Manipur marks 2 years since ethnic violence with Valley shutdown, candle tribute
The Imphal Valley observed 'Sintha Leppa', a shutdown of daily activities, on Saturday to mark the second anniversary of the ethnic violence that erupted on May 3, 2023.Educational institutions and business establishments remained closed while public transportation services were suspended and only a few private vehicles were seen plying the roads.In anticipation of potential unrest, security forces were deployed at key locations across the capital to maintain law and order.advertisement
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) hosted the Manipur People's Convention at Khuman Lampak stadium. It appealed to the public to halt daily routines and attend the convention, which aimed at reflecting over the ongoing crisis and paying tribute to those affected by the violence.As part of the day's observance, a candlelight tribute is scheduled in the evening at Kangla Nongpok Thong to honour the lives lost during the communal conflict.Mirroring the situation in the valley, normal life was suspended in the Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts, as well. According to officials, all educational institutions and commercial establishments remained closed. These areas are dominated by the Kuki-Zo people.Frisking of vehicles in vulnerable locations adjoining the hill district and in the valley is underway.On May 3, 2023, ethnic violence erupted in Manipur between the Meitei people, a majority that lives in the Imphal Valley, and the Kuki-Zo tribal community from the surrounding hills following a High Court's order that recommended a Scheduled Tribe status for the dominant Meitei community.advertisementThis led to the death of nearly 250 people and 60,000 others were displaced.This decision was later criticised by the Supreme Court.On the other hand, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum, representing the Kuki-Zo people, are observing 'Separation Day'. The community has been demanding a separate administration as the 'only solution' to the ethnic conflict.As against this, the Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM) of the Thadou community, which resents being clubbed as a 'Kuki', marks May 3 as 'Peace Day' to 'honour the memory of those who have fallen victims to the tragic violence and extend our deepest empathy to the survivors and their families,' the TIM said in a press statement.The call for 'Sintha Leppa' in the Valley has drawn a widespread response from the public, underlining the continued pain and unrest that lingers two years after the violence first erupted in the state.Must Watch
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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
MHA to resume talks with Kuki-Zo insurgents, says camps near Meitei areas must be closed before renegotiating SoO pact
The Union Home Ministry (MHA) is all set to resume talks with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups in Manipur after a gap of two years. A senior government official told The Hindu that the suspension of operations pact (SoO) with the insurgent groups in Manipur will be 'renegotiated with stringent ground rules'. The SoO framework has to be in existence before any 'political solution' can be reached. The Kuki-Zo SoO groups will hold the talks with the MHA's Northeast adviser A.K. Mishra and Intelligence Bureau officials, on June 9. Changing demands Before May 2023, when ethnic violence erupted in the State, the primary demand of the SoO groups was to have autonomous territorial councils within Manipur. After the conflict began, however, they changed the stance to demand a separate administration for Kuki-Zo areas, defining it as a Union Territory with a legislature. The agreement, in place since 2008, has been periodically extended each year, except on February 29, 2024 when the Manipur government pulled out from the tripartite pact. The other two signatories are the MHA and the SoO groups. One of the conditions that has been set forth to hold further talks is the removal of SoO camps from locations close to the valley districts which are dominated by the Meitei people. Security forces have suggested that the number of camps be reduced from the existing 14 to seven camps. Timeline of the ongoing Suspension of Operations pact 2008: 25 Kuki-Zo insurgent groups sign a Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact with MHA, Manipur government which is extended every year; 14 SoO camps set up in the hill districts of Manipur with around 2200 identified cadres. May 3, 2023: SoO groups almost sign an agreement with MHA agreeing on autonomous councils for Kuki-Zo people in Manipur. After violence erupts, talks are derailed. February 29, 2024: Manipur government pulls out of the tripartite SoO agreement when it comes up for an annual extension. MHA and Kuki-Zo groups are present, but Manipur does not send any representative to extend the agreement on its behalf. February 29, 2024: Manipur Assembly, sans Kuki-Zo MLAs, passes a resolution to abrogate SoO. August 19-22, 2024: Informal meetings held between three members of the SoO groups, MHA's Northeast adviser A.K. Mishra, and Intelligence Bureau officials Exchanging accusations Meitei groups have accused the SoO groups of carrying out armed attacks during and after the ethnic violence between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei people which erupted in the State on May 3, 2023 and claimed the lives of 250 people, displacing more than 60,000 people from their homes. Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh claimed that the SoO groups had violated ground rules and instigated the ethnic violence. The SoO groups have accused the Manipur government of using the State machinery against them. 'No immediate extension of SoO' The official quoted above said that there will be no immediate extension of the SoO pact, which protects the identified cadres from arrest and criminal cases if they follow ground rules. It will be extended only after the negotiation is complete, he said. 'Some camps will have to be shut down, few have to be relocated. Separate set of ground rules are being formulated. Without its implementation, the SoO pact cannot be extended,' the official said. After a peace pact is signed with an insurgent group, the cadres are expected to stay in earmarked camps. Weapons and ammunitions are accounted for and regular checks are conducted by a monitoring agency decided by the State government. 'Preliminary meeting' An SoO representative said: 'The talks are being held in Delhi after a hiatus. It will be a preliminary meeting with the Centre.' Around 2,200 cadres of the SoO groups — comprising the United People's Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), umbrella organisations of 25 insurgent groups — live in 14 designated camps in the hill districts of Manipur. The cadres are entitled to a stipend of ₹6,000 per month, which has not been paid since the violence erupted. The SoO agreement was signed in the aftermath of the Kuki-Naga clashes in the 1990s when hundreds were killed. The insurgent groups demanded an independent land for the Kuki-Zo people.
