Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma appealed for the immediate release of all hostages and called for their safety, medical care, food, and communication with families.

Imphal/Guwahati:

An umbrella body of civil society organisations of Manipur’s valley-dominant Meitei community has requested Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to work for restoring an elected government within a month.

President’s Rule was imposed in violence-hit Manipur on February 13 following the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

Representatives of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) met Governor Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in the state capital Imphal, and submitted a 13-point memorandum that detailed steps the Governor may consider to bring peace to Manipur.

“It is evident that in the ongoing law and order crisis in Manipur, the Meetei group has no specific agenda or objective in engaging with this conflict. Rather, the crisis appears to be driven by those pursuing the demand for a separate administration,” COCOMI said in the memorandum.

COCOMI requested the Governor to work on a comprehensive initiative to identify, dismantle, and evict all illegal villages that have sprung up across the state, threatening its demographic and environmental integrity.

The civil society group said all violent activities and unauthorised movement of armed groups must be brought to a complete halt to ensure peace and stability, and requested for measures to provide security and amnesty for all affected villages and their civilian village defence forces to safeguard them from continued violence.

“The coordinator of the northeast [for] BJP has firmly assured that the territorial integrity of Manipur will be safeguarded. The coordinator must unequivocally assert that the administrative integrity of Manipur is paramount and must be safeguarded without exception, ensuring that it remains uncompromised. It is imperative that we eliminate any possibility of separate administration,” COCOMI said.

The Raj Bhavan in a statement said COCOMI convenor Kh Athouba and six others called on the Governor, and submitted a memorandum highlighting key issues pertaining to the state.

“… Governor heard their concerns and asked them to cooperate with the government in the run-up to restore harmony,” the Raj Bhavan said.

COCOMI alleged one of the root causes of the Manipur crisis is the involvement of what it called “Chin-Kuki narco-terrorist separatist groups” that have been working “in a manner similar to the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) in Myanmar, using this alignment to bargain for territorial gains within Manipur while deploying expendable Kuki militants in a proxy war and counter insurgency operations under the guise of loyalty” to India.

READ | ‘Manipur Crisis Driven By Those Pursuing Separate Administration’: Meitei Body In Memorandum To Governor

“The Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement since 2008, which has enabled militancy, must be thoroughly reviewed and dismantled. The leadership of these groups, including UPF leader Thanglianpau Guite (former MP in Myanmar) and KNO leader PS Haokip (originally from Somra Track, Myanmar), underscores their foreign origins,” COCOMI said in the memorandum.

“The state urgently requires reestablishment of law and order across both hills and plains, immediate relief and financial assistance for those affected, reconstruction of destroyed villages with adequate security measures, rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs), ensuring their safe return to their respective homes and villages, and free and secure access to healthcare, education, and transport facilities, including uninterrupted and safe movement along national highways,” COCOMI said.

Had a fruitful and meaningful discussion with the Hon’ble Governor of Manipur today. All key issues were thoroughly explained and acknowledged, paving the way for a better resolution of the state’s chronic problems, which have been exacerbated by immense cross-border pressures… pic.twitter.com/TyYRfIdwvq

— Khuraijam Athouba (@Paari_Athouba) February 17, 2025

Some 24 Kuki-Zo militant groups come under two umbrella organisations for the purpose of negotiations – the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) led by the KNA, and the United People’s Front (UPF) led by the Zomi Revolutionary Army. The KNO and the UPF representing all the others have signed the SoO agreement with the Centre and the Manipur government. Under this agreement, the militants are to stay at designated camps and their weapons kept in locked storage, to be monitored regularly.

The state government has been demanding to end the SoO agreement over allegations that SoO-linked militants have been taking part in the Manipur violence, as also militants from several banned Meitei groups that had nearly been eradicated from Manipur in the last 10 years, only to return from their hideouts in neighbouring Myanmar after the breakout of ethnic clashes in May 2023.

READ | End Ceasefire With All Kuki-Zo Insurgent Groups: Manipur Assembly Unanimous Resolution

The SoO agreement is reviewed by a joint monitoring group every year; its last review was in February 2024, but little is known about the current status of the agreement.

