March 06, 2025: The first leg of the ‘Peace Tour,’ earlier announced by the Federation of Civil Society Organisation (FOCS), will kick off from the Northern Gate of Kangla in the state capital on the 8th of March and is set to reach Senapati, but is envisioned to stretch out till Mao.
“We respect and honour the decision taken up by the Government of India, we welcome and trust it, we expect that it would be translated into action,” said FOCS President Th. Manihar on Thursday, addressing the media to highlight their peace tour plan and appealing to other CSOs and Ima Groups to support and participate in the tours.
Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, after a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs, issued directives to ensure free movement without obstruction on all roads and to take stringent action against any obstruction.
FOCS President Th. Manihar, highlighting the tour’s objective, informed the media, “The mission of the Peace Tour is to carry messages of peace, and not to provoke any person or community. But the approach is to safeguard Manipur’s unity and the idea of one united Manipur, which has its own historical legacy for over 3,000 years, and to restore peace in Manipur.”
FOCS also appealed to Kuki CSOs, ITLF, and COTU to support the movement and urged them to convey messages to their subordinate fellow organizations to ensure an obstruction-free passage.
Reacting to dire consequence threats issued against the peace tour by Kuki groups, namely KANAM and the Village Volunteers Eastern Zone, FOCS urged them to withdraw their objections to free movement without obstruction and instead support the rally to the best of their abilities.
FOCS also made a humble reminder to all that the peace tour would not take place in Kuki Land, but in Manipur’s land. It asked people to reflect on the fact that there is only one land in Manipur, emphasizing that there is no such thing as Kuki-land, Meitei-land, Naga-land, Pangal (Muslim)-land, or Nepali-land in Manipur.
