‘Protect territorial integrity’: Manipur CM meets Governor

Amid escalating violence in Manipur, embattled Chief Minister N Biren Singh today met Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya for a second time in less than 24 hours and submitted a slew of demands, including protection of state’s territorial integrity.

Singh is learnt to have asked the Centre not to yield to Kuki-Zo groups’ demand for a separate administration.

The CM also sought control of the Unified Command — currently handled by a team of Home Ministry officials, the state security adviser and the Army — overseeing security operations in the state and called upon the Centre to initiate steps for peace. Manipur has been rocked by a cycle of violence following ethnic clashes in May last year.

The meeting comes amid speculation of a rift within the BJP and a demand for a change in the leadership. The CM had called on the Governor on Saturday evening after holding a meeting with MLAs of the ruling coalition. The meeting was held after seven persons were killed on September 7 amid reports of extremists using drones and rockets.

The list of demands includes abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Kuki insurgent groups. In January, leaders at an all-party meeting had asked the Centre and state to scrap the agreement so that the security forces could launch full-scale operations against Kuki insurgents. The CM and some of the ruling alliance MLAs also demanded completion of border fencing, a National Register of Citizens exercise and the deportation of all illegal immigrants.

Since September 1, there has been an escalation of violence in Manipur with extremists from both Meitei and Kuki groups using drones, rockets and pompi guns to target each other, besides civilians.

Meanwhile, the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) has asked the Centre to declare the Arambai Tenggol, a Meitei organisation, as well as the Meitei Leepun as unlawful organisations. The KSO has also called for an end to state-backed action against Kuki-Zo areas, which it alleges are being carried out in collusion with extremists groups.

It has also sought a probe in the role of the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) in perpetuating terrorism and ethnic cleansing against the Kuki-Zo community. It has threatened to launch a mass agitation and protests if their demands are not met.