Meitei leaders have alleged the SoO groups have been working to strengthen themselves over the years by taking advantage of the ceasefire, until a time came to engineer a violent attack for a separate land. Geopolitical analysts have speculated the Kuki armed groups were used as mercenaries to fight Meitei and Naga militants operating in the India-Myanmar border – while the SoO groups’ demand for separate territory carved out of Manipur is the unintended side effect of that alleged policy.

The Kuki tribes and the Meiteis have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation.

New Delhi:

BJP president JP Nadda today slammed his Congress counterpart Mallikarjun Kharge for seeking President Droupadi Murmu’s intervention to restore peace in Manipur, calling it an attempt to “sensationalise” the situation in the northeastern state.

Manipur has been hit by a fresh wave of violence over the last week, in the ongoing cycle of inter-communal clashes that broke out in May last year between the ethnic Meitei and Kuki communities, and led to more than 200 deaths and displaced around 60,000 people.

Mr Kharge on Tuesday wrote to the President and sought her intervention, accusing both the Centre and the state government of having “completely failed” in restoring peace and normalcy in Manipur in the last 18 months.

Mr Nadda, responding to the Congress chief’s charge, insisted that Manipur was still feeling the repercussions of the Congress’s “abject failure” in dealing with local issues when it was in power in the state.

In a three-page letter to Mr Kharge, the Union Minister said the BJP governments at the Centre and in Manipur have been working to stabilise the situation and protect people since the initial violence.

BJP national president JP Nadda writes to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over the latter’s letter to President Droupadi Murmu on Manipur violence.

“…What is shocking is how repeated attempts are being made by the Congress party to sensationalise the situation in Manipur.… pic.twitter.com/mFSU6iK4jO

— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2024

He said Mr Kharge seemed to have forgotten that not only did his government legitimise the illegal migration of foreign militants to India, the then home minister P Chidambaram had even signed treaties with them.

“These known militant leaders fleeing their country to avoid arrest were wholeheartedly endorsed and encouraged to carry on their destabilising efforts,” Mr Nadda wrote.

“This complete failure of India’s security and administrative protocols under your government is one of the major reasons why militant and habitually violent organisations are attempting to destroy the hard-won peace in Manipur and push it back several decades into the age of anarchy,” he said.

Unlike the Congress, the BJP-led NDA government will not allow this to happen at any cost, the BJP leader said.

Mr Nadda also said that he felt “compelled” to respond to the “incorrect, false and politically motivated narrative” being pushed against the government which Mr Kharge’s words fail to camouflage.

The North East region has witnessed a complete transformation in every sector be it economy, security, healthcare, education or access to growth opportunities under the Modi government, the BJP chief insisted.

“People have endorsed its work by repeatedly putting their faith in the stability of double-engine NDA governments over the false promises of Congress and its allies,” he wrote.

“Yet, ignoring these developments you and your party have chosen to use the North East and its people to rake up political mileage and peddle your nefarious agendas. I wish to remind you that under Congress rule, Manipur witnessed one of the bloodiest periods in history,” Mr Nadda said.

“In addition to the black period of the 90s when thousands were killed and lakhs displaced due to rampant violence, in 2011 alone Manipur witnessed a complete blockade for more than 120 days,” he wrote.

He also reminded Mr Kharge of the “disrespectful and irresponsible manner” in which the Congress acted when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was addressing the issue of violence in Manipur in Parliament earlier this year.

Mr Nadda claimed that “this pattern of Congress leaders endorsing and encouraging a nexus of foreign forces looking to derail India’s progress is truly worrying”.

What Mallikarjun Kharge Said

Mallikarjun Kharge had written to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking her immediate intervention to ensure that the people of Manipur live “peacefully” in their homes with “dignity”.

In his two-page letter, the Congress chief claimed that the violence has killed more than 300 people, including women, children and babies.

“The deteriorating law and order in Manipur has internally displaced nearly a lakh of human population rendering them homeless and forcing them to live in different relief camps,” he said, adding the “agony continues unabated”.

