Shiv Sena Manipur rejects SoO extension, warns of Kuki threat

Shiv Sena Manipur president M. Tombi has rejected any extension of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) with Kuki militant groups, warning that it would embolden armed militants while leaving village volunteers to defend their homes with bare hands.
Speaking at the party office in Babupara ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, Tombi said local volunteers have been risking their lives guarding villages, while militants remain heavily armed and entrenched in hill strongholds.
“Security forces have failed to protect the people. Volunteers are on the frontline, facing militants with sophisticated weapons,” he said.
Tombi accused Kuki groups of pushing demands aimed at creating a “state within a state,” a threat to Manipur’s territorial integrity. He stressed that any extension of the SoO for such groups would be unacceptable.
Highlighting Manipur’s 2,000-year-old civilisational heritage, he described the crisis as unprecedented, with villages set ablaze, civilians killed, and indigenous communities displaced. He alleged that Kuki activities historically included deforestation, poaching, poppy cultivation, and the drug trade, and rejected any demand for separate administration.
“Manipur is not a new land. Our forefathers defended it, and we will continue to do so,” Tombi declared.