RPI(A) demands military crackdown on Kuki-Zo militants

Imphal: Republican Party of India (Athawale) demanded governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla for a military crackdown on Kuki-Zo militants allegedly involved in the present Manipur crisis, which erupted on May 3, 2023.

Led by national secretary of the party, Maheshwar Thounaojam, submitted a memorandum to the governor on Monday and made the demand. They urged the governor to take up appropriate measures to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur.

Peace can be restored through political dialogue among the public. Is the government willing to engage in political dialogue with the militants remains a question, Thounaojam said.

He was talking to reporters in front of the Raj Bhavan main gate, here, after he submitted the memorandum.

RPI(A) also demanded the implementation of the Manipur (Hill Areas Acquisition of Chieftainship) Act, 1967; the removal of nomadic Chin-Kuki-Zo from Manipur’s Scheduled Tribe list; and the abrogation of the tripartite Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement between the Government of India, the Government of Manipur, and Kuki-Chin-Zo militant groups. The agreement, originally signed on August 22, 2008, has been extended until February 29, 2024.

Although the SoO agreement has been extended, there remains confusion among the public regarding its status, he added

He demanded the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime and the installation of an impenetrable border fence between Manipur and Myanmar.

The memorandum also called for the implementation of the National Register of Citizens, with 1951 as the base year.

It stated “The current crisis in Manipur is a manifestation of a well-planned design meticulously chalked out by leaders of the Chin-Kuki-Zo community, demanding a separate homeland since Manipur was merged with India in October 1949. Historical records, gazetteers, and census data have established beyond doubt that the Kuki-Zo people are not indigenous to Manipur. According to GA Grierson (1904), the Thadou (Khongzai) were the first Kuki tribe to enter Manipur between 1840 and 1850 after being driven out of the Chin Hills by the Soktes.”