Thadou Inpi Manipur backs Imphal joint rally; route set for Saturday

More organisations have lined up behind Saturday's joint rally of Meitei and Naga bodies in Imphal, including Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), which said the Thadou people should stand with other indigenous communities, The Sangai Express reported.

The rally, organised by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the Joint Tribe Council, the Foothills Naga Co-ordination Committee, the Naga People's Union and the Naga Humanitarian Aid Committee Manipur, is the first joint show of strength by Meitei and Naga groups in the valley in about three years. NEInsider reported its announcement earlier this week.

Route

COCOMI women's wing convenor Wahengbam Luwangleima told reporters at Lamphel on Friday that the march will start at Tiddim Ground in Kwakeithel and end at THAU Ground in Thangmeiband, both in Imphal West.

She appealed to all indigenous people, including government employees and staff of private institutions, to take part even if mobilisation teams had not reached their areas. She accused the Centre of waging a "proxy war" against indigenous people of the state, a charge the Union government has not accepted.

Thadou endorsement

In a statement, TIM said it endorses the rally's four demands: an end to what organisers call the proxy war in Manipur, abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups, withdrawal of the Assam Rifles, and resettlement of all internally displaced persons.

TIM described the Thadou as a distinct indigenous community and said the continued existence of the SoO pact had enabled impunity and violence against indigenous people, including Thadou. It said abrogating the pact was essential for peace and the rule of law, and urged Thadou people to show solidarity.

The Sagolband Apunba Lup (SALUP) also endorsed the rally and asked clubs and Meira Paibi groups in Sagolband to join. It alleged that armed groups under the SoO pact were acting with impunity in the hill districts and along highways, and that violence continued despite government claims that peace was returning.

What to watch

The SoO agreement is a tripartite pact between the Centre, the Manipur government and two umbrella Kuki-Zo militant groups. Kuki-Zo bodies have opposed demands for its abrogation, and the Committee on Tribal Unity has issued a travel advisory ahead of the rally. NEInsider will update this story with the outcome of Saturday's march.