The Women’s Wing of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) announced on Saturday that no seizure of arms from village defense volunteers will be permitted unless the government provides a written assurance of full security in vulnerable areas against attacks from Kuki militants.
COCOMI is an apex body of various civil society organisations in Manipur.
Speaking to the media at the COCOMI office in Lamphel, Imphal West, Y Leirik Leima, coordinator of the COCOMI Women’s Wing and president of Kanglamei, stated that since the onset of the ongoing crisis, the Central government has allegedly remained a silent spectator to the activities and violence perpetrated by the Kukis and Kuki militants.
She claimed that the Central government has given Kuki militants a free hand to attack the Meiteis during the ongoing crisis. In response to the failure of state and Central forces to provide timely security measures, Meiteis have taken up arms to defend their villages against these attacks.
“The women of COCOMI will collect and submit all the looted arms from the state armory, which are being used to defend villages if the government provides a written assurance that all villagers will be protected from any attacks by Kuki militants,” said Leirik Leima.
If the government fails to provide this written assurance, no recovery of arms will be allowed in Meitei-inhabited vulnerable areas. She added that the COCOMI Women’s Wing will not take responsibility for those who are misusing arms on the streets for their vested interests, but will stand firm in support of those defending the villages.
The women are prepared to take up swords and sticks to protect the village defense volunteers if the government continues conducting search operations in Meitei-inhabited fringe areas.
During search operations and area domination conducted by security forces on Friday in the fringe and vulnerable areas of the hill and valley districts, a number of arms and ammunition were seized from Bishnupur, Imphal East, and Kangpokpi districts.
The seized items included one SLR with a magazine, one .303 Rifle with two live ammunition rounds, seven HE-36 Grenades, two Tube Launchers, one Grenade Arming Ring, one Walkie Talkie set with a charger, two Stun Grenades (Tear Smoke), and two other miscellaneous items from Leimaram, Bishnupur district.
From Ekou Mulam, Kangpokpi East, authorities recovered one Bolt Action Rifle, one Improvised Projectile Launcher, eight live ammunition rounds, one Improvised Mortar, two live projectiles, one 12-gauge live cartridge, and one ammunition pouch.
From Changsang Hill, Imphal East, they seized one single-barrel (locally made), one .22-caliber magazine (country made), six Pump-Action Guns (Pompi), fifteen live rounds of ammunition, three WP Smoke Grenades, two Tear Smoke Shells, three Radio Sets, two Tube Launchers, one bamboo-made Pump-Action Gun ammunition, thirty-seven empty cases, and one detonator.
Additionally, a cease-work strike imposed by a women’s CSO on Saturday, demanding the inclusion of Meitei in the ST status list and the removal of illegal Kuki immigrants from the ST list in Imphal disrupted normal life.
Media personnel were unable to contact the members of the women’s CSO who called the strike in the valley district.
The COCOMI Women’s Wing appealed for an end to bandhs, strikes, and blockades, as these actions have caused significant inconvenience to the public which have been suffering for the past 15 months.
