MHA Extends Ban on Several Meitei Militant Groups for 5 Years

The Ministry of Home Affairs on November 13 extended ban on several Meitei extremist organisations under UAPA for another five years. The MHA issued notification on Monday in this regard.

According to the notification, the groups which were declared banned for five years were PLA/RPF (Peoples’ Liberation Army and its political wing Revolutionary Peoples’ Front),  UNLF/MPA (United National Liberation Front and its armed wing Manipur Peoples’ Army, PREPAK / Red Army (Peoples’ Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak and its armed wing Red Army, KCP / Red Army (Kangleipak Communist Party and its armed wing Red Army), KYKL (Kanglei Yawol Kanba Lup), ASUK (Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak ) and CorCom - Coordination Committee (CorCom is a conglomeration of PrePak-Progressive faction + United Peoples Party of Kangleipak UPPK + PLA+ UNLF + PrePak )

The Centre declared these ‘Meitei’ extremism organizations as “unlawful associations” under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to curb their “secessionist, subversive, terrorist and violent activities”.

The move has been taken as the government feels these organisations are indulging in attacks on and killing of security forces, police and civilians in Manipur, as well as activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.

It may be noted that these Meitei extremists had been based in Myanmar and carried out attacks on the Indian Army. They were behind the killing of the commanding officer of 46 Assam Rifles, Col Viplav Tripathi, his wife, eight-year- old son and four personnel of the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) on Nov 12, 2021 near India-Myanmar border in Manipur's Churachandpur district.

It is interesting to note that amidst the Centre government imposing ban on these Meitei extremist groups, an accusation surfaced upon a Meitei officer in Indian Army assisting and aiding these Meitei Militants in Chandel District.

On November 8 and 9, 2023 the Kuki Inpi Chandel and Kuki Inpi Manipur issued Press Condemnation against a Meitei officer Col. SB Sharma, Commanding Officer of Sehlon Battalion 1 Assam Rifle for aiding and assisting fleeing Meitei extremists who tried to infiltrate India from Myanmar in Aivomjang - New Samtal area in Manipur's Chandel district. The Kuki Inpi Manipur, in its Press Condemnation, accused Col. SB Sharma of dispatching a military vehicle to evacuate the fleeing Meitei militants who were based in Myanmar.

The press condemnation of the Kuki Inpi Manipur reads: "In one of the most alarming cases of threat to the national security of India, a group of banned Meitei militants from Myanmar infiltrated into Aivomjang, New Samtal area of Chandel district, Manipur on November 8, 2023 following their fierce encounter with the PDF at Canan, Myanmar. The infiltration bid of these secessionist Meitei militants have been systematically executed by Col. S.B Sharma, C.O., 1 Assam Rifles of Sehlon post. On the pretext of conducting medical camp -that too without any medical equipment and medicine. The communal Meitei AR officer dispatched military vehicles to New Samtal, border village of India and Myanmar in a bid to evacuate Myanmar- based Meitei militants to Imphal.

Subsequently, the Kuki-Zo womenfolk stormed New Samtal AR post to thwart the nefarious ploy of the AR Meitei officer. In the scuffle, some women were injured and molested by the said AR officer.

The MHA said these organisations have, as their professed aim, “establishment of an independent nation by secession of Manipur from India through armed struggle and to incite indigenous people of Manipur for such secession”.

The activities of these organisations are “considered detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India and that they are unlawful associations”.

Justifying the ban, the MHA notification states that “if there is no immediate curb and control of the Meitei extremist organisations  they will take the opportunity to, mobilize their cadres for escalating their secessionist, subversive, terrorist and violent activities; propagate anti-national activities in collusion with forces inimical to sovereignty and integrity of India; indulge in killings of civilians and targeting of the police and security force personnel; procure and induct illegal arms and ammunitions from across the international border; and extort and collect huge funds from public for their unlawful activities”.

At least 178 people have been killed and 50,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3, when ethnic violence erupted between dominant Meitei and tribal Kuki communities in the northeastern state.

The Centre, it said, is of the opinion that the Meitei extremist organisations have been, “engaging in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India”, “employing and engaging in armed means to achieve their aforesaid objectives,”  “attacking and killing the security forces, the police and civilians in Manipur”, “indulging in acts of intimidation, extortion and looting of civilian population for collection of funds for their organisations”, “making contacts with sources abroad for influencing public opinion and for securing their assistance by way of arms and training for the purpose of achieving their secessionist objective”, “maintaining camps in neighbouring countries for the purpose of sanctuaries, training and clandestine procurement of arms and ammunition”.