“I consider that it has become constitutionally imperative on part of yourself, Hon’ble Madam, as the President of Republic of India and the custodian of our Constitution to uphold the constitutional propriety and immediately intervene to ensure the protection of lives and… pic.twitter.com/gd081642Zx

— Congress (@INCIndia) November 19, 2024

“I consider that it has become constitutionally imperative on the part of yourself, Hon’ble Madam, as the President of the Republic of India and the custodian of our Constitution to uphold the constitutional propriety and immediately intervene to ensure the protection of lives and properties of our own citizens in Manipur, as enshrined in the Constitution,” he wrote.

“I am confident that, through your intervention of your esteemed Office, the people of Manipur will again live peacefully in their homes in security with dignity,” Mr Kharge said.

The Congress chief blamed the “deliberate acts of omission and commission” and “inordinate inaction” by the Centre and the state government for the present situation.

“With every passing day, the people of Manipur are becoming insecure on their own soil – their home turf having witnessed their infants, babies, children and women getting mercilessly killed,” he said.

Home Minister Amit Shah called a conferral of senior officials in Delhi on Sunday, said sources, in the wake of escalating crisis in Manipur – the latest trigger being the recovery of six bodies of people believed to have been kidnapped by insurgents.

Mr Shah held the meeting soon after he returned from Maharashtra after cancelling his election rallies there.

The meeting focused on reviewing the security situation in Manipur, the sources said. Another meeting with senior officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs has been scheduled for tomorrow. 

Manipur has been rocked by periodic clashes for more than 18 months between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community, dividing the state into ethnic enclaves.

The bodies – three of which were were pulled from a river in Jiribam on Friday while three more were found on Saturday – are suspected to be of those belonging to the Meitei community who went missing in Jiribam district after a gunfight between Kuki insurgents and Manipur police last week.

News of the discovery provoked irate mobs to attack the homes of state ministers. Protesters also burned tyres and blocked roads in the capital city of Imphal on Saturday. 

In response, the state government said a curfew was in effect in part of the city due to the “developing law and order situation”.

The state’s home ministry also ordered all internet and mobile data services in Manipur to be shut off for two days in order to bring the latest unrest under control.

“Anti-social elements might use social media extensively for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video messages inciting the passions of the public which might have serious repercussions for the law and order situation,” a notice said.

Internet services were shut down for months in Manipur last year during an outbreak of violence which displaced around 60,000 people from their homes, according to government figures.

The Centre had on Thursday reimposed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Manipur’s six police station areas, including the violence-hit Jiribam.

Thousands of the state’s residents are living in emergency shelters, still unable to return home due to ongoing tensions.

The security forces arrested six insurgents from two banned groups and a member of the Meitei armed group Arambai Tenggol in the last 24 hours in Manipur, the police said on Monday.

The security forces also recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition from different districts. These include one SLR, one sniper rifle, two bolt-action rifles, one 9 mm pistol, five grenades, and different types of ammunition along with a two-wheeler.

The insurgents were arrested in Thoubal and Bishnupur districts for their involvement in kidnapping and extortion.

A police officer in Imphal said five insurgents of the Kangleipak Communist Party (People’s War Group) were arrested from Charangpat Mayai Leikai in Thoubal.

A grenade, five ‘demand letters’, five mobile phones, 13 SIM cards and a four-wheeler were seized from them.

In another incident, police arrested an insurgent identified as Nongmaithem Gunamani alias Allu, 32, belonging to PREPAK(PRO) outfit from Kumbi in Bishnupur district.

The Manipur Police also arrested a member of the Arambai Tenggol, identified as Khullem Sanjeep alias Bhim, 30. The AT member was arrested for his involvement in the assault of two Naga men from Senapati district on October 31 in Imphal.

Seeking justice for the two Naga men, three influential Naga organisations on November 2 demanded the Manipur government to take action against the perpetrators.

Image used for representative purpose only.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Army has sought information from Manipur security advisor Kuldiep Singh to provide details on intelligence regarding the alleged entry of 900 Kuki militants from Myanmar on August 28.

A post on X by Spear Corps, Indian Army said, “These inputs have very serious security implications and office of Security Advisor has been requested to share the details so that appropriate necessary action can be taken at the earliest.”

A defence source said the inputs were yet to be shared with the Army.

