Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) a valley-based Meitei organization has sought withdrawal of Assam Rifles from Manipur.Large number of security forces have been deployed since the ethnic violence broke out in May last year.
COCOMI has declared an indefinite boycott of the Assam Rifles in the state. In a statement COCOMI claimed that the people of the state have long held suspicions about the role of the Assam Rifles during the crisis that began in May 2023. It stated that the suspicions have been allegedly confirmed, and the demand for their withdrawal has proven both correct and justified.
The body added that the state government has allegedly repeatedly expressed discontentment towards Assam Rifles conduct and a group of legislators have also submitted a written letter to the Centre for their withdrawal from the state.
The statement further said that COCOMI, alongside the people of Manipur, demands the immediate withdrawal of Assam Rifles from the state and calls for their replacement with disciplined and dedicated security organizations, such as the BSF, CRPF, or the Army, to manage the India-Myanmar International Border and assist the state’s law enforcement agencies.
It urged community leaders and civil society organisations to abstain from engaging with the Assam Rifles. Villagers should reject any Military Civic Action schemes and benefits offered by them, as these are merely tactics to cover up their deceitful actions, it accused.
In August last year a delegation of 40 ministers and MLAs, including Naga legislators on Manipur, submitted a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that the Assam Rifles (9, 22 and 37) need to be transferred from their present location of deployment and be replaced by the Central forces, along with state security, to sanitise and neutralise the whole area.
Ten kuki MLAs had petitioned Prime minister Narendra Modi not to remove Assam Rifles (AR) from Manipur.
Earlier a group of 31 MLAs of the state proposed the union Home minister to replace the 9th Assam Rifles, the 22nd Assam Rifles, and the 37th Assam Rifles with other central security forces that are more inclined towards promoting the unity of the state.
At least 220 people have been killed, 1,500 injured and 60,000 displaced since violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities on May 3 last year.
The riots began after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
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