NDTV
6 hours ago
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"Primary Instigators Of Violence": Meitei Alliance Asks Centre To Scrap Ceasefire With Kuki Insurgents
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. The Meitei Alliance urged the Centre to scrap the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki insurgents, alleging their role in the Manipur violence. They claim these groups exploited the agreement for terrorism, extortion, and illegal activities. Imphal: A global umbrella body of civil society organisations of Manipur's Meitei community has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to scrap an agreement signed with insurgent groups of the Kuki tribes over allegations that they have been involved in the Manipur ethnic violence. The request by the Meitei Alliance comes amid speculation that a formal announcement on the status of the controversial suspension of operations (SoO) agreement in Manipur is expected to come. However, a meeting in neighbouring Assam's Guwahati on June 5 had no link with the SoO agreement in Manipur. The Manipur assembly unanimously passed a resolution asking the Centre to scrap the SoO agreement on February 29, 2024, the same day the deadline for extension of the SoO agreement ended. "These armed groups, which have been the primary instigators and escalators of violence in Manipur since May 3, 2023, have used the SoO as a cover to pursue a vested agenda," the Meitei Alliance said in a statement. "Since the initiation of the SoO agreement in 2008, these militant groups had exploited the arrangement as a shield for engaging in acts of terror... They committed repeated and blatant violations of the SoO ground rules, amounting to terrorism," the Meitei Alliance alleged. Some of these violations, the Meitei Alliance said, include extortions and illegal 'highway tax', recruitment of insurgents, and nexus with other insurgent groups in Myanmar and Manipur, among others. "These armed groups have been the primary instigators and escalators of violence in Manipur since May 3, 2023 and have used the SoO [agreement] as a cover to pursue a vested agenda, that directly or indirectly contributed to infiltration into Indian soil by large-scale illegal immigrants from Myanmar..." the Meitei Alliance said in the strongly worded statement. The Manipur Police for the first time confirmed in September 2024 the involvement of insurgents who are part of the SoO agreement in the ethnic violence. The police also, for the first time, confirmed the involvement of the Meitei insurgent group UNLF (P), which had signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre and the state, in the ethnic violence. Three insurgents of the SoO agreement-signatory Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) and one from the United National Liberation Front (Pambei) were killed in a gunfight in Jiribam district in September 2024, the police had said. Under the SoO agreement, the insurgents are to stay at designated camps and their weapons kept in locked storage, to be monitored jointly with the authorities. Over 260 have been killed and nearly 50,000 have been internally displaced in the Manipur violence.
The Hindu
14 hours ago
- The Hindu
Three militants arrested in Manipur
Security forces have arrested three militants, belonging to two proscribed outfits in Manipur, police said on Saturday. (June 7, 2025). All the arrests were made on Friday (June 6) in Bishnupur, Kakching and Imphal West districts, a senior officer said. One active cadre of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (Peoples' War Group) was apprehended from Wangoo Samushang area in Bishnupur for allegedly being involved in extortion activities, he said. The militant demanded money from schools, colleges, shopkeepers and elected members in Kumbi area, the officer said. Another member of the outfit was also arrested from Elangkhanpokpi Mayai Leikai area in Kakching district, the police said. A cadre of the proscribed UPPK was apprehended from Khumbong Bazar in Imphal West district. Security forces continued search operations and area domination exercises in the fringe and vulnerable areas in the hill and valley districts. Arms recovered During a search operation in Kotzim village in Kangpokpi district, three firearms, eight mortars and other articles were recovered, the police said. Four improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were also recovered from Yangoubung village in Tengnoupal district on Thursday (June 5). Security forces have been conducting search operations in Manipur since ethnic violence broke out two years ago. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023. The Centre had on February 13 imposed the President's rule in Manipur after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned. The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.
