COCOMI presses President to uphold constitutional rights in Manipur

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has urged President of India Droupadi Murmu to take concrete steps to safeguard the constitutional rights of the people of Manipur during her visit to the state. The appeal comes as the President begins her two-day visit and is expected to attend the Nupi Lal Day observance on December 12.
Speaking to the media, COCOMI Convenor Khuraijam Athouba stated that the President, as the guardian of the Constitution, must ensure that fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution are upheld in Manipur. He said thousands of residents displaced since the outbreak of violence in May 2023 continue to live as refugees within their own state.
Athouba recalled that the government had earlier assured that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) would be resettled in three phases before the end of December. He questioned the lack of visible progress, noting that only 21 days remain in the month. He appealed to the President to announce a specific and time-bound roadmap for the return of all IDPs to their homes.
COCOMI and IDP groups have been staging daily sit-ins at Lamboikhongnangkhong since December 1 to highlight their grievances. Athouba criticised the state government for prioritising events such as the Sangai Festival while the humanitarian crisis persisted.
The COCOMI leader also said that constitutionally guaranteed freedom of movement is not being realised in Manipur, citing restrictions on the movement of certain communities along National Highways 2 and 37. He asserted that the President’s intervention is necessary to restore rights and normalcy in the state.
COCOMI questioned whether the President’s silence on these issues would imply that Manipur falls outside her concern as the head of the Republic. The organisation further announced that its volunteers will spend nights in relief camps to better understand the hardships endured by IDPs. Athouba said COCOMI would also call on senior bureaucrats to similarly stay overnight in the camps.
He cautioned that unless the government takes decisive action before December 31, the people of Manipur will intensify their agitation.