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Several injured after COCOMI-led protest rallies turn violent in Manipur
At least 30 injured as COCOMI-led protests in Imphal turn violent; security forces use tear gas as tensions rise over memorandum demands and leadership row.
The Meitei apex body, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), on Saturday carried out a massive rally in Imphal city and submitted a memorandum to the Manipur government, raising seven key demand over the ongoing situation in the state. Meanwhile, police said the protest rally turned violent over alleged misunderstanding, with several protestors being injured in multiple locations.
“COCOMI is supposed to submit a memorandum, which is the last of it. We will not be submitting a memorandum anymore after this. We expect the Manipur government to give a befitting reply on the 7-point,” assistant convenor and spokesperson of the body Nahakpam Shanta said.
The protest erupted from different directions of the city 1 pm on Saturday heading towards the chief minister’s residence Imphal’s Babupara to submit the memorandum. The demands included reconciliation of internally displaced persons, justice for killing of two minors in Bishnupur bomb blast incident.
On Friday, COCOMI issued a directive appealing to the public to launch a protest rally, calling it a “final round of calibrated agitation”. Among the key demands was the Meitei body seeking clarity on whether the government intends to stop what COCOMI termed as a “proxy war” allegedly being carried out against the indigenous people of the state.
The Meitei body also asked about the government’s action following the April 7 incident in which five individuals, including two minors, were killed in two separate incidents in Bishnupur and Churachandpur, as well as the firing by the paramilitary forces in Churachandpur, in which three civilians were reportedly killed. The body also raised the issue of the rehabilitation and reconciliation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the demand of the suspension of the government’s Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with certain armed groups in the state.
Protest Turns Violent
Meanwhile, tension erupted among the protesters, who alleged that COCOMI leaders misled them. “They led us to the protest and without informing us (supporters), they fled away after submitting the memmorandum by leaving us to face tear gas shells, mock bombs and rubber bullets. As a leader, they should inform us clearly what the government’s the reply to the memorandum,” a supporter said.
Alleging that COCOMI misled public sentiment, a mob of protesters assaulted an executive member of COCOMI, Mayengbam Somorjit, a former president of the Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), a student body.
Police used tear gas shells to rescue the COCOMI member and took him to a nearby hospital. The hospital authority told HT, “he received some minor injuries and he will be discharged after receiving first aid.”
“COCOMI strongly condemned the assault on a COCOMI member due to some misunderstanding. We do not mislead the public, and to fulfil our demand, the committee will continue various democratic forms of protest,” the convenor of COCOMI said on Saturday.
Tension also escalated among protesters heading from Imphal East to Lamlong. Security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs. Protesters retaliated with slingshots and stones at the security forces.
In another incident in Imphal West district, protesters heading towards Keishampat junction were blocked and forced to return after submitting their memorandum. Tension escalated, and protesters blocked NH-2 (Tiddim Road). A mob attacked security forces and vandalised a vehicle belonging to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) coming towards Imphal from Imphal International Airport.
