IMPHAL, April 17: The Meitei organisation Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) on Wednesday criticised the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur, claiming it has failed to address the “emergency situation” in the state. COCOMI called on state legislators to either act as “responsible leaders” or resign to make way for fresh elections.

Speaking at a press conference, COCOMI convenor Khuraijam Athouba said the President’s Rule had not led to any major improvements in the state’s ongoing crisis. He said that while people initially believed the Centre would quickly resolve the conflict following its imposition, several incidents have since shown otherwise. According to him, Kuki bodies and armed groups from the community have openly defied authorities.

Athouba pointed out that their refusal to surrender firearms, despite appeals from the governor, and their objection to the reopening of highways were clear signs that the central administration was not effectively managing the crisis. He added that the expectation had been that all hostile areas would be sanitised within two to three months, leading to peace and a return of governance to the state. However, he stated that there were still no signs of such progress.

He also directed sharp criticism at the elected representatives of the state, accusing the MLAs of failing to choose a leader and form a government. He said that if the legislators were unable to fulfill their duties, they should resign and allow fresh elections to be held so a new government could take charge and work toward resolving the conflict.

Athouba emphasized that the MLAs, as elected representatives, must act according to the will of the people and not remain passive while waiting for directions from Delhi.