IMPHAL, Nov 20: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) announced the temporary suspension of its indefinite sit-in protest for seven days on Wednesday. The decision came after the ruling MLAs of Manipur set a deadline for the Centre to address an eight-point resolution related to the ongoing crisis in the state.

Initially, COCOMI had presented a three-point demand to the state government, accompanied by a 24-hour deadline for response. However, following the recent resolution adopted by the ruling MLAs during a meeting at the Chief Minister’s secretariat, COCOMI decided to pause the protest. The resolution calls on the Centre to take swift action, including a large-scale security operation targeting Kuki militants allegedly responsible for the recent killings in Jiribam.

Key demands in the resolution include calling for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the investigation into the deaths of six Meitei women and children in Jiribam, and declaring Kuki militants involved in the killings as an unlawful organization within seven days. The resolution also urges the Centre to reconsider the reimposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in six police station areas.

However, COCOMI’s decision to temporarily suspend the protest sparked discontent among the women organization who had been actively participating in the sit-in. A heated confrontation erupted between COCOMI leaders and protesting women as the announcement was made. Many of the protesting women expressed a lack of trust in the leadership.

Tensions escalated further, and following an altercation with the women, COCOMI leaders left the area, abandoning the protest site. This led to a sense of betrayal among many demonstrators. Manipur Police intervened soon after, dismantling the protest site and dispersing the remaining protesters.