The Government of India took a significant step on Monday by banning nine Meitei extremist groups and their associate organizations, primarily operating in Manipur, for their anti-national activities and violent attacks on security forces. According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the banned groups, which will face a five-year ban, include the Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing, Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) along with its armed wing Manipur People’s Army (MPA).
Further, the Peoples’ Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its armed wing Red Army, the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and its armed wing, Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL), Coordination Committee (CorCom), and the Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK) have also been included in the ban.
The banned organizations have been actively pursuing the establishment of an independent nation by seceding Manipur from India, and have been involved in violent activities, including attacks on security forces, police, and civilians. They have also been engaged in intimidating, extorting, and looting civilians for funding, and have sought assistance from sources abroad for their activities. If left unchecked, the extremist organizations are likely to escalate their subversive and terrorist activities, posing a significant threat to national sovereignty and integrity.
The decision to extend the ban on certain organizations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and to declare others as unlawful associations, underscores the government’s commitment to curbing anti-national and violent activities in the region.
The move comes in the backdrop of simmering ethnic clashes in Manipur, with over 180 people losing their lives since the violence first erupted in May. The clashes have largely stemmed from grievances between ethnic Meitei and Kuki communities, with issues such as the Scheduled Tribe status for Meiteis contributing to the tensions. Meiteis make up the majority of the state’s population, with tribals, including Nagas and Kukis, constituting a significant portion as well.
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