Centre bans Meitei extremist groups as ‘unlawful associations’ for 5 years
On Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the ban on 11 Meitei extremist outfits of Manipur for five more years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Of the eight northeastern states, Manipur has the maximum number of militant outfits active in the bordering state for several decades.
The state has around 400 km of unfenced border with Myanmar, where tribal and non-tribal outfits are taking shelter and getting arms training.
The banned militant outfits are the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and its political wing, the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), and its armed wing, the Manipur People’s Army (MPA), the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its armed wing, the “Red Army“, the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and its armed wing, also called the “Red Army”, the Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL), the Coordination Committee (CorCom) and the Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK).
The Home Ministry in a notification said that these Meitei extremist outfits have their professed aim, establishment of an independent nation by secession of Manipur from India through armed struggle and to incite indigenous people of Manipur for such secession.
The Central government, having regard to the circumstances, is of the opinion that it is necessary to declare the Meitei extremist organizations along with all their factions, wings, and front organizations as ‘unlawful associations‘, for a period of five years, it said.
The notification said that these Meitei extremist outfits have been engaging in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, employing and engaging in armed means to achieve their objectives, attacking and killing the security forces, the police, and civilians in Manipur, indulging in acts of intimidation, extortion and looting of the civilian population for collection of funds for their organizations.
The notification also accused these outfits of making contacts with sources abroad to influence public opinion and secure their assistance by way of arms and training to achieve their secessionist objectives and maintain camps in neighboring countries for the purpose of sanctuaries, training, and clandestine procurement of arms and ammunition.
[With Inputs from IANS]
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