Mr. Singh, while addressing a press conference in Imphal on September 20, had said that the government is aware of intelligence inputs regarding the entry of “900 Kuki militants” on August 28 and “unless it is proven wrong it is 100% correct.”

The inputs were first shared by Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s office with the Director General of Police and the security adviser last week, a copy of the leaked letter showed.

The 1,643 km India-Myanmar border runs along the States of of Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km).

Assam Rifles, which is under the operational control of the Army is the primary border guarding force deployed along Myanmar.

Imphal:

On a two-day visit to Manipur, Indian Army chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, today met the state Chief Minister and held discussions on how the forces can help in bringing peace and stability in the state which has seen ethnic violence in the recent times.

On arrival, the Army chief was briefed on the operational preparedness by commanders on the ground. General Upendra Dwivedi also held a discussion with heads of various security agencies in the state wherein, he expressed his appreciation for the insights shared by them.

In a significant meeting with the Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh, The COAS discussed the internal security situation and role of Indian Army and Assam Rifles in early return of peace and stability in Manipur. The COAS reaffirmed Indian Army’s commitment to ensuring a secure environment for the people of Manipur.

During his visit, General Upendra Dwivedi also interacted with troops and complimented the soldiers for their professionalism, operational readiness, and dedication to duty. In addition, the COAS also met with veterans and praised their selfless service and their invaluable contribution towards Nation Building.

The Chief of the Army Staff was accompanied by the GOC-in-C Eastern Command, Lt Gen RC Tiwari, and the Spear Corps Commander, Lt Gen Abhijit S Pendharkar during the visit.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal being brought to Rouse Avenue Court by CBI in connection with the Excise policy case, in New Delhi on June 29, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI

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Imphal:

On rumors about a possible leadership change in crisis-hit Manipur, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that it was not in his hands and his focus is on solving the problem in the state.

“Staying on as Chief Minister or resigning is not in my hands,” Mr Singh told NDTV amid reports that a section of MLAs from his party and its allies are pushing for his removal.

Speculations about a leadership change have been rife since the BJP lost both seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Congress candidates wrested the seats from the ruling BJP and its ally Naga People’s Front (NPF).

Mr Singh attributed the Lok Sabha mandate to a “rebellious situation” and acknowledged public anger over his handling of the crisis.

“BJP’s vote percentage is not low. What we expected, we got. This time we got more votes than last time but lost due to the rebelling situation,” he said.

“I know people are angry with me for our handling of the situation. We accept it. The situation is very complex. We are not fighting with an identified enemy,” the Chief Minister added.

Tensions heightened in Manipur after ethnic violence between the Meiteis and Kukis erupted on May 3 last year, yet previous attempts to sway the party leadership have failed to yield results. Over 200 people have died and 50,000 have been displaced in the ethnic violence, which has continued to fester.

The Kuki groups are now demanding a separate Union Territory, a demand that Mr Singh downplayed.

“Out of 16 districts, disturbance is only 2-3 districts. The crisis is not that big. There is public unrest, but I can proudly say that schools, business and traffic are working well,” he told NDTV.

“Manipur is 2000 years old, and is now a proud state of India. Demand is a demand, but it cannot happen,” he added.

Mr Singh also said that the Manipur issue is on the priority list of the new central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The situation in Manipur has been brought up forcefully again by the opposition in the Parliament, which has found a new voice after it managed to defy all expectations and stop the BJP short not just of its target of 370 Lok Sabha seats but even of the majority mark of 272. The INDIA alliance now has 232 members in the Lok Sabha and the BJP has 240, with allies making up the rest of the NDA’s 293.

Imphal/New Delhi:

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has strongly condemned activities by what he called “homegrown groups based out of western countries” for giving a “communal tone” to the state government’s efforts to identify and deport illegal immigrants.

The Chief Minister’s comments come amid a massive pushback by the Kuki-Zo tribes with allegations that the state government is bent on branding them in Manipur as “illegal immigrants” from Myanmar, with the goal of taking over tribal lands.

Mr Singh in a post on X announced his government found 5,457 “illegal immigrants” in Manipur, and took the biometric data of at least 5,173 of them.

