Imphal, Sep 5 : A day after the Centre signed a tripartite agreement with Kuki militants extending the Suspension of Operations (SoO) for another year, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex Meitei body, strongly opposed the deal on Friday.

The COCOMI said that the extension of the SoO agreement despite the series of terrorist and criminal acts committed by 'Chin-Kuki armed narco-terrorist groups' is a decision that runs completely against the interests of the indigenous people of Manipur.

'COCOMI reaffirms its stand to firmly oppose this anti-people move of the government of India. The popularly elected government of Manipur had, through a Cabinet decision on March 10, 2023, unanimously resolved to abrogate the SoO agreement,' the Meitei body said in a statement.

Laikhuram Jayenta, Convenor, Information and Public Relations Sub-Committee in a statement said that under the current President's Rule, the administration is being run by an authority appointed from Delhi, which lacks the legitimacy to represent the people of Manipur in letter and spirit.

The statement said that the decision to extend the SoO under such circumstances is illegitimate and reflects an undemocratic and hegemonic imposition upon the indigenous people and its elected representatives of Manipur.

'By extending overwhelming legitimacy and recognition to armed Chin-Kuki narco-terrorist groups under the deceptive pact of the SoO, the government of India has raised serious doubts about its role and responsibility in dealing with narco-terrorism in the region. Since the introduction of the SoO in 2005 and 2008, such agreements have only shielded narco-terrorist armed groups while undermining the democratic will of the people,' it said.

The COCOMI said that the international community too would question India's credibility in combating narco-terrorism when it is seen as providing safe passage and impunity to such groups.

The Meitei body alleged that the Government of India has will-fully disregarded the unanimous resolution of the Manipur Assembly taken on February 29, 2024 urging the government of India to revoke (abrogate) the SoO.

The COCOMI said that instead, the President's Rule administration in Manipur has been made a party to the tripartite talks without any mandate from the people.

'This act represents a complete compromise of the basic principles of democracy. The Constitution of India guarantees free movement to every citizen across the country as a fundamental right,' the group said.

The COCOMI said that by turning this into a bargaining chip with armed narco-terrorist groups, the government of India has undermined its own constitutional obligations.

'Such actions portray the Government as holding the Meetei population hostage at gunpoint under narco-terrorist influence. This is utterly unacceptable to the people of Manipur. Looking into all these aspects, COCOMI strongly rejects the government of India's extension of the SoO Agreement,' the statement said.

This decision would always be viewed as an act of legitimizing narcoterrorist operations, granting them impunity under a deceptive pact, while undermining the rights, security, and future of the indigenous people of Manipur and the Northeast region at large, the Meitei body said.

A senior official on Thursday had said that the tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Kuki militants has also been extended for one more year after a tripartite meeting between the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Manipur government, and leaders of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF).

The UPF and the KNO, which are a conglomerate of 24 underground outfits, signed a SoO with the government on August 22, 2008, and 2,266 cadres of the militant outfits have been staying in different designated camps in Manipur's hill regions.

After the meeting between the officials of MHA, Manipur government and the leaders of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), the Centre in a statement on Thursday said that the KZC has decided to open the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2) for the free movement of commuters and essential goods.

The NH-2 is one of the lifelines of Manipur, even as Manipur connects with the rest of the country through another National Highway Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37).

Meanwhile, the KZC in a statement on Thursday said that the MHA has expressed serious concern over commuter safety on NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) through Kangpokpi district, and it "hereby clarifies that no untoward incident has occurred either to commuters or to transportation of essential goods on NH-2 in the recent past".

/IANS