Forty-six cadres of the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)-Taibanganba Group, including its chairman, surrendered with arms before the Manipur government and security forces on Tuesday, marking a step towards their return to civilian life.
The cadres laid down their arms during a “Home Coming Ceremony” at the 1st Manipur Rifles Parade Ground in Imphal. They handed over 20 arms, 216 rounds of ammunition and three explosives.
Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, who attended the event, said the prevailing crisis had led many young people to join armed groups, believing it was a way to defend the state. He said peace and development could not be achieved through weapons and welcomed the cadres’ decision to return to the mainstream.
Singh said the 46 cadres had surrendered under the state’s Revised Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Policy, 2018. The government would provide them with skill development training to help them build sustainable livelihoods.
On the demand for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur, Singh said the state government supported it and had already taken steps through a Cabinet decision and a resolution of the state Assembly.
The Chief Minister also appealed to organisations calling bandhs to withdraw such protests, saying they affected the lives and livelihoods of ordinary people. He urged them to adopt other democratic means to raise their demands.
