'Abrogate SoO pact or establish popular Govt'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 03 2025: The Indigenous Peoples' Forum Manipur, Thadou Inpi Manipur, Meitei Alliance and the Foothills Naga Coordination Committee have categorically asked the Government to either abrogate SoO agreements as recommended by the last Manipur State Government or establish a popular Government or conduct re-election in Manipur to ensure the elected State Government can recommend renewal of SoO agreements.

In a joint memorandum submitted to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the four organisations asserted that if the SoO agreements are to be renewed then structure and framework of the agreements should be holistically reviewed for effective and efficient implementation.

The memorandum also recommended establishment of an independent and neutral arbitrator in case of conflict of interest under the Constitution of India.

Armed militants who committed acts of violence should be prosecuted according to the law, and if any signatories or members of KNO and UPF are found to be associated directly or indirectly, they should not be protected under the SoO.

The SoO Agreements should be considered as a mechanism for non-violence and not as a protector of violence, it said.

The four organisations urged the Government of India not to arbitrarily renew "flawed Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreements with armed militant groups, who had persistently violated SoO ground rules and whose armed militants started violence in Manipur on May 3, 2023, in Churachandpur and burning houses in Torbung and Kangvai".

These armed groups protected by SoO agreements are gravely undermining safety and security of all communities in the State of Manipur, said the memorandum.

On August 1, 2005, the Indian Army entered into a bilateral SoO arrangement with two umbrella bodies of armed militant groups - the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF).

These arrangements were later formalised into tripartite SoO agreements on August 22, 2008, involving the Government of India, the Government of Manipur, with the KNO and the UPF in two separate agreements, which had been renewed every year.

However, the preamble and ground rules of the SoO agreements are repeatedly violated by the Kuki armed groups, and the Government of Manipur is unable to make them accountable due to structural flaws in the SoO agreement, it said.

The preamble of the SoO agreements state that KNO and UPF will completely abjure the path of violence and will not engage in violent or unlawful activities like killing, injuries, kidnappings, ambush, extortions, intimidations, carrying of arms in public and imposing of 'tax' or 'fines'.

Therefore, it establishes that the purpose of SoO agreements is to maintain law and order, which is a State subject under the Constitution of India.

On one hand, the SoO agreements state that the Government of Manipur can terminate and take appropriate action against KNO and UPF.

In case the groups are found violating the ground rules, the State Government on the recommendation of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) may terminate the SoO arrangements and also take appropriate action including use of force against the groups.

However, on the other hand, the SoO agreements establish a Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) that includes the very groups responsible for violence - KNO and UPF - who are expected to recommend to the State Government whether action should be taken against themselves.

The agreements state that the JMG shall be headed by the Principal Secretary/Commissioner (Home), Government of Manipur, and include the ADG/Inspector General of Police (Intelligence), Manipur, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Central paramilitary organisations, the Indian Army, and the underground groups.

The JMG is to meet once a month to oversee the implementation of the SoO pact.

The Manipur State Government should be responsible for maintaining law and order in the State; however, due to the flawed structure of the SoO agreements, the State Government is unable to do so, said the memorandum.

As the SoO agreements are tripartite between the Government of India, the State Government of Manipur, and the armed militant groups, and since the armed militant groups have violated the preamble and ground rules of the SoO agreements, the elected State Government of Manipur officially abrogated the SoO agreements with KNA and ZRA in March 2023 and recommended against their extension in January 2024.Therefore, the SoO Agreements cannot be renewed or extended unless recommended by the elected State Government of Manipur, and not in the current structure and form of the agreements, it added.

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