Imphal: The Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF), which represent 25 underground groups and around 2,200 cadres under the tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, have rejected allegations of violations of the ground rules governing the ceasefire framework.
In a response to the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG), the two umbrella organisations accused the Manipur government of applying a double standard in dealing with SoO groups and alleged state involvement in violence against the Kuki community. They also called for an independent federal investigation and reiterated their demand for a separate administration for Kuki-Zo areas.
In a letter to N. Ashok Kumar, Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Home) and chairman of the JMG, the KNO and UPF responded to allegations of ground-rule violations, including claims that cadres had left designated camps with weapons and entered areas affected by active conflict.
The groups rejected the allegations and said any assessment of security at designated camps should take into account what they described as the wider breakdown of the security apparatus since ethnic violence began in Manipur on May 3, 2023.
They said senior Central government officials, including Ministry of Home Affairs interlocutor A.K. Mishra and Joint Director (North East) Mandip Tuli, were present in Manipur during the initial outbreak of violence and had witnessed the situation on the ground.
Allegations against state forces
The KNO and UPF questioned the action taken against SoO groups while alleging that state forces and other actors had been involved in violence against the Kuki population.
The organisations cited allegations of infrastructure destruction, armoury looting and collusion between state forces and surrendered factions. They also alleged that national highways were deliberately blocked by state-backed actors, restricting the movement of essential commodities to Kuki-inhabited areas.
SoO framework
The groups also referred to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ scheduled SoO extension meetings in early 2024. They alleged that the Manipur government’s unilateral withdrawal from administrative arrangements in January 2024 and its subsequent boycotts weakened the tripartite process.
The KNO and UPF questioned what they described as unequal treatment of Kuki leadership, arguing that penal action over alleged SoO violations should be accompanied by investigations into allegations against public figures, former state officials and security personnel.
The organisations said they had submitted timelines and video material in support of their allegations and urged the Centre to order an impartial judicial inquiry.
Demand for separate administration
The KNO and UPF also reiterated their demand for a separate administration for Kuki-Zo areas, proposing a Union Territory with its own legislature.
They said the physical separation of communities in Manipur had become an established reality and argued that separate legislative and administrative safeguards were necessary for the political and cultural interests of the Kuki-Zo people.