COCOMI firmly rejects the SoO extension, stating that it would always be viewed as an act that legitimizes “narco-terrorism” while compromising the rights, security, and future of indigenous people of Manipur and the broader NE region.
TFM Dek
In a fierce and unequivocal condemnation, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a prominent Meitei civil society organization, has declared its vehement opposition to the Centre’s decision to extend the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups. The group lambasted the pact, signed on September 4 in New Delhi, as an “illegitimate,” “anti-people,” and “undemocratic” move that grants impunity to what it termed “Chin-Kuki narco-terrorist groups.”
The press statement, issued on September 5, 2025, argues that the extension of the truce agreement completely disregards the will of the people of Manipur. COCOMI highlighted that the state’s elected government had unanimously resolved to abrogate the SoO pact in March 2023 and that the state legislative assembly had later passed a resolution urging the central government to revoke it in February 2024. The group asserts that the current administration, operating under President’s Rule, lacks the democratic legitimacy to represent the state’s interests in the tripartite talks.
COCOMI’s statement raises grave concerns about India’s commitment to combating “narco-terrorism”. It alleges that the SoO agreement has, since its inception, served as a shield for armed groups involved in drug trafficking and terrorist activities, thereby undermining regional security. The body warned that India’s international credibility on this issue is at stake, as the pact could be perceived by the global community as “providing safe passage and impunity” to such entities.
Furthermore, COCOMI took strong exception to the context of the deal, which involved the unblocking of National Highway-02. The group accused the central government of turning the constitutional right to free movement into a “bargaining chip” to be negotiated with armed groups, an act it described as holding the Meetei population “hostage at gunpoint under narco-terrorist influence.”
In its concluding remarks, COCOMI firmly rejected the SoO extension, vowing that it would always be viewed as an act that legitimizes narco-terrorism while compromising the rights, security, and future of the indigenous people of Manipur and the broader Northeast region. The statement sets a confrontational tone, signaling intense civil society opposition to the central government’s strategy for peace in the restive state.