Kuki CSO Working Committee Accuses COCOMI, IPFM of “Coordinated Propaganda” in Ukhrul-Kamjong

The Kuki CSO Working Committee, Ukhrul, has strongly condemned the recent activities of COCOMI and IPFM in the Namlee, Wanglee, and Choro areas, alleging that the organisations are attempting to deepen ethnic divisions and provoke hostility against the Kuki community in Ukhrul and Kamjong districts.

In a statement issued by its Department of Information and Media, the Committee claimed that the visits carried out by the organisations under the “guise of peace and indigenous solidarity” were, in reality, aimed at intimidating vulnerable Kuki villages and promoting narratives that seek to erase the historical presence of Kukis in the region.

The Committee further alleged that organisations with a “consistent record of anti-Kuki rhetoric” cannot genuinely claim to promote peace and accused certain Tangkhul groups of attempting to portray a localised Tangkhul-Kuki issue as a wider pan-Naga conflict.

Warning that such actions could destabilise inter-community relations, the Committee urged civil society organisations and the wider Naga public to remain cautious against what it described as “deliberate communalisation.”

The statement also raised concerns over alleged illegal activities in the Namlee, Wanglee, and Choro corridors, including timber smuggling, cross-border drug trafficking, militant movement, and the activities of armed groups exploiting the porous international border. The Committee urged the Government of India to expedite border fencing and strengthen surveillance mechanisms to curb illegal infiltration, narco-terrorism, arms movement, and cross-border militancy.

The Committee accused COCOMI and allied organisations of selectively targeting Kukis while remaining silent on alleged illegal cross-border movement involving Tangkhul elements from Myanmar and illegal Meitei settlers from Bangladesh and elsewhere.

It also questioned the absence of serious combing operations in Tangkhul-dominated areas despite repeated reports of militant movement, insurgent shelter networks, and arms transit routes, alleging that the selective focus on Kuki areas weakens public confidence in law enforcement and counter-insurgency operations.

The Kuki CSO Working Committee further criticised the National Investigation Agency (NIA), alleging that it has failed to act against what it described as “hate-driven organisations” such as COCOMI, which it accused of spreading inflammatory narratives and misinformation against Kukis.

The statement also targeted IPFM and certain individuals, including Ashang Kasar, accusing them of carrying out anti-Kuki propaganda and divisive activities. It referenced an earlier controversy involving the alleged forging of the signature of Rohan Philem.

Highlighting demographic changes in Ukhrul, the Committee claimed that the Kuki population in the district stood at approximately 49.7 per cent in 1947 but had declined to around 5 per cent by 2011, raising concerns over alleged intimidation, displacement, and marginalisation faced by the community over the decades.

The Committee further stated that branding Kukis as “foreigners” by extremist organisations damages coexistence and peace in Manipur.

It also noted that the Manipur Home Minister had reportedly clarified that the incidents in Namlee, Wanglee, and Choro were not acts of external aggression, while accusing COCOMI and IPFM of continuing to spread narratives contradicting official findings.

The Kuki CSO Working Committee urged the Government of India, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the NIA, and the Government of Manipur to initiate legal action against organisations and individuals accused of spreading hatred, provoking ethnic unrest, and threatening communal harmony.

“The Kuki people desire peace, coexistence, and justice. However, peace cannot prevail so long as targeted hate campaigns, intimidation, and communal propaganda against minority communities continue to be normalised and protected,” the statement added.