Imphal (Gurpreet Singh): Thousands of protesters seeking a permanent end to the ethnic conflict in Manipur clashed with security forces in Imphal on Saturday after being blocked from reaching the Chief Minister’s residence. Organized by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a prominent Meitei umbrella body, the demonstrators demanded immediate government action following a recent surge in violence, including a tragic bomb blast in Bishnupur district that claimed the lives of two children.
The agitators launched four separate rallies from different parts of the city, intending to converge at Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh’s bungalow in the Babupara area. However, state and central security forces had fortified the heart of Imphal with heavy barricades at key transit points like Keisampat junction, Kangla Gate, Konung Mamang, and Moirangkhom. The most intense confrontation occurred at Khurai Lamlong in Imphal East, roughly two kilometres from the CM’s residence, where security forces fired multiple rounds of tear gas shells to disperse a crowd attempting to breach police cordons.
The primary demands outlined by COCOMI include a comprehensive “action taken report” regarding the April 7 bomb blast at Tronglaobi, the urgent rehabilitation of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and a decisive political resolution to the ethnic crisis that began on May 3, 2023. Following the standoff, a small delegation was permitted to meet Chief Minister Khemchand Singh to submit a formal memorandum. COCOMI convenor Y. K. Dhiren expressed frustration after the meeting, alleging a lack of political will to end the conflict and warning that the organization would intensify democratic agitations if their demands remain unaddressed.
The latest unrest follows a volatile 48 hours in the state, during which three people were killed and several injured in armed clashes in Ukhrul district between rival tribal groups. With the death toll from the nearly three-year-old conflict now exceeding 260, the continued displacement of families and frequent skirmishes along the “buffer zones” have left the civilian population in a state of perpetual anxiety. Saturday’s protest underscores the growing impatience among community organizations over what they perceive as a stagnant peace process.
