Manipur: Demand to scrap ceasefire pact with militant groups is ‘sinister ploy’, allege Kuki MLAs

All ten Kuki MLAs from Manipur on Wednesday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his intervention against a “biased resolution” adopted by 34 other MLAs on Sunday seeking the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki militant groups.

The Suspension of Operations agreement is a ceasefire pact signed between the Centre, the Manipur government and two conglomerates of Kuki militant outfits – the Kuki National Organisations and United Peoples Front – in 2008. The Kuki MLAs said that the demand to end the agreement is a “sinister ploy to demean and tarnish the image” of groups that signed the peace deal.

The legislators also demanded that Manipur state police commandos be immediately withdrawn from the border town of Moreh, where the situation has been tense after an ambush on security forces by suspected insurgents on December 30.

“There will be peace and tranquility once all Meitei personnel from the state forces are withdrawn from Moreh and tribal police officers and personnel deployed as is the case in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts,” the letter states.

The MLAs have also sought that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act be reintroduced in the Manipur valley to empower the Assam Rifles paramilitary forces and the Indian Army as “violence continues till...

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