“In this crucial juncture, we have noticed certain homegrown groups, based out of western countries, criticising the steps taken up against illegal immigration by giving a communal tone and propagating it as violations of religious freedom,” Mr Singh said, without giving details about the groups.

* 5457 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DETECTED IN MANIPUR, INDIA
* BIOMETRIC DATA OF 5173 OF THEM RECORDED
* DEPORTATION PROCESS UNDERWAY

In this crucial juncture, we have noticed certain home grown groups, based out of western countries, criticising the steps taken up against illegal… pic.twitter.com/eZBGEx7drP

— N.Biren Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NBirenSingh) May 8, 2024

“This is a situation where the survival of indigenous people are at stake, and we will not allow it to continue,” said the Chief Minister, who belongs to the BJP. “Ironically, this lobby is quiet about western countries’ stance against illegal immigration but raise objections to the actions taken in Manipur, India. This selective outrage raises concerns about the agendas and propaganda pursued by these groups with secessionist tendencies,” he said.

The Chief Minister said his government has been giving humanitarian aid to the illegal immigrants. “Despite being an alarming situation, we have been handling it with utmost sensitivity,” he added.

, .

The Government has detected a total of 5457 illegal immigrants in Kamjong District, Manipur as on May 7th, 2024. Out of…

— N.Biren Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NBirenSingh) May 8, 2024

Rights activists have, however, questioned why the Manipur government is labelling as “illegal immigrants” thousands and thousands of people including children who, left with no choice, fled as refugees from Myanmar, where the junta forces are at war with many pro-democracy insurgents.

The Chief Minister also did not mention the period during which these 5,457 people entered Manipur. Neighbouring Mizoram has taken in nearly 40,000 refugees from Myanmar, with whom they share close ethnic ties.

Kuki-Zo Group’s Charge

Though Mr Singh did not name any group, his allegations that homegrown groups in the west have been “propagating it (issue of illegal immigrants) as violations of religious freedom” came two days after the Kuki-Zo outreach group North American Manipur Tribal Association (NAMTA) organised a congressional hearing on the Manipur crisis.

NAMTA in the congressional hearing strongly condemned the Manipur government’s alleged complicity in the violence between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the Kuki-Zo tribes, who are dominant in southern Manipur’s hill districts and a few other areas.

NAMTA Canada chapter head Lien Gangte recalled how mobs went on a rampage in the state capital Imphal when violence broke out on May 3, 2023. Meiteis who had been living in the hill areas, too, had to flee to the valley.

“… Today over a year after my family lost everything, we still have no idea if or when our issues will ever be resolved. Will we ever get justice… My people have been subjected to ethnic cleansing… It had become an existential crisis, and we had to fight for survival,” Mr Gangte said in the congressional hearing.

“We were caught in a conflict where the odds were stacked against us because the state had decided to take sides with the majority Hindu Meiteis… Despite being thrown to the wolves, we had no choice but to call on the government of India to fulfil its constitutional duties. We called on them to provide basic security and justice for our people, citizens of India,” Mr Gangte said.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commissioner David Curry also attended the congressional hearing, apart from other NAMTA members.

NAMTA and Kuki-Zo intellectuals have refuted allegations the group worked with Khalistani separatists in Canada, after Mr Gangte was seen in August 2023 giving a speech at the same gurdwara in Surrey, whose chief and Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in June that year. The X handles of NAMTA’s chapters in India, the US, and Canada are withheld in India due to legal demands.

It’s not only NAMTA, but also the Association of Meiteis in the Americas (AMA) that has organised congressional hearings to inform US leaders about the situation in Manipur.

The ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo tribes began over cataclysmic disagreements on sharing land, resources, affirmative action policies, and political representation, mainly with the ‘general’ category Meiteis seeking to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category.

Following the violence last year, 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs have demanded a separate administration carved out of Manipur. Manipur has a 60-member assembly.

The Kuki-Zo tribes have also alleged the Manipur Police of bias in how the force operated amid the violence. The Manipur government’s attempt to send police personnel in the hill districts where the Kuki-Zo tribes are settled faced strong resistance, especially in the border town Moreh near Myanmar, Churachandpur, and Kangpokpi.

Over 220 people have died in the clashes, and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced.