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Debjit Mukherjee: The Union home ministry has extended the existing ban on eight “Meitei extremist organisations”, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), for advocating the secession of Manipur from India through an armed struggle.
Under the UAPA law, the Centre called them an “unlawful association” while accusing them of inciting people of Manipur for secession, a government notification issued on Monday, November 13, stated.
The eight outfits are namely, the Peoples’ Liberation Army widely known as PLA, and its political wing, the Revolutionary Peoples’ Front (RPF); the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and its armed wing, the Manipur Peoples’ Army (MPA); the Peoples’ 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 notification said the outfits have been engaging in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India by employing and engaging in armed means to achieve their objectives. Towards this end, they have been attacking and killing the security forces, police and civilians in Manipur. They are also indulging in acts of intimidation, extortion, and looting of the civilian population for collection of funds, the notification added.
The organisations have also been accused of making contacts with sources abroad to influence public opinion and for securing their assistance by way of arms and training for the purpose of achieving their secessionist objective and maintaining camps in neighbouring countries for the purpose of sanctuaries, training, and clandestine procurement of arms and ammunition.
The extended ban, which came into effect on November 13, will remain in force for 10 years hence. According to the previous 2018 notification, the said outfits were involved in 756 violent incidents from January 1, 2013- July 31, 2018, and killed 86 persons, including 35 security personnel during the same period.
The latest notification, however, omitted reference to the number of violent incidents the organisations were involved in the past five years.
