Manipur's UNLF signs peace pact with Centre: Why is this agreement being called 'historic'?

The United National Liberation Front (UNLF) has signed a ‘historic’ peace deal with the Centre. The UNLF has, as per terms of the agreement, decided to give up violence. The news comes just days after the ban on the group under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was extended for five years earlier this month. It also comes in the backdrop of the state since May witnessing unrest as clashes between the Meitei and tribal Kuki communities have left at least 180 dead. Amit Shah posted on X:

A historic milestone achieved!!!

Modi govt’s relentless efforts to establish permanent peace in the Northeast have added a new chapter of fulfilment as the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) signed a peace agreement, today in New Delhi.

UNLF, the oldest valley-based armed… pic.twitter.com/AiAHCRIavy

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 29, 2023

But what is the UNLF? And why is the deal historic in nature? Let’s take a closer look: What is the UNLF? The UNLF was established in 1964. It is Manipur’s oldest militant group and dominated by the majority Meitei community. As per The Frontier Manipur, the group was founded by Arambam Samarendra on 24 November, 1964.

Samarendra, its general secretary, was a Meitei.

The group’s founder president was Kalalung Kamei – a Naga – and its vice-president was a Kuki named Thankhopao Singsit. The UNLF’s stated aim was to “liberate Manipur from India and to form an independent socialist state of Manipur.” As per the outlet, the group spent the next few decades increasing its membership and also developed outfits to help it achieve its social aims. As per The Print, top UNLF brass supported the Pakistani Army during the 1971 war. The group also established a connection with China. As per The South Asia Terrorism Portal website, its leader N Bisheswar Singh and his comrades visited Lhasa to seek help from the Chinese in 1975. On May 22, 1990, the UNLF, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Khaplang (NSCN-K), the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), and the Kuki National Army (KNA) – floated an outfit called the Indo-Burma Revolutionary Front (IBRF). The group’s aim was to wage a “united struggle for the independence of Indo-Burma”. “It [UNLF] made its first move towards building up an armed cadre when in 1976, RK Meghen accompanied by N Oken and a few others trekked to the Somra Tract in Myanmar and established ties with the Naga insurgents based there,” the Frontier Manipur piece stated. The UNLF launched its first attack in 1990 when it waylaid a CRPF convoy in Lamdan. [caption id=“attachment_13446862” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Founded in 1964 by Arambam Samarendra, the United National Liberation Front is Manipur’s oldest militant group. Image courtesy: @AmitShah[/caption] The mid-1990s saw the UNLF splinter after Meghen’s deputy N Oken left and established the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL). Samarendra, the founder of the group, was shot dead by two KYKL men on 10 June, 2000. The group in 2006 proposed a four-point formula to resolve the conflict in Manipur. Its proposals included:

• A plebiscite under United Nations (UN) supervision to elicit the opinion of the people of the State on the core issue of restoration of Manipur’s independence.
• Deployment of a UN peace-keeping force in Manipur to ensure that the process is free and fair.
• Surrender of arms by the UNLF to the UN force, matched by the withdrawal of Indian troops, and
• Handing over of political power by the UN in accordance with the results of the plebiscite.

The proposal was rejected by Government of India. The UNLF’s armed wing is called the Manipur People’s Army (MPA), as per The Print. The group in 2021 split into two factions. As per Indian Express, Khundongbam Pambe heads up the pro-talks faction, while another faction is headed up by NC Koireng.

As per The Quint, the group was previously chaired by RK Meghen alias Sanayaima.

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Meghan, who belonged to Manipur’s royal family, was in 2010 nabbed in Bangladesh and handed over to India. Meghen was in June 2016 given 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment by a special NIA court. Meghen was eventually released from prison on Guwahati Central Jail in November 2019, as per The Hindu. Sources told The Print that the UNLF has bases in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region and Bangladesh. Over the years, the UNLF has constantly attacked India’s armed forces. As per the South Asia Terrorism Portal website, the UNLF also maintains links with the NSCN-K. Why is the deal historic in nature? Representatives of the UNLF signed the agreement here with senior officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Manipur government, an official spokesperson said. While political settlements have been finalised with several ethnic armed groups of the Northeast as part of conflict resolution initiatives of the Centre, it is for the first time a valley-based Manipuri armed group has agreed to return to mainstream by abjuring violence and agreeing to honour the Constitution of India and laws of the land. The agreement will not only bring an end to hostilities between UNLF and security forces which have claimed precious lives on both sides over the last more than half a century but also provide an opportunity to address the longstanding concerns of the community, the spokesperson added. [caption id=“attachment_13446872” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The development is likely to be a significant step in restoring peace and normalcy in Manipur. Image courtesy: @AmitShah[/caption] The Indigenous Tribal Leader’s Forum (ITLF) of Manipur told The Quint, “The Valley Based Insurgency Groups (VBIG) were involved in the ethnic cleansing of the Kuki-Zo. They would masquerade as State police by wearing the State Police uniform and killed many Kuki-Zo people. If they have put down their arms, then it is a good sign for peace. The government should crack down on the remaining VBIGs if they want peace in Manipur." Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes between the Meitei and tribal Kuki communities since May resulting in the death of over 180 people. As per PTI, Central security agencies had warned that militant groups such as UNLF and PLA were mingling with mobs during protests to stoke further tensions. A peace monitoring committee will be constituted to oversee enforcement of the agreed ground rules.

The development is likely to be a significant step in restoring peace and normalcy in the state.

It is hoped that the return of UNLF to the mainstream will also encourage other valley-based armed groups to participate in the peace process in due course. Hoping that the development will give a fillip to usher in a new era of peace in the Northeast in general and Manipur in particular, Shah said “It is a landmark achievement in realising PM @narendramodi Ji’s vision of all-inclusive development and providing a better future to the youths in Northeast India.” Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh has hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Singh told ANI, “Efforts for peace talks were being made for years but without any success. This signing happened today under the leadership of PM Modi. I congratulate the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who worked hard to bring peace.” “The cadres of UNLF agreed to follow the path of peace, I appreciate the members for this. I hope that the militants in the state and those who raise weapons also choose the path of peace,” Singh added. “The confidence BJP Government built in the northeast, the care it showed there - this is a result of that. The change that happened in the northeast, especially Manipur, after PM Modi came to power…seeing that confidence all of this is happening.” The Centre has also continued Suspension of Operations (SoO) with 21 Kuki- dominated groups to ensure that peace is established in hilly regions of Manipur. This agreement was signed in 2008. The Manipur government had announced unilateral withdrawal from the SoO in March against two Kuki-dominated insurgent groups alleging that they were involved in encroaching of forest land. However, the Centre did not endorse it. With inputs from agencies