Biren Singh Govt under seige, challenges mounting

Ally Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) withdraws support, top Meitei group COCOMI, announces social boycott of Biren Singh government

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his government is clearly under siege with the situation in the state getting more complex by the day. After being witness to killings, arson, firings and looting of weapons for more than 3 months now, the government of N Biren Singh has received two big blows on Sunday. The first is the withdrawal of support to the government by coalition partner Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) that has two MLAs, and the second is the decision for social boycott of the Biren Singh-led government by COCOMI, by far the biggest civil society conglomerate in Manipur.
CM Biren Singh may not be bothered by the withdrawal of support by the KPA because he has the backing of the NPP and the NPF but the social boycott by COCOMI has brought in a big question mark on Biren Singh or his government’ s acceptability in the Valley as well.

After all, an organisation like COCOMI represents the opinion of the majority Meiteis and can be seen as a signal towards rejection of the state government’s law and order or security policy.

COCOMI has taken the boycott decision saying the state government has failed to protect the Meiteis from the wrath of, what they say, Kuki militants and has referred to the killing of 3 Meiteis while in sleep in Kawkta last week.

Besides, COCOMI is unhappy over the Biren Singh government’s failure in holding a session of the Manipur Assembly by the deadline of August 5.

Now, the challenges of Biren Singh have increased manifold. First, he has been unable to visit the Kuki dominated hill districts or initiate peace dialogue with the Kukis and now he is facing a boycott in the Imphal Valley. To top it all, the withdrawal of support to the coalition government by the KPA has led to questions whether other parties may also follow suit. After all, parties like the NPP and the NPF too have to share the blame for failing to restore peace in Manipur where the unrest is racing towards the 100 day mark.

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