The Village Volunteers Coordinating Committee (VVCC) has called for the immediate surrender of looted arms by Meitei militias, legal protection for Kuki-Zo self-defense volunteers, and direct discussions with the Government of India to ensure lasting peace in Manipur.
BY PC Burau
After the Meitei armed militia Arambai Tenggol and their civil society group, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), fell short of endorsing the government’s call for the surrender of weapons by putting forth suggestions and conditions, the Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers have now outlined their own terms for returning arms.
This tit-for-tat escalation reflects the deepening mistrust between Manipur’s warring ethnic groups, nearly two years after violence erupted on May 3, 2023, between the valley-based Meitei community and the hill-dwelling Kuki-Zo tribes.
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In a press release issued today, the Village Volunteers Coordinating Committee of the Kuki-Zo community appealed to the Government of India for urgent action to restore peace. The group accused State-sponsored Meitei militias, such as Arambai Tenggol and Valley-Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs), of relentless attacks, claiming that the lack of government protection has forced civilians to arm themselves.
Who Are the Village Volunteers?
The Kuki-Zo Village Volunteers are local civilians from the tribal Kuki-Zo community who have taken up arms to defend their villages in Manipur’s hill districts. Emerging as a response to the ethnic violence that began in 2023, these volunteers are not a trained militia but ordinary residents driven to protect their families and homes from what they describe as targeted aggressio. With state armouries looted during the conflict’s early days—resulting in over 6,000 weapons falling into civilian hands—the Volunteers have relied on some of these arms to counter threats, particularly in the absence of effective state intervention.
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VCC’s Core Demands:
🔹 Separate Administration for Kuki-Zo Areas – The VVCC demands the creation of a Union Territory with legislative powers, citing deep divisions between the Hill Districts and the Valley that make peaceful coexistence unfeasible.
🔹 Withdrawal of Manipur State Police from Kuki Areas – The VVCC accuses the State Police of harassment and intimidation and demands their immediate withdrawal, allowing local security forces to manage law and order under central supervision.
🔹 Complete Surrender of Looted Arms by Meitei Militias – The VVCC insists that lasting peace is impossible unless armed groups like Arambai Tengol and VBIGs surrender all weapons looted from state armories.
🔹 Legal Protection for Village Volunteers – The VVCC calls for amnesty and legal safeguards for Kuki-Zo volunteers, arguing that they have only taken up arms in self-defense against attacks by State-sponsored militias.
The VVCC has reiterated that the Kuki-Zo community is not a threat to national security and remains committed to a peaceful resolution. It urges the Government of India to act swiftly and engage in direct discussions to implement these measures, ensuring justice, security, and long-term stability in the region.
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Arambai Tenggol’s Expectation
On February 25, a delegation from Arambai Tenggol, a radical Meitei militia, met Governor Bhalla and submitted a memorandum outlining their conditions for surrendering arms. According to the group’s Public Relations Officer, Robin Mangang Khwairakpam, they assured compliance and submitted a list of demand. These include fencing the India-Myanmar border to curb illegal immigration, implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with 1951 as the base year, deporting “illegal immigrants,” abrogating the Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki militant groups, and granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community. They also demanded immunity from arrest or legal action for their “village volunteers.” Khwairakpam declined to specify a timeline, stating further details would follow.
COCOMI Stance
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a key Meitei civil society group, has urged Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to adopt a more inclusive and transparent approach in the ongoing disarmament process. This comes after a COCOMI delegation met with the Governor to discuss his recent appeal for the voluntary surrender of looted and illegally held weapons within seven days.
Following the meeting, COCOMI emphasized the need for direct engagement with local youth leaders to facilitate cooperation in retrieving arms from civilian volunteers. The group also raised concerns over the short timeframe, stating that seven days is insufficient for meaningful consultation with stakeholders and the public.
In a statement issued on Saturday, COCOMI stressed that the arms recovery initiative should not be limited to looted weapons but must also address illegal arms smuggled across the border and used by militant groups operating under the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the central government.
“Transparency is crucial; reports on the confiscation of arms from the hills must be made public to ensure a rational and fair approach,” the statement read.
Additionally, COCOMI urged the relocation of armed Kuki militant camps operating under the SoO agreement from the surrounding hill areas, arguing that such a step is essential to fully restore law and order in Manipur.
A Stalemate in Manipur
The conflicting conditions from the Kuki-Zo Volunteers, Arambai Tenggol, and COCOMI underscore the complexity of de-escalating Manipur’s crisis. With President’s Rule imposed earlier this month following Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s resignation, Governor Bhalla has promised reopened highways and restored peace once the surrender process concludes. Yet, as of today—six days into the seven-day deadline—only 48 weapons have been surrendered across Imphal West, Kangpokpi, and Churachandpur districts, a fraction of the thousands still in circulation.
The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights (KOHUR) condemned Bhalla’s meeting with Arambai Tenggol, calling it an “armed extremist group” responsible for ethnic violence, while Meitei groups
