In the aftermath of indiscriminate firing and bombing by militants in the Torbung area of Bishnupur district on the night of December 16, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has lodged a formal complaint with the Director General of Police (DGP), seeking an official clarification on claims regarding the existence of a “buffer zone” in the state.
In the complaint, signed by COCOMI Convenor Khuraijam Athouba, the organisation stated that the Kuki-Zo Council and other actors have repeatedly claimed that a “buffer zone” is being created by the state’s security forces and administration as a protective or territorial partition measure. COCOMI said the term has been widely used in public discourse without any clear factual basis or official government confirmation, leading to confusion, fear and growing animosity among communities.
While acknowledging that certain security deployments and restricted arrangements have been discussed in past conflict-management contexts, COCOMI said claims about a formally sanctioned or territorially defined “buffer zone” remain unverified and could trigger misunderstandings and escalation. The continued misuse of such a sensitive term, it warned, could inflame communal sentiments and falsely suggest institutional sanction for territorial segregation or even disintegration of the state.
COCOMI urged the state administration to clarify publicly and officially whether any such “buffer zone” exists as a formal policy or administrative measure. “If such a zone exists, it should be clearly explained to the people. If it does not, appropriate legal action must be initiated against those misusing the term in ways that provoke the public and deepen divisions,” the complaint stated.
The organisation also highlighted the seriousness of the December 16 attack, saying it caused widespread terror, posed an imminent threat to life and property, and reflected an organised, premeditated and militarised intent. It described the incident as part of a continuing pattern of armed aggression that exposes persistent security failures and the inability to neutralise armed groups operating with impunity.
COCOMI further expressed concern over a public statement attributed to Kuki-Zo Council leader Ginza Vualzong, alleging that he justified the firing and bombing, made unsubstantiated and inflammatory claims, and issued provocative remarks that could incite further violence. Such public endorsement of armed violence, it said, crosses the line from protected speech to criminal incitement, undermining state authority and emboldening armed groups.
Through the complaint, COCOMI placed on record its concerns over unchecked armed activity, public justification of violence by organisational leaders, circulation of misleading “buffer zone” claims, and the lack of swift and transparent action, which it said has created a perception of selective enforcement and impunity.
Meanwhile, transgender activist and peace campaigner Malem Thongam reached Awang Sekmai early on Friday morning after cycling across India with a message of peace for conflict-hit Manipur. She arrived at around 4.30 am, escorted by a special BSF convoy from Senapati that began at 2.30 am and passed through Kangpokpi district before reaching Sekmai police station in Imphal West.
Heightened security arrangements were made in view of strong opposition from the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) to her cycling event through Kangpokpi and the ongoing restrictions on the free movement of Meiteis amid the two-and-a-half-year-old conflict. Usham Amubi, president of the Advance Women’s Society Awang Sekmai Meira Paibi, said Malem will halt at Sekmai for the night.
After attending a felicitation programme at Sekmai Bazar scheduled for 10 am on Saturday, Malem will be flagged off towards Kangla in Imphal. Rumours circulating on social media claiming that she has already reached home were dismissed as false. Amubi appealed to the public to line the roads from Sekmai to Kangla Western Gate to welcome the activist.
In a social media post, Malem Thongam said she was undeterred by threats and opposition and had found a way to bypass obstacles to continue her mission. She said her cycling journey was inspired by the idea of Manipur and the need to restore peace and normalcy, urging all communities to join her as she reaches Kangla.
Malem began her journey from Delhi’s historic Qutb Minar on October 2, 2025. After reaching Mao Gate on the Manipur–Nagaland border, she cycled up to Senapati and has so far covered approximately 2,390 km across various Indian states, carrying her message of peace and reconciliation in Manipur.
