The Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi), a Meitei-based conglomerate of leading civil society organisations, on Saturday urged Manipur governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to extend the seven-day deadline for the surrender of looted arms and ammunition.
They also urged the governor to initiate formal engagement with local youth leaders for the smooth recovery of arms from civilian volunteers and not to take legal action against the civilian volunteers “compelled” to defend their communities in the ongoing strife.
A Cocomi statement urged the extension of the deadline, announced by the governor on Thursday, because the timeframe for surrendering arms was “too short for meaningful engagement” with stakeholders and the public while an extension would “allow for better public understanding and cooperation, helping to prevent any misunderstanding or resistance”.
Over 6,000 arms and six lakh rounds of ammunition have been looted from police armouries and stations in various incidents across both the valley and hill districts during the ongoing conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos that erupted on May 3, 2023. The looted arms remain a serious hurdle in the restoration of peace.
The Cocomi also flagged the “aggressive stance” of central security forces on Friday in many areas of the Imphal valley, “violating” even the timeline set by the governor.
Friday had seen widespread protests by the women in five Meitei-majority valley districts, seeking the release of village volunteers arrested by security forces from the Kangpokpi district.
There were road blockades and sit-ins in several localities over intensified search operations after the strife-hit state was placed under the President’s Rule on February 13.
Cocomi said in the statement: “This disregard for the governor’s directive has created widespread doubt among the people. Why are the central forces not adhering to the governor’s instructions? Why are they displaying hostility towards local youth instead of following the official directive? Such actions have led to growing mistrust within the community.”
They urged Bhalla to avoid “any hasty or forceful action in the process”.
Bhalla had on Thursday requested the “people of all communities, particularly the youths in the valley and hills, to voluntarily come forward and surrender looted and illegally held weapons and ammunition to the nearest police station/outpost/security forces camp within next seven days, effective from today”.
Bhalla, who visited Kangpokpi and Senapati districts on Saturday, also assured the public “no punitive action will be initiated if such weapons are returned within the stipulated time”. But if they are not returned within the deadline, “strict action will
be taken for possession of such weapons”.
In response to the governor’s appeal, several weapons and related items were handed over to the authorities at Kakching and Churachandpur on Saturday.