Tensions in Manipur: A Call for Disarmament – With the state under President’s rule, authorities push for stability by demanding the surrender of illegal weapons. Civil society groups, however, call for broader discussions.
BY PC Bureau
Manipur authorities have turned down the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity’s (COCOMI) request to extend the seven-day deadline for the surrender of looted and illegal weapons. The decision underscores the government’s firm stance on recovering arms amid ongoing ethnic tensions in the state.
COCOMI had argued that the timeframe was too short for meaningful engagement with local youth and stakeholders. However, Chief Secretary Prakash Kumar Singh maintained that the deadline was necessary to restore stability and warned of strict action against non-compliance.
“The seven-day period is good enough. If one decides to give up arms, it can be done in a day. After that, we will go and take such weapons from them,” he said.
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Calling it “the first and foremost step” toward restoring stability, the Chief Secretary emphasized that security forces would move to recover all looted and illegal arms after the deadline. “Weapons should not be in the hands of the public. That is a dangerous situation. Looted weapons or any other firearms pose a threat to society. Our foremost duty is to recover illegal firearms,” he added.
Singh also highlighte
Conforming to the plea made by the Hon'ble Governor, weapons looted were voluntarily surrendered in Churachandpur District after joint efforts through public awareness by @Ccpur_Police @official_dgar and @crpfindia#Manipur#Kuki pic.twitter.com/cJNtG5dlqe
— Aradhiya (@aradhiyakumar0) February 23, 2025
d the urgent need for increased deployment of security forces along national highways, assuring that steps would be taken soon. His remarks come as Manipur remains under President’s rule following months of ethnic tensions between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.
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Earlier, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla had also appealed for the voluntary surrender of looted and illegally held weapons within seven days. In response, the COCOMI, an umbrella body of Imphal-based Meitei civil society
organizations, urged the Governor to engage directly with local youth leaders for a cooperative approach in recovering weapons from civilian volunteers.
In a statement on Saturday, COCOMI expressed concerns over the short timeframe, arguing that seven days was insufficient for meaningful engagement with stakeholders. The organization acknowledged the Governor’s appeal as a necessary legal step but stressed the importance of broader discussions to facilitate an effective surrender process.
COCOMI also pointed to the circumstances that led local youth to arm themselves, blaming the failure of government security forces to protect vulnerable villages at the peak of the crisis.
The government’s crackdown on illegal arms comes as Manipur remains under President’s rule following months of conflict between Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups, which has led to over 250 deaths and mass displacement.
Security forces are set to begin operations to retrieve unauthorized weapons once the deadline expires.
