UKHRUL: The Manipur People’s Party (MPP) has demanded the immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework, disarmament of armed groups operating under it, and an end to what it describes as the Union government’s policy of divide and rule. In a press release issued after a conference in New Delhi on October 14, the party also called for an impartial investigation into the killing of Liangmai Naga villager Ajinpou Ringkangmai, stronger Indo–Myanmar border security, the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and rejection of proposals it says could institutionalise ethnic division in Manipur.
The following is the full press release issued on October 14, 2026 at New Delhi.
“Stop State-Sponsored Arming of One Group Against Another! Abrogate SoO and End Ethnic Violence in Manipur!
Today, 14 October 2026, the Manipur People’s Party (MPP) organised a press conference at the Press Club of India, New Delhi. Dr. Seram Rojesh, Spokesperson of the MPP, demanded an immediate end to the Union Government’s policy of arming and protecting ethnic armed groups to be used against other militants and indigenous communities in Manipur.
Dr. Seram Rojesh called for the immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework, the complete disarmament of armed groups operating under it, and an end to the BJP-led NDA government’s policy of divide and rule. The MPP asserted that armed groups must not be allowed to threaten civilian lives, deepen ethnic divisions, influence electoral politics, or obstruct the return of internally displaced people to their ancestral homes.
Social activists and community leaders also attended the press conference, highlighting the urgent need for accountability, protection of Manipur’s territorial integrity, and a political solution that unites communities rather than institutionalising their separation.
Condemnation of the Brutal Beheading of Liangmai Naga Villager
The MPP strongly condemns the brutal beheading of Liangmai Naga villager Ajinpou Ringkangmai on 10 October 2026, reportedly by the Myanmar-based Kuki National Army–Burma (KNA-B).
This is not the first time that KNA-B militants have been implicated in attacks on indigenous Indian communities along the Manipur–Myanmar border. The May 2026 attacks on Tangkhul Naga villages in Kamjong district raised grave concerns about the security of indigenous border communities and India’s national sovereignty.
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India is a sovereign nation. Why are foreign-based militants able to threaten Indian citizens on Indian soil? What are the Union Defence Minister and the Union Home Minister doing? What is the purpose of deploying nearly 70,000 central security personnel if Indian citizens continue to live in fear of armed attacks?
The Union Government must explain its failure to ensure the safety of border communities and take decisive action against cross-border militant activity.
ROOT CAUSE OF MANIPUR VIOLENCE: STOP THE POLICY OF DIVIDE AND RULE
The Union Government’s policy of accommodating armed groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework has failed to restore lasting peace and has contributed to continuing insecurity and ethnic division in Manipur.
Under the BJP-led NDA government, the policy of divide and rule extends beyond using ethnic armed groups against rival militants and other communities. The MPP maintains that Kuki armed groups operating under the protection of the Union Government have also been used to influence elections and secure political advantages in Manipur.
The use of ethnic armed groups as instruments of political power and electoral manipulation undermines democracy and the free will of the people. Armed influence must not be allowed to intimidate voters or distort electoral outcomes. The people of Manipur deserve free and fair elections, not a political system influenced by armed groups.
No government should arm, fund, protect, or use one group against another community or insurgent organisation. The experience of Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh demonstrates the dangers of state-supported armed mobilisation. In 2011, the Supreme Court of India ruled against the state’s use of inadequately trained tribal youth as Special Police Officers in anti-Maoist operations.
Manipur must not become a battlefield where indigenous communities are pitted against one another for security or political interests. The Union Government must end any policy that perpetuates armed ethnic rivalries and undermines the rule of law.
STOP THE THREE-STATE THEORY AND THREE-COUNCIL THEORY
The continuing violence in Manipur is being prolonged by divisive political approaches, including proposals described as the Three-State Theory or Three-Council Theory, which risk institutionalising ethnic separation instead of restoring peace. The Union Government must immediately reject any arrangement that permanently divides Manipur along ethnic lines.
The MPP condemns continuing restrictions on the free movement of Manipuri citizens within their own state. Security forces have imposed restrictions around so-called buffer zones and sensitive zones, while people from different communities face barriers to accessing public institutions, essential services, educational facilities, healthcare, and other public spaces across ethnic lines.
During the 2002 Gujarat riots, restrictions on movement were also imposed in affected areas. Nevertheless, the people of Manipur deserve clear answers about why restrictions separating communities and limiting movement continue to persist in their state.
Is Manipur not an integral part of India? Why should Manipuri citizens face barriers to moving freely and accessing public institutions in their own homeland?
The Union Government must end indefinite ethnic segregation, restore safe and free movement, ensure equal access to public institutions, and reject any arrangement that permanently divides Manipur into separate ethnic enclaves.
