Meitei Civil Society Group Calls For Boycott Of BJP In Manipur

Guwahati: Amid the simmering tension, bandh and protests, the leading civil society group — Coordinating Committee on Manipur (COCOMI) on Sunday announced a boycott of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. The boycott call has come amid the ongoing five-days long shut down call of the civil society group which has affected the normal life in the Imphal valley. COCOMI, a conglomerate of Imphal valley-based Meitei civil society organisations, appealed to people not to participate in any activity of the BJP or its leaders while asking Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to clarify as to why his government has not been able to prevent the attacks on civilians. Senior leader of COCOMI Shanta Nahakpam, told reporters in Imphal, “It’s a self-styled government, as he (Mr Singh) is not connected to any civil society organisation of any community in the state. Wherever he has moved, it seems to be very personal. He has forgotten the core agenda of ‘narco-terrorists’ and militants moving around, killing innocent people.” He further stated that, in the opinion of COCOMI and the people of the state, everyone in the BJP was responsible for failing to secure a response from the central government on the “proxy war” against the indigenous population. Mr Nahakpam in a hard-hitting statement said, “The chief minister, the present government and the previous government have not been able to provide any answers on the proxy war. Therefore, COCOMI and the people of Manipur announce the boycott of any activity of the BJP in Manipur. We appeal to everyone not to participate in any kind of activity of the BJP or any of its elected members and leaders.” Meanwhile state’s home minister, Govindas Konthoujam, in a statement appealed to the organisations to withdraw the shutdown in the interest of public welfare and the normal functioning of the state. In a separate development, Manipur’s apex Naga organisation, the United Naga Council (UNC), announced a three-day shutdown in Naga areas from midnight of April 20 to midnight of April 23 to mourn Saturday’s killings of two Naga individuals and “as a collective expression of condemnation”. The two victims, including a retired Army jawan, were killed in a suspected sniper attack while they were travelling from Imphal to Ukhrul. In a statement, the UNC said that a candlelight vigil would be observed on April 23 in all Naga district headquarters and Imphal “to honour the departed souls and to reaffirm our commitment to peace with dignity”. “During the three days of mourning, the Nagas in Manipur shall suspend all social and economic ties with the Kukis in accordance with Naga customary practice,” the statement said.



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