New Delhi, July 18: The World Meetei Council (WMC) has expressed strong concerns over the Government of India’s continued engagement with armed groups in Manipur whose Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement has expired. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, WMC urged the Centre to reassert the authority of the Indian state and warned against what it called the “pampering” of such groups.
While acknowledging the government’s efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the state, WMC criticized the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for according undue importance to the demands of the armed groups, arguing that such actions risk legitimizing their activities.
“It appears that undue importance is being given to the approval and demands of these armed groups, thereby implicitly legitimizing their actions. This is deeply alarming and sets a dangerous precedent,” the statement read.
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The Council suggested that the central government may have been misinformed by certain military intelligence sources that peace in the region depends solely on the inclusion of these groups in the peace process. WMC warned that this narrative overlooks the role of the democratically elected government of Manipur.
While acknowledging the shortcomings of the state government in handling the ongoing crisis, WMC maintained that this does not justify bypassing constitutional institutions. “The state’s authority must be strengthened, not supplanted,” the letter noted.
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WMC further stated that continued negotiations with these “X-SoO” groups, without questioning their legitimacy, undermines India’s democratic foundations. The statement cited instances where such groups have acted with impunity and threatened elected representatives.
In its concluding remarks, the Council appealed to the Prime Minister to pursue peace through democratic and constitutional means, warning that nurturing any armed group, regardless of community or ethnicity, sends a dangerous message that violence is a viable route to political or territorial gains.