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MANIPUR’S HISTORICAL IDENTITY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY MUST BE PROTECTED AT ANY COST
The partition of British India under the Two-Nation Theory remains a painful historical lesson in the consequences of dividing people along religious and communal lines. History must not be repeated in Manipur through the Three-Council Theory or any political arrangement that institutionalises ethnic division and fragments the state.
Manipur has a distinct and centuries-old history, civilisation, identity, and political heritage that long predate its merger with India in 1949. Manipur was not created by India; rather, the Indian Union was formed through the integration of numerous states and regions with their own histories, identities, and political traditions.
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Protecting Manipur’s unity, territorial integrity, legal status, and historical identity is a solemn legal and moral responsibility of the Union Government. No policy should permanently divide Manipur into separate ethnic or political entities or deprive its people of their shared historical homeland.
The Union Government must immediately abandon any approach that promotes permanent ethnic separation and instead ensure the peaceful coexistence of all communities within a united Manipur. Lasting peace cannot be achieved by institutionalising division; it must be built through equal rights, security, justice, and mutual respect.
DO NOT REPEAT THE MISTAKES OF HISTORY. STOP THE THREE-COUNCIL THEORY. MANIPUR’S UNITY, TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, AND HISTORICAL IDENTITY MUST BE PROTECTED AT ANY COST. MANIPUR MUST NOT BE DIVIDED.
REHABILITATION OF IDPs AND COMPLETE DISARMAMENT OF SoO ARMED GROUPS
The Union Government must immediately rehabilitate all internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their original homes and places of residence, with full security, dignity, and freedom of movement.
Rehabilitation cannot be achieved without dismantling the armed structures that perpetuate fear, ethnic division, and insecurity. The continued arming of Kuki armed groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) framework is a major obstacle to restoring public confidence and enabling displaced families to return home safely.
All Kuki armed groups under the SoO framework must be completely disarmed. Any group refusing lawful disarmament must face legal consequences, and any organisation operating unlawfully must be dealt with strictly under the laws of India.
The Union Government must end the policy of armed ethnic division and guarantee the safe return of every displaced family to its original home. Rehabilitation must not be reduced to temporary relief camps or financial assistance while communities remain separated and unable to return to their ancestral lands.
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Since 3 May 2023, more than 300 people have reportedly been killed, dozens remain missing, and over 40,000 displaced people continue to languish in relief camps. The people of Manipur deserve justice, security, and the right to return home.
The continued non-publication of the report of the Supreme Court-appointed committee, as reported, has further deepened public mistrust. The Union Government must address the root causes of the violence instead of allowing ethnic divisions and insecurity to persist.
MPP’S DEMANDS
- Immediate abrogation of the SoO framework.
- Complete disarmament of all Kuki armed groups operating under the SoO framework through a lawful and verifiable process.
- An end to the policy of arming, protecting, or using one group against another.
- An end to the use of ethnic armed groups for electoral gains and political manipulation.
- An impartial investigation into the killing of Ajinpou Ringkangmai and attacks on civilians in border areas.
- Effective protection of the India–Myanmar border against cross-border militant attacks.
- An end to indefinite restrictions that prevent citizens from moving freely and accessing public institutions across communities.
- Rejection of any Three-State or Three-Council arrangement that institutionalises ethnic division or undermines Manipur’s territorial integrity.
- Accountability for killings, abductions, sexual violence, arson, and attacks on religious places.
- Transparency regarding relevant judicial and investigative reports.
- Immediate, safe, and dignified rehabilitation of all internally displaced persons to their original homes and ancestral places of residence.
- Protection of all indigenous communities and restoration of peaceful coexistence throughout Manipur.
THE UNION GOVERNMENT MUST ANSWER THE PEOPLE OF MANIPUR
How can peace return to Manipur when armed groups deepen ethnic divisions, citizens cannot move freely within their own state, and displaced families remain unable to return home?
What is the purpose of deploying tens of thousands of security personnel if Indian citizens cannot feel safe in their own homeland? Why has the Union Government failed to restore lasting peace, ensure accountability, and create the conditions necessary for displaced families to return home?
The Union Government must take responsibility for its policies and ensure that security arrangements protect citizens rather than perpetuate division. Lasting peace requires accountability, complete disarmament of armed groups under the SoO framework, equal rights, freedom of movement, and respect for Manipur’s territorial integrity.
END SoO! DISARM ARMED GROUPS! END DIVIDE AND RULE! STOP ETHNIC VIOLENCE! STOP ELECTORAL MANIPULATION! REJECT THE THREE-STATE AND THREE-COUNCIL THEORIES! REHABILITATE ALL IDPs! PROTECT MANIPUR’S UNITY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AT ANY COST!“
