The Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Kuki militant groups are in the final stages of finalising fresh terms for extension of a ceasefire, with the two sides holding a meeting here Wednesday.
As per sources, the terms include withdrawal of Kuki militant camps from the fringes of the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley, consolidation of multiple camps into fewer camps, identification of militant cadres through proper certification, regulated movement of cadres outside camps, and a new structure of remuneration.
The development comes ahead of the likely visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Manipur on September 13. This would be the first visit of the PM to the state since the onset of the ethnic violence between the Kukis and Meiteis in May 2023.
The Kuki militant groups entered into a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Manipur government and the Centre in 2008, which was renewed every year until February 2024. However, in the wake of the ethnic violence in the state, the agreement has been in a limbo.
The government has been seeking a re-negotiation of the terms of the agreement to extend the SoO, and has been in talks with the Kuki groups since June this year.
Sources said that a key agenda in the negotiations has been withdrawal of SoO group camps from the fringes of the Valley – a long-time demand of the Meiteis. Currently there are 14 SoO group camps in Manipur. While many are stationed in the interiors in the hills, which are Kuki-dominated, some are located in areas where the hills meet the Valley.
Meitei groups have alleged that these camps have been used to launch attacks in the Valley, a charge denied by the Kukis.
“Various modalities for the same have been worked out. One is shifting them back. The other is clubbing some smaller camps into a large camp,” an MHA official said.
Other terms include proper identification of the SoO group cadres, with the groups required to issue certificates regarding the same. For movement of the cadres outside the camps, the terms being talked about are informing the local police station.
The remuneration paid to cadres and leaders of SoO groups by the government is also being renegotiated. It has been proposed that the cadres receive these amounts through the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) route into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts, for transparency. Earlier, commanders of the groups would receive the amount and redistribute among cadres.
The talks are happening parallelly with the government erecting camps for the UNLF (United National Liberation Front), a Valley-based insurgent group. The government had signed a peace agreement in November 2023 with the UNLF, one of the oldest militant groups in the Valley.
Sources said the government is also preparing ID cards of the UNLF cadres who will be staying in these camps, and that the process is nearing completion.
Apart from this, the government is also negotiating with the Kuki SoO groups to initiate free movement in the state. Kuki groups have not been allowing movement from the Valley to the hills, especially through Kangpokpi, one of the key routes to enter or exit the state. An agreement on this before the PM’s visit would be a big symbol of normalcy.
Free movement of people and goods across the Valley and hills in Manipur has been among the primary goals of the Centre since the imposition of President’s rule in February in the state. Since the onset of ethnic violence in May 2023, the Meiteis and Kukis have been geographically separated, with the former pushed into the Valley and the latter retreating to the hills, and the movement of people as well as goods from one to the other is almost impossible.
In fact, following the imposition of President’s rule, free movement was among the first announcements made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He even set a deadline for the same as March 8. However, the same could not be met due to opposition from Kuki groups, with a bus plying from Valley to the hills even coming under gunfire in Kangpokpi.
Since then, the initiative has been on the backburner, even though the Meiteis and Kukis have been moving through each other’s areas informally and under security cover, sources said.