IMPHAL, Sept 15: The Manipur People’s Party (MPP) has demanded that the BJP-led NDA government immediately abrogate the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki armed outfits and ensure equal application of the law across the state.
In a statement signed by General Secretary (Media) Karamjit Arambam, the state’s oldest regional party also called for an end to what it described as the selective targeting of local village defence guards, or Khunngakpas.
The MPP alleged that armed groups covered by the tripartite SoO agreement continued to participate in violence, possess illegal arms outside designated camps and receive state protection. It argued that accommodating armed groups under negotiated agreements while taking action against Meetei village guards created a perception of state bias and fuelled further ethnic mobilisation.
Citing the Supreme Court’s judgment in Nandini Sundar & Others v. State of Chhattisgarh concerning Salwa Judum, the party said the apex court had rejected the use of armed tribal youth as a counter-insurgency strategy. It maintained that the state had a constitutional responsibility to protect citizens through accountable security institutions rather than ethnic armed groups.
The MPP demanded cancellation of the SoO agreement and disarmament, demobilisation and rehabilitation of the groups covered by it. It also sought an immediate halt to selective action against Khunngakpas and a comprehensive rehabilitation programme for village volunteers, while calling for due process in cases involving serious criminal offences.
The party further sought a democratic and constitutional approach to peace based on reconciliation, equal enforcement of law and federal accountability. Referring to its 1972 government’s decision to release 55 political prisoners under a general amnesty as a peace initiative, the MPP said lawful governance could coexist with reconciliation.
The party clarified that its demands were not directed against any particular ethnic community, but were aimed at ensuring equal constitutional protection, demilitarisation and the rule of law across Manipur.
