justice” and “Abrogate SoO pact”.

“We seek the resignation of the present government for its failure to protect the lives and properties of the indigenous people of the state. This is a historic rally. People are raising their voice against policies and programmes which are against the indigenous people,” COCOMI convenor Y Dhiren said.

A participant said Meiteis, Nagas and other indigenous communities were coming together after three-and-a-half years of crisis to protest against government policies. He called for action against illegal immigration and what he described as narco-terrorism.

Manipur has been witnessing an ethnic conflict between the valley-based Meitei and hill-based Kuki communities since May 2023. The violence has claimed at least 306 lives, while several people remain missing. Clashes between Kuki and Naga communities have also killed around 50 people since February this year.

Naga civil organisations held a separate public rally in Chandel district, demanding the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen and the termination of the SoO agreement.

The agreement has come under renewed scrutiny after security forces took control of a camp designated for Kuki-Zo militants for the first time since the ethnic conflict began. Authorities plan to audit all 14 such camps across the state.

The takeover followed the discovery that only one of the 159 registered cadres was present at the camp, raising questions about compliance with the agreement’s conditions. The SoO pact expired on 4 September without being renewed.

Signed in August 2008 by the Centre, the Manipur government and Kuki-Zo militant groups, the agreement was intended to suspend hostilities and facilitate negotiations towards a political settlement. It covers groups under two umbrella organisations: the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF).

Under its ground rules, cadres are required to remain in designated camps, refrain from violence and keep their weapons under prescribed security arrangements.

The arrangement originated in 2005, when the Indian Army reached an understanding with Kuki militant groups to suspend operations against each other.

The continuation of the agreement has become increasingly contentious since the outbreak of ethnic violence in 2023. In February 2024, the Manipur Assembly adopted a resolution seeking its abrogation. Naga organisations have also called for its termination, alleging the involvement of Kuki-Zo militant groups in violence.