Calling for a united public response to what it describes as an ongoing proxy war against Manipur’s indigenous population, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has urged people across the state to join a mass rally on October 31, coinciding with the observance of Mera 21st Thursday.
In a press statement, Phijam Shyamchand, Convenor of the IPR Sub-Committee, appealed to the people to turn out in large numbers for the rally, which will begin at Tiddim Ground and proceed to Thangmeiband Thau Ground.
Shyamchand alleged that narcoterrorist elements and unidentified forces were being used to wage a proxy war against the indigenous people of Manipur, inflicting prolonged suffering and threatening the state’s collective identity. He called for an immediate end to what he alleged was a proxy war backed by India’s ruling establishment.
Warning that the people could not afford to remain divided in the face of the continuing crisis, he urged communities across Manipur to unite and make the rally a collective expression of public concern.
The appeal also extends to vehicle owners and transport operators. Shyamchand urged them to bring their vehicles and provide transportation assistance to rally participants. Bus, Winger, Magic, auto-rickshaw and e-rickshaw associations and societies were specifically asked to support the mobilisation.
He further alleged that illegal migrants and narcoterrorist elements from outside the state were targeting indigenous communities through covert and overt means, describing the alleged campaign as an attempt at genocide. He also raised concern over what he characterised as the displacement of indigenous people and their treatment as refugees in their own land.
The statement called for collective action to protect Manipur’s indigenous population and urged the public to ensure a strong turnout on October 31.
