The Manipur Indigenous Alliance (MIA) has criticised the memorandum submitted by the INDIA Bloc, Manipur, to the Governor on October 21 over the killing of three Meitei civilians in the Khingbal Sunurok Uyok hill range, alleging that it failed to address what it described as the root causes of the ongoing violence in the state.
In a press release issued on October 22, MIA president Soraisam Surendra Singh questioned the INDIA Bloc’s demand for strict enforcement of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) ground rules, arguing that the agreement itself should be scrapped.
The alliance alleged that the SoO framework had enabled armed groups to operate without adequate accountability and maintained that its continuation would not bring lasting peace. It also criticised the Congress-led INDIA Bloc for not explicitly demanding the abrogation of the agreement.
MIA further alleged that illegal encroachment in Reserved and Protected Forests, along with alleged political and administrative patronage, had contributed to tensions and violence in the state. It cited the history of land management and village recognition in forest areas as issues requiring urgent examination.
The alliance also accused the INDIA Bloc of failing to adequately address violence against indigenous communities by describing incidents as ethnic conflict or localised clashes. While acknowledging that civilians from different communities had suffered, it argued that the circumstances surrounding individual incidents should be examined in their broader context.
MIA further criticised both the ruling government and the opposition INDIA Bloc, alleging that their approaches to the crisis had failed to adequately protect indigenous communities and address illegal encroachment.
Calling for a comprehensive approach to restoring peace, the alliance demanded the dismantling of the SoO framework, action against alleged encroachment in Reserved and Protected Forests, wetlands and wildlife sanctuaries, and stronger measures to protect indigenous people.
The statement maintained that lasting peace would require addressing the underlying issues of land rights, security and accountability rather than relying solely on enforcement of the existing SoO ground rules.
