Civil Groups Urge Amit Shah to Scrap Peace Deals Shielding Armed Militants in Manipur

Imphal, July 4: Four civil society organisations have jointly appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to refrain from renewing the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with armed militant groups.

The appeal, submitted in a joint memorandum signed by the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum Manipur, Thadou Inpi Manipur, Meitei Alliance, and the Foothills Naga Co-ordinating Committee, described the SoO agreements as deeply flawed. The organisations stated that these agreements have shielded militant groups that “instigated the violence” which erupted on May 3, 2023, in Churachandpur and subsequently led to the burning of homes in Torbung and Kanvai.

Also read 203 Weapons, Explosives Recovered in Major Manipur Security Ops

The memorandum argued that the protected status given to these groups under the SoO agreements has significantly compromised the safety and security of all communities in the state. It recalled that the Indian Army first signed bilateral SoO arrangements with the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF) in 2005. These arrangements were later formalised into tripartite agreements on August 22, 2008, involving the Government of India, the Government of Manipur, and the militant groups, and have since been renewed annually.

Despite this formal structure, the organisations alleged that the Kuki armed groups have repeatedly violated both the preamble and ground rules of the agreement, and that the Manipur government has been rendered powerless in holding them accountable due to inherent flaws in the agreement’s design, the memorandum said. They pointed out that the agreement clearly prohibits violence, extortion, public display of arms, and illegal taxation all of which have continued under the SoO’s protection.

A central concern raised in the memorandum is the composition of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG), which is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the SoO, it said. The JMG includes representatives from the same militant groups accused of violating the agreement. This creates a conflict of interest, as these groups are expected to recommend action against themselves. The JMG, headed by the Principal Secretary or Commissioner (Home) of the Manipur government, also includes officials from state police, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Indian Army, and the underground groups, the memorandum added.

Also read Manipur Govt issues Advisory on Official Secrets Violations

The signatories noted that while the Manipur government has the authority to terminate the SoO agreements based on JMG recommendations, the involvement of the militant groups within the monitoring mechanism has made effective enforcement nearly impossible. They stressed that law and order falls under the jurisdiction of the state government as per the Constitution of India, yet the current structure of the SoO agreements prevents the state from exercising that authority.

In light of repeated violations and rising public discontent, the Government of Manipur officially abrogated the SoO agreements with the Kuki National Army (KNA) and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) in March 2023. The state also recommended against extending these agreements in January 2024. The civil bodies asserted that any renewal of the SoO must be based on recommendations from a duly elected state government and should not proceed in the current structure.

Also read Governor Meets Tamenglong CSOs; Assures Support on Key Public Service Issues

They further emphasised that restoring peace in Manipur requires decisive steps. This includes either respecting the last elected government’s recommendation to abrogate the SoO Agreements or conducting fresh elections to establish a new popular government capable of making such decisions. If the SoO agreements are to be renewed, the civil bodies insist that the agreements must be thoroughly restructured, the memorandum added. They called for an independent and neutral arbitrator to handle conflicts of interest and recommended legal prosecution for militants involved in violence. Anyone found associated with such activities, whether directly or indirectly, should be disqualified from the protections offered by the SoO framework.

The civil society organisations concluded that the SoO agreements should serve as a mechanism for ensuring peace and non-violence and not as a shield for perpetrators of unrest.

(Newmai News Network)