Manipur crisis: SoO groups & their objective
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: January 03, 2024 -

Any attempt to draw a comprehensive picture of the Manipur crisis without a critical introspection into the political goals of the Kuki militant groups under the Suspension of Operation or SoO agreement would be incomplete.

The Kuki National Organisation (KNO), one of the key Kuki militant groups is a signatory of the SoO, and its main objective is creation of Zalengam (Kuki homeland) by carving out Chin-Kuki dominated areas of Manipur and Myanmar (Burma) and merging them under a single administrative roof.

The KNO has a secondary goal in case the primary objective turned out to be unattainable.

The secondary goal is creation of Western Zelangam and Eastern Zalengam, two separate States within the territories of India and Myanmar respectively.

All other Kuki militant groups are driven by the same or a similar political goal.

This goal of the Kuki militant groups was no secret to the Government of Manipur when it signed the Suspension of Operation in 2008.

That was why a clause was inserted in the SoO which says that the militant groups must uphold the integrity of Manipur apart from abiding by the law of the land.

In total contradiction to the spirit and terms of the agreement (SoO), the Kuki militants are now openly demanding creation of a separate Kuki State or Zelangam.

Just a week or so after the violent conflict erupted on May 3, 2023, Kuki legislators raised the banner of separate administration which is more or less similar to a separate State.

Several Kuki frontal organisations have also been pursuing the same demand. The massive and unprovoked violence triggered by Kuki militants and their supporters in the guise of tribal solidarity march on May 3, 2023 and the subsequent displacement of Meitei people from Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh all point to a sinister design to complete the groundwork for creation of Zalengam or a separate Kuki State.

In another word, the violence was not any sudden outburst of anger against the Government and/or its policies but it was a premeditated and well coordinated politico-military offensive.

Even though the conflict has completed full eight months, it has not shown any sign of abatement.

On the contrary, the exponents of the separate Kuki State have been only intensifying their offensive as testified by the heavy fighting reported from Moreh since the past three days.

If it was not a pre-planned and premeditated offensive, the violence would have died down months back.

But who are those people who have been waging a sustained war against the State?

As early as mid-May 2023, cadres of SoO militant groups and arms were found missing from their designated camps.

This was stated by Kuldiep Singh, Security Advisor to the Government of Manipur.

The stated objective of SoO is to bring peace and facilitate political dialogue but it has turned out otherwise since May last year.

A large number of people including civil society organisations and student bodies have already raised strong suspicion that the SoO is being used as a masquerade to kill and slaughter innocent citizens with impunity.

Upholding any agreement with any militant group at the cost of peace, security and lives of citizens will only prove to be counter-productive, to say the least.

If the aggressors waging war against the State in pursuit of a separate Kuki State are not SoO groups, they are definitely foreign intruders in which case the military and paramilitary forces must be at liberty to deal with the foreign aggression.

If the aggressors are militant groups under SoO agreement, the State has every reason to abrogate the agreement.

But it appears that large sections of the military and paramilitary forces have their hands tied when it comes to dealing with those waging war against the State which implies that the aggressors are not entirely foreign intruders.

Most probably, it is a combined force of militants based in Manipur and Myanmar which has been waging a sustained, bloody war against the State.

The State must spell out the true identity of the aggressors.

It’s time to call a spade a spade.