Peace Agreement with UNLF

Peace Agreement with UNLF

News: Recently, the UNLF signed a peace agreement with the Centre and Manipur government. This historic development is poised to usher in a new era of peace in the North East in general and Manipur in particular.

What is UNLF?
• The United National Liberation Front (UNLF), the oldest Meitei insurgent group in the state of Manipur, was formed under the leadership of Arambam Samarendra Singh on November 24, 1964.
• The outfit was formed with the aim of establishing a sovereign and socialist Manipur.
• The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in September 2012, acknowledged that 'the activities carried out by the United National Liberation Front(UNLF) are for bringing sovereignty in the state of Manipur.

How did it form?
• The UNLF was the culmination of several movements like the shadowy Pan-Mongoloid movement and the Revolutionary Nationalist Party (RNP), which raised the banner of independence in 1953.
• Later, differences within the outfit surfaced over the issue of strategies to be adopted. While Samarendra Singh sought to spread ideological consciousness before launching an armed struggle, the more radical leader Oinam Sudhir Kumar established the Revolutionary Government of Manipur (RGM) in December 1968.
• UNLF remained a social organization for a decade after this, and took to arms again only in the early nineties. By mid-1990, the front decided to launch an armed struggle for the ‘liberation’ of Manipur from India. In the same year, it formed an armed wing called the Manipur People’s Army (MPA). Soon after its formation, UNLF launched its first armed action against Indian security force in Loktak hydel project area, 30 km from Imphal in December 1991.

Conclusion
• The peace agreement with the UNLF marks a critical step in addressing the long-standing insurgency in Manipur.
• It reflects a shift in the approach of Meitei insurgent groups towards dialogue and potential reconciliation.
• The success of this agreement could pave the way for further peace initiatives in the region, contributing to stability and development in Manipur.