The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) is a joint body of Meitei civil society organisations in the Indian state of

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

. It came into being in 2019 in the wake of the peace talks between the Indian government and Naga rebel groups, as the latter sought autonomy and integration of the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur into a Greater Nagaland. COCOMI campaigns for maintaining the "territorial integrity" of Manipur, which was a princely state under the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

and became part of the Indian Union upon India's independence.CSOs form united front to fight for integrity
The Sangai Express, 22 October 2019.
The Hindustan Times, 24 October 2019. Jimmy Leivon
Indo-Naga talks: Manipur groups to launch mass protest on Oct 31
Indian Express, 28 October 2019. During the 2023–2024 Manipur violence, COCOMI acted as the main representative body of the Meitei community.

Organisation

COCOMI is an activist body in Manipur that strives for preserving the "integrity" of Manipur, which essentially means preserving the territory of

as it existed as a princely state at the end of

in 1947. Any form of division or cession of this territory is sternly opposed. The organisation is described as an "umbrella body" of several civil society organisations of Meitei ethnicity. It was described in October 2019 as having been "recently formed". Its convener at that time was mentioned as Sunil Karam. In 2023, COCOMI was headed by Jeetendra Ningomba as its coordinator. Upon the end of his term in January 2024, he passed on the office of coordinator to Somorendro Thokchom.Myanmarese Kukis fuelling crisis in state: COCOMI
Chronicle News Service, via e-pao.net, 21 January 2024.

History

COCOMI was formed on 21 October 2019 as an umbrella organisation of several Meitei civil society organisations. These were: * United Committee Manipur (UCM), headed by Sunil Karam * Committee of Civil Societies of Kangleipak (CCSK), headed by Jeetendra Ningomba * League of Indigenous People's Upliftment (LIPUL), headed by Somorendro Thokchom * Ethno Heritage Council (HERICOUN), headed by Longjam Ratankumar * All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO), headed by Ph. Nando Luwang Sunil Karam and Somorendro Thokchom were elected as the coordinators of the new organisation and the other leaders were named as assistant coordiantors. United Committee Manipur, the best known of these constituents, was founded in July 2001 as an umbrella body in itself. It was formed in response to the extension of the Naga ceasefire agreement to the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur. In 2024, COCOMI was reported to be operating from the offices of UCM.

Indo-Naga peace talks

In October 2019, COCOMI launched a mass protest to oppose any deal that could affect the territorial integrity of Manipur during the Indo-Naga peace talks. The then president, Sunil Karam, said that the central government's move to settle the Naga issue without Maniput state's involvement was an "insult" to Manipur.

2023–2024 Manipur violence

Ethnic violence An ethnic conflict is a conflict between two or more ethnic groups. While the source of the conflict may be political, social, economic or religious, the individuals in conflict must expressly fight for their ethnic group's position within so ...

between the majority Meitei community and the hill-based Kuki-Zo community broke out on 3 May 2023, causing virtually all of the Meitei people living in Kuki-dominated hills to get displaced to the Valley, and all the Kuki-Zo people living in the Valley to get displaced to the hills. COCOMI was reported to have supported the "age-old tradition of coexistence".COCOMI reaffirms stand to maintain age-old tradition of coexistence in Manipur
Imphal Free Press, 10 May 2023. But in early June, it organised a People's Convention in Imphal East, and declared a "national war against Chin-Kuki narco-terrorists", which was supposed to be fought unitedly by all the "indigenous people of Manipur". It also claimed that, with the declaration of war, a "public emergency" came into force.Convention Declares ‘War Against Narco Terrorists’
The Frontier Manipur, 8 June 2023. COCOMI organizes People’s Convention, Declares war against Kuki-Chin Narco-terrorists
The Hills Journal, 7 June 2023. Newsmaker , COCOMI: The Meitei group at the fore of Manipur conflict, row with Assam Rifles
The Indian Express, 18 September 2023. The Convention also rejected the Union home minister

Amit Shah Amitbhai Anilchandra Shah (born 22 October 1964) is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the 32nd Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Minister of Home Affairs since May 2019 and the 1st Ministry of Co-operation, Minister of Co-operat ...

's appeal to surrender weapons looted from the police armouries and refused combing operations by security forces, though it backtracked on this resolution the following day. Prabin Kalita
Manipur violence: Won't surrender arms, allow combing operations, say Imphal groups
The Times of India, 8 June 2023. Manipur group backtracks a day after passing resolution to not give up arms looted during violence
Scroll.in, 8 June 2023.

Notes

References

{{reflist

External links

* Karan Thapa
Watch , 'Will Never Accept Separate Kuki Administration,' Says Manipuri Body
The Wire, 2 August 2023. 2019 establishments in India Meitei organisations