State, centre sign pact with ZUF to cease hostility
Source: Chronicle News Service / PIB
New Delhi/Imphal, December 27 2022:
Fulfilling the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of an ' Insurgency free and prosperous North East' and under the guidance of Union minister of home affairs Amit Shah, governments of India and Manipur have entered into a Cessation of Operation (CoO) agreement with Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), a proscribed group active for more than a decade.
The agreement was signed by senior officers of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and government of Manipur and the representatives of ZUF in the presence of chief minister N Biren Singh and chief secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar in New Delhi on Tuesday.
As per a statement of Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the agreement will be a significant boost to the peace process in Manipur.
Representatives of the armed group agreed to abjure violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by law of the land.
The agreement provides for rehabilitation and re-settlement of the armed cadres.
A Joint Monitoring Group will also be constituted to oversee enforcement of the agreed ground rules.
The agreement was signed by ZUF chairman Jenchuilung Kamei and general secretary Aihong Riamroi while from Union government's side the deal was appended by MHA additional secretary (North East) Piyush Goyal and chief secretary' Dr Rajesh Kumar on behalf of the state government.
Chief minister N Biren termed the development as yet another 'milestone' and a significant boost to the peace process in the state.
"Representatives of ZUF agreed to abjure violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by law of the land.
Truly happy to see that more insurgent groups have embraced peace by putting faith in the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the chief minister took to Twitter later to express his gratitude.
"Also, thankful to Union home minister Amit Shah ji for ensuring that the armed insurgents of the region return to the mainstream," Biren Singh expressed in a tweet.
In a statement, the Union Home Ministry said fulfilling the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of an 'insurgency-free and prosperous Northeast' and under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the government of India and the government of Manipur entered into a cessation of operation agreement in New Delhi with ZUF that had been active for more than a decade.
Representatives of the armed group agreed to abjure violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by law of the land, the statement said.
Notably, the Centre has over the years signed several agreements to end insurgency and boost development in the Northeast in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make the region "insurgency free and prosperous".
In September this year, a similar tripartite peace agreement was signed between the Centre, the Assam government and as many as eight Adivasi rebel outfits in New Delhi.
Among the militant outfits that signed the pacts, in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, were the Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam, Birsa Commando Force, Adivasi People's Army, All Assam Adivasi National Army, Santhal Tiger Force besides three breakaw ay groups.
Last month, 31 cadres of five valley-based underground groups in Manipur laid down arms at a 'homecoming ceremony' in Imphal in the presence of the chief minister.
Of the 31 cadres who joined the mainstream at the ceremony held at the 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles, 17 belonged to the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)-People's War Group (PWG); four from another banned outfit; six from The People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK); three cadres from Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL); and one cadre was from PREPAK (VC).
Last week, nine cadres of the Mizoram-based militant group Hmar People's Convention-Democracy (HPC-D) laid down their arms and surrendered to police in southern Assam's Cachar district.
Earlier this month, as many as 1179 cadres belonging to two Barak Valley-based militant outfits - United Democratic Liberation Front of Barak Valley (UDLF-BV) and Bru Revolutionary Army of Union (BRAU) - laid down arms in southern Assam's Hailakandi district.
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