‘Manipur Wants Peace’, Say Meitei Protesters At Jantar Mantar Over Ethnic Violence

A demonstration demanding urgent intervention by the government to address the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur was held at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, December 14, by the Delhi Meetei Co-ordinating Committee (DMCC), the Manipur Students Association Delhi (MSAD), and United Kaching Students (UNIKAS).

The three organisations sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister, with copies sent to the Union Home Minister, all Members of Parliament, and all Members of the Manipur Legislative Assembly.

The protest sought to draw urgent attention to what organisers described as an ongoing humanitarian, constitutional and political crisis in Manipur.

Lanchenbi Urungpurel, President of the Manipur Students Association Delhi (MSAD), says, “The Prime Minister, Home Minister and even the President have visited Manipur and spoken about peace, but despite these assurances, there has been no real action on the ground.”

She highlighted the conditions in relief camps, describing overcrowded rooms where multiple families are separated only by cloth curtains, with no privacy, dignity or security. Urungpurel added that many displaced students are struggling to continue their education, making it impossible to plan for the future when even the present remains uncertain.

More than 65,000 people from both the Meitei and Kuki communities have been forcibly displaced since May 3, 2023, and continue to live as internally displaced persons. The organisations said many families have been uprooted from their ancestral homes and are living in relief camps under insecure and undignified conditions.

The memorandum alleged that despite repeated public assurances, the Union government has failed to ensure the safe and dignified return of the displaced. It said no policy framework, financial support mechanism or rehabilitation roadmap has been announced, and that the deadline set for December 2025 to facilitate return has passed without implementation.

The groups alleged that the government has failed to disarm civilians while continuing to protect and patronise Indian state-sponsored armed groups operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework. The memorandum said that even after the suspension of the SoO amid the imposition of Governor’s Rule in Manipur, armed groups continue to operate with impunity, while civilians remain exposed to violence and insecurity.

The memorandum alleges that violence has been outsourced to state-protected armed groups, enabling militancy while repressing civilians. The organisations said this dual approach has deepened ethnic division and segregation, pushing Manipur into an existential crisis affecting survival, social cohesion and democratic governance.

Seram Rojesh, Convenor of the DMCC, says the violence was deliberate and engineered by the Indian government. He alleged that authorities are protecting Kuki militants while displaced populations face prolonged displacement, attacks and enforced segregation, undermining constitutional values and civilian safety.

Rojesh added that internally displaced people were attacked by security forces when demanding to return home, and were instead blocked at so-called buffer zones. He said communities have been artificially divided, with security forces positioned between them, describing the conflict as state-organised through proxy armed groups, drawing parallels with Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh.

The memorandum said Manipur has historically been subjected to an exceptionally high degree of militarisation, including the prolonged enforcement of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958. It alleged that under AFSPA, the people of Manipur have suffered decades of grave human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and arbitrary detention. These violations, the memorandum claimed, have been documented by judicial commissions, civil society organisations and international human rights bodies.

The organisations further alleged that the current phase of the crisis is unprecedented, marked by active state patronage of armed groups, enforced ethnic segregation through security arrangements such as so-called buffer zones, and political indifference to prolonged displacement. They claimed that such segregation cannot exist without prolonged displacement and state sanction.

Citing Supreme Court judgments, including the ruling that dismantled Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh, the memorandum argued that the weaponisation of civilians and the use of proxy armed groups are unconstitutional. It said the same constitutional principles apply to Manipur and require immediate enforcement.

The memorandum called for the immediate and unconditional return of all internally displaced Meitei and Kuki people to their homes, with full security, rehabilitation and livelihood support. It also demanded an end to alleged state backing of armed groups, strict enforcement of the Suspension of Operations framework, and the removal of what it described as unconstitutional arrangements sustaining violence and ethnic division.

The organisations have, additionally, sought the immediate restoration of constitutional governance in Manipur, an end to divide and rule policies, and measures to ensure justice, unity and lasting peace. The memorandum warned that peace cannot be achieved through forced segregation, militarised division or political indifference, stating that prolonged displacement and alleged state patronage of armed groups amount to a grave violation of constitutional values and human rights.