Amid continued violence and a shutdown, an influential organisation in Manipur has announced a boycott of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the State.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a conglomerate of Meitei civil society organisations in the Imphal Valley, on Sunday (April 19, 2026) urged people to avoid any function of the BJP or its leaders. It also demanded a statement from Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, explaining why his government has been unable to stop the attacks on civilians.
“He (the Chief Minister) is not connected to any civil society organisation of any community in Manipur. He seems to be on a personal trip, forgetting that ‘narco-terrorists’ and militants are moving around with the core agenda of killing innocent people,” COCOMI leader Shanta Nahakpam told journalists in the State’s capital, Imphal.
Narco-terrorist is a term non-Kuki indigenous communities in Manipur use for armed Kuki-Zo groups, mostly in a Suspension of Operations agreement with the government. Mr. Nahakpam said the people of Manipur believe the BJP was responsible for failing to push the Centre to prevent the “proxy war” by these groups against the indigenous peoples.
