After three missing men were found killed Thursday, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a Meitei organisation, demanded that Chief Minister N Biren Singh replace security adviser and former CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh, who is incharge of the unified command. In the aftermath of violence, Singh was sent to Manipur as security adviser to the CM. A unified command was announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to the state at the end of May last year for better coordination among security agencies in the state, and Singh was made in-charge. COCOMI said in a statement Friday that the “prevailing security arrangements have undeniably failed” and that the role of the security adviser over the past eight months of the conflict in the state “has been utterly ineffective, with no discernible signs of improvement.” Stating that the presence of thousands of central security personnel has not proved to be effective in maintaining peace in the state, the group demanded that the effective control be transferred to the state government. It also stated that the Kuki-Zomi dominated districts of the state — where the Biren Singh-led state government has effectively lost all influence — have become “rogue districts”. “The glaring inadequacy of the 70,000-strong central forces deployed in the state raises questions about their effectiveness in preserving civilian lives and property. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider their presence and empower the state government to handle the situation. The alarming absence of law and order in Kuki-infiltrated hill areas poses a grave threat to Manipur. These regions resemble rogue districts, with elected representatives, civil society organisations, and narco-terrorist groups rallying together in aggressive opposition to the Meetei and Manipur government, all transpiring under the indifferent gaze of the central government,” read the statement. The group proposed that Biren Singh take charge of the unified command in the state. Despite attempts to reach him, Singh did not respond.
