Manipur Women Protest for Missing, Displaced as Assembly Grapples with Ethnic Strife

A powerful women-led group, Imagi Meira, has intensified its protest in Imphal, demanding immediate action from the Manipur Legislative Assembly on the search for missing persons, safe return of those displaced by violence, and scrapping of the controversial Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement. Their sit-in comes as the Assembly's ongoing session faces mounting pressure to address the state's deep-seated ethnic divisions and humanitarian crisis. The group specifically highlighted the plight of 34 missing Meitei individuals and called for a new law to protect indigenous people. This protest unfolds against a backdrop of ongoing ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, which has claimed 306 lives and left 49 people missing since May 2023. While the central and state governments recently signed a revised SoO agreement with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, critics like Imagi Meira argue it's being violated and fuels insecurity. Adding to the complexity, the Kuki-Zo Council has now called for the return of President's Rule, expressing feelings of political exclusion and insecurity under the current state government, even as some Kuki-Zo MLAs attended the Assembly session for the first time in three years despite a boycott call. With demands for a National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the next census gaining traction among Meitei groups, and the Kuki-Zo community feeling ignored on census deferral decisions, the Assembly faces tough choices. The outcome of these urgent demands and the Assembly's response will largely dictate the path towards stability in a state still reeling from years of conflict.