The Union Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh called upon the insurgency groups that were operating in Manipur while addressing an election rally last week in Imphal West to steer clear of violence and asked them to come to the negotiating table. He added that the Centre was ready to come to hold dialogue with them to bring lasting peace and stability to the region.
The Defence Minister while visiting Manipur said that the state had been pushing for development from the front and also said that the threat of insurgency had been waning. He went on to say that they were ready for dialogue with the insurgency groups operating in the state because all the problems that had been vexing in this region should now be resolved, be its unemployment, poverty among others.
The rise of insurgency in the state of Manipur dates back to the year 1964 when the UNLF (United National Liberation Front) was formed and it remains one of the most formidable militant outfits in the country. The emergence of separatist insurgency in the state could mainly be attributed to the perceived discontent over the alleged forced merger of Manipur with the Union of India and the delay in granting full-fledged statehood. The erstwhile Kingdom of Manipur was merged with the Union of India on October 15, 1949, and it was granted full-fledged statehood in 1972.
The years after the unification saw a slew of militant outfits being formed including the PLA (People’s Liberation Army), PREPAK (People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, KCP (Kangleipak Communist Party), and KYKL (Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup) among others. These outfits had been demanding an independent Manipur.
In Nagaland, the Naga movement got spilt over into Manipur’s hill districts with the NSCN-IM controlling most of the state while pressing for Nagalim meaning Greater Nagaland which was perceived as a threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Manipur. In the years that followed, Manipur had been caught up in a spiral of violence carried out by the militant outfits on the security forces.
Most of the state’s population is concentrated in the valley with the Meitei community forming a majority in the Imphal valley and the surrounding hill districts being inhibited by the Nagas and Kukis.
The Centre in 1980 declared the entire Manipur as a disturbed area and imposed the controversial AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) to suppress the ongoing insurgency movement which has remained in force to date. The continuance of insurgency in the state has led to the formation of various smaller outfits like the ZUF (Zeliangrong United Front), PULF (People’s United Liberation Front), among other groups.