Thousands of people took part in one of the largest rallies the state has seen in recent years on Saturday in Imphal, shouting cries like "no compromise on Manipur's integrity," "stop proxy war," and "long live Manipur."
The Manipur Kanba Khongchat, also known as the "Save Manipur rally," was organized by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur's Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella organization of various Meitei civil bodies, with the intention of conveying the message that people stand united against any policy to fragment the state and to demand resettlement of those displaced by the ethnic conflict, according to the organizers.

People from various communities marched from Tiddim Ground to Thou Ground, a distance of almost five kilometers, including Meitei Muslims, tribal tribes, Jains, Punjabis, Marwaris, and Bengalis. Large numbers of internally displaced people (IDPs), many of whom were traveling from relief camps and impacted areas, showed up.
In response to COCOMI's appeal a few days earlier, schools and institutions were shuttered and businesses remained closed, disrupting normal life throughout the state.
COCOMI Convenor Khuraijam Athouba stated that the event is intended to "send out a clear message" to the Center, citing the large turnout.

Athouba told reporters, "The people of Manipur had repeatedly pursued the Government of India with urgent demands for resettlement of IDPs and resolution of the crisis, but a deliberate false narrative was being pushed to portray the situation as merely an ethnic conflict with no responsibility on the part of the Center."
"The people endured serious and persistent violations of their human rights while they waited and tolerated them." However, for more than two and a half years, the whole Manipur populace has essentially been held captive," the COCOMI leader stated.
A public convention was conducted following the rally at Thou Ground in the Imphal West district, where a number of resolutions were approved.Athouba told reporters, "The people of Manipur had repeatedly pursued the Government of India with urgent demands for resettlement of IDPs and resolution of the crisis, but a deliberate false narrative was being pushed to portray the situation as merely an ethnic conflict with no responsibility on the part of the Center."
"The people endured serious and persistent violations of their human rights while they waited and tolerated them." However, for more than two and a half years, the whole Manipur populace has essentially been held captive," the COCOMI leader stated.
A public convention was conducted following the rally at Thou Ground in the Imphal West district, where a number of resolutions were approved.On August 22, 2008, the United People's Front (UPF) and Kuki National Organization (KNO) signed a tripartite SoO agreement with the Indian and Manipur governments. Since then, successive governments have been extending the agreement after it expired. The agreement was last renewed in New Delhi on September 4, 2025.