Manipur govt ends its peace pact with 2 insurgent groups

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is Insurgency in Manipur?
• What is the Historical background of Insurgency in Manipur?
• Rise of insurgency in Manipur
• What are the Reasons for insurgency in Manipur?
• What are the Steps taken to address the issue of insurgency in Manuipur?
• News Summary: Manipur govt ends its peace pact with 2 insurgent groups
• What is the Suspension of Operations pact?
• What are the terms of the SoO pact?

 

Why in news?

• The Manipur government withdrew from the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with two hill-based tribal insurgent groups.
• The state government claimed that a protest rally organised recently, defying Section 144, was influenced by the two groups, Kuki National Army (KNA) and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA).

 

What is Insurgency in Manipur?

• There is an ongoing armed conflict between India and a number of separatist rebel groups in Manipur.
  • This insurgency in Manipur is part of the wider Insurgency in Northeast India which combines elements of a national liberation war as well as an ethnic conflict.

 

What is the Historical background of Insurgency in Manipur?

• Following the brief Anglo-Manipur War of 1891, the Kingdom of Manipur was conquered by Britain.
  • After this war, Manipur kingdom became a British protectorate.
• Manipur became a part of India in October 1949 and became a separate state in 1972.

 

Rise of insurgency in Manipur

• Manipur's incorporation into the Indian state led to the formation of a number of insurgent organisations.
  • These groups demanded the creation of an independent state within the borders of Manipur, and dismissed the merger with India as involuntary.
• The insurgency problem in Manipur came into existence in the late 1960s and 1970s.
  • There was no problem of insurgency when Manipur merged into India.
• The first separatist faction, United National Liberation Front (UNLF), was founded in November 1964.
  • Now, the region is infested with many insurgent groups.

 

What are the Reasons for insurgency in Manipur?

• Merger with India
  • Meiteis are the majority community of Manipur. Their influence declined after Indian Independence.
  • This led to resentment in a section of Meities about the merger of the State with the Indian Union, which led to the Meitei insurgency from the 1960s.
• Ethnic conflict
  • Manipur has a diverse ethnic population with Meitis controlling the Valley, Nagas on the surrounding hills and Kukis interspersed in between.
  • This leads to clashes between these communities.
    • Kukis and Nagas of Manipur have overlapping and conflicting territorial interests over almost all the hill districts of Manipur.
    • Similarly, there are competing interests between the Nagas and Meitis.
    • The demand for Nagalim or Greater Nagaland includes the Naga inhabited areas of Manipur. On the other hand, the Meitis want to preserve what has been a single geographic entity for centuries.
• Lack of socio-economic development
  • Owing to its topographical structure, the state has had problems of economic development and socio-economic transformation for a long period.
  • Over the years, endless corruption, mismanagement of funds and the failure to devolve power to common people have led to the rise of dissatisfaction.

 

What are the Steps taken to address the issue of insurgency in Manuipur?

• The govt has negotiations with the Hill-based groups in the region.
  • NLFT Tripura Agreement, Bru Accord, Naga peace accord etc. are few examples.
  • Govt signed the Bodo agreement in January 2020 and the Karbi Anglong agreement in September 2021.
• The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region has been created to provide an impetus to the socio-economic development of the region.
  • Also, the North Eastern Council was created as the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North Eastern Region.

 

News Summary: Manipur govt ends its peace pact with 2 insurgent groups

What is the Suspension of Operations pact?

• There are nearly 30 Kuki insurgent groups in Manipur, of which 25 are under tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) with the Government of India and the state.
  • As many as 17 are under the umbrella group Kuki National Organisation (KNO), and eight are under the United People’s Front (UPF).
• The SoO pact was signed on August 22, 2008, with the primary objective of initiating political dialogue.
  • Talks are ongoing under AB Mathur, former special secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), as the interlocutor.
  • As a result of these talks, the Kuki outfits who were initially demanding a separate Kuki state have come down to a ‘Kukiland territorial council’.
  • This council would have financial and administrative powers independent of the Manipur Assembly and government.

 

What are the terms of the SoO pact?

• The important terms under the SoO are that security forces, including state and central forces, are not to launch any operations, nor can the underground groups.
• On the other hand, signatories groups shall abide by the Constitution of India, the laws of the land and the territorial integrity of Manipur.
  • They are prohibited from committing all kinds of atrocities, extortion, among others.
  • Arms are deposited in a safe room under a double-locking system. The groups are given arms only to guard their camps and protect their leaders.
• As a rehabilitation package, the UG cadres living in the designated camps are given a monthly stipend of Rs 5000.
  • Financial assistance is also being provided to maintain the designated camps.

 

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Q1) What is insurgency?

Insurgency is a type of armed conflict in which a group of individuals or organizations uses irregular military tactics, such as guerrilla warfare, to overthrow or challenge the authority of an established government or other power structure.

Insurgencies often involve asymmetric warfare, with the insurgent group using tactics such as ambushes, sabotage, and terrorism to weaken the government or other target. Insurgencies can also be motivated by various factors, such as political, economic, ethnic, or religious grievances.

 

Q2) What is Kuki National Army (KNA)?

The Kuki National Army (KNA) is an armed group based in the northeastern region of India. The group is composed mainly of ethnic Kukis, who are a tribal community in the region.

The KNA was formed in the early 1990s, with the aim of establishing an independent Kuki homeland in the areas of northeastern India where Kukis live. The group has been involved in armed conflict with Indian security forces and with other ethnic groups in the region, including the Nagas and the Meiteis.

 

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Source: What is the SoO agreement with tribal insurgent groups that the Manipur govt withdrew from? | IDSA | Indian Express | Hindustan Times