South Asia Terrorism Portal
Manipur: UNLF - An Unexpected Accord Afsara Shaheen Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management
On November 29, 2023, the Government of India (GoI) and Government of Manipur signed a Peace Agreement with the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), in New Delhi. A Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) release noted,
Just 10 days earlier, in a notification dated November 13, 2023, UMHA had extended the ban on valley-based Meitei Insurgent Groups, including UNLF, stating that these groups were "engaging in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India and employing and engaging in armed means to achieve their objectives."
Other Meitei rebel groups, include the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing, the Revolutionary Peoples’ Front (RPF); UNLF’s 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 Kanna Lup (KYKL); the umbrella Coordination Committee (CorCom); and the Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK). These organisations were banned for the first time on November 13, 2018.
According to partial data compiled by South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), between March 6, 2000, when SATP started compiling data on insurgencies in the Northeast and November 29, 2023, when the peace deal with the UNLF was signed, Manipur recorded a total of 3,784 insurgency-linked fatalities, including 988 civilians, 463 Security Force (SF) personnel, 2,180 insurgents and 153 fatalities in the Not Specified (NS) category. Of the total of 3,784 fatalities, group identities could be established in 1,448 fatalities (194 civilians, 233 SF personnel, 979 insurgents and 42 NS), of which UNLF was found to be involved in 318 (30 civilians, 107 SF personnel, 179 militants and two NS), i.e. 21.96 per cent; followed by PREPAK, 229 (36 civilians, 18 SF personnel, 164 militants and 11 NS); PLA, 227 (28 civilians, 47 SF personnel, 147 militants and five NS); KCP, 193 (19 civilians, 162 militants and 12 NS); and KYKL, 156 (24 civilians, 29 SF personnel, 98 militants and five NS), all Meitei groups. There were 16 other insurgent groups active in the state who, together, were responsible for the remaining 325 fatalities (in which group identities could be established): two Meitei groups (19 fatalities), seven Kuki groups (132 fatalities), four Naga groups (149 fatalities), two Zomi groups (23 fatalities) and one Islamist group (two fatalities).
Thus, UNLF has been the deadliest among all the active insurgent groups in Manipur.
UNLF, the oldest Valley-based insurgent group, formed under the leadership of Areambam Samrendra Singh on November 24, 1964, has a declared goal to establish an independent and socialist Manipur, a state which the UNLF alleges India "annexed" in 1949. In 1990, it decided to launch an armed struggle for the ‘liberation’ of Manipur from India. In the same year, it formed an armed wing, Manipur People's Army (MPA). The outfit maintained close ties with several other rebel groups in the Northeast, including the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang group (NSCN-K), the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), and the Kuki National Army (KNA). It had its training camps in Manipur as well as in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Significantly, on November 25, 2023, a UNLF camp located in the upper Tamu township in Myanmar, approximately four kilometers from Moreh, India’s last border Town in Manipur’s Tengnoupal District, was raided and captured by a joint force of the Democratic Forces – Peoples Defence Force (PDF) and the Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-Burma). The raid resulted in the confiscation of documents and a substantial cache of arms and ammunition. The UNLF camp had been established with the assistance of the Myanmar Junta in 2020.
Meanwhile, after Samarendra Singh was assassinated by unidentified militants in Imphal on June 10, 2001, the UNLF leadership was taken up by Rajkumar Meghen alias Sana Yaima, who was arrested in 2010. While Meghen was imprisoned, Khundongbam Pambei became 'chairman' of the outfit. Rajkumar Meghen, however, was released from Guwahati Central Jail in November 2019 after serving a decade-long sentence. Under Pambei, who was open to talks, the process to begin ceasefire negotiations started in 2020. Subsequently, in 2021, the UNLF split into two: one faction under the 'chairmanship' of Pambei and the other under the 'chairmanship' of N.C. Koireng. Reports in June 2023 claimed that Pambei was nabbed by the Myanmar Army while enroute to Thailand some five months earlier. Moirangthem Nongyai is now the 'acting chairman' of the faction and Chabungbam Thanil is the 'general secretary'. On December 2, 2023, in response to allegations by the Koireng faction of compromising on Manipur's sovereignty by signing the peace agreement, Nongyai stated that the agreement made no compromise on the demand for the 'sovereignty of Manipur', and made it clear that the outfit would not lay down its weapons until a solution regarding its demand for a "sovereign Manipur" is achieved. Nongyai stated,
The Koireng faction of UNLF, which is opposed to talks, had released a statement just after the peace deal, alleging that the Pambei faction had deviated from the 'political principle' of the UNLF by signing the peace pact, describing the peace agreement as a "death trap" and betrayal of the people. It stated that the GoI has never agreed to include the issue of 'sovereignty and independence' on the agenda of talks and said that this is the stand India government took on holding talks with National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and with the Pro-Talks faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-PTF), and this is precisely why the Independent faction of ULFA (ULFA-I) has not accepted talks with GoI till today.
The UNLF underwent a formal split in the mid-1990s, when N. Oken broke away, to form KYKL.
While UMHA is withholding information about the number of militants surrendering, media reports indicate that up to 65 cadres of the faction led by K. Pambei have signed the peace accord. It is believed that these 65 cadres had entered Manipur from Myanmar during the recent ethnic unrest in the state.
UMHA hopes that, with the UNLF joining the peace process will “encourage other valley-based armed groups to participate in the peace process in due course”, but this may be a premature conclusion, particularly in view of the disorders that currently prevail in the state. Nevertheless, with UNLF seeking peace, a significant source of destabilization is likely to be contained, and is an important first step by a political class manifestly engaged in the politics of polarisation to resolve the multiple insurgencies that have long afflicted Manipur.
Maharashtra: Gadchiroli - Lingering Dangers Deepak Kumar Nayak Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On November 24, 2023, Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres dragged a tribal farmer, Ramji Chinna Atram (28), to a ‘people's court’ (kangaroo court held by the Maoist rebels), and shot him at point-blank range, in Kapewancha village in the Aheri Tehsil (revenue unit) of Gadchiroli District. A handwritten note left by the Maoists alleged that Atram was a ‘police informer’ and a woman Maoist had been killed in an encounter with Security Forces (SFs) due to inputs provided by him. On September 30, 2022, a woman CPI-Maoist cadre, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, was killed in an encounter between the SFs and the Maoists in the Kapewancha Forests of the Aheri subdivision in Gadchiroli District.
On November 23, 2023, a C-60 commando’s father, who worked as a Police Patil (warden), was abducted from his home at Titola village in Etapalli Taluka (revenue division) and bludgeoned to death with boulders by the Maoists in Gadchiroli District. The Police warden, Lalsu Dhingra Velda (55), was accused by the Maoists of tipping off the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Hedri subdivision and acting as an agent of mining firms, according to the Maoist pamphlet signed by the Gatta Local Organisational Squad (LOS) of the Dandakaranya region.
On November 16, 2023, a 32-year-old tribal youth, Dinesh Gawde, was found dead in Morkhande village in the Mulchera Taluka of Gadchiroli District. Dinesh was abducted by Maoists late on November 15. The Maoists accused him of being a ‘police informer’. A resident of Aheri, Dinesh was in Morkhandi to play volleyball. He was abducted while returning to his native village.
According to partial data collated by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), at least four civilians have been killed in Gadchiroli since the beginning of the current year, thus far (all data till December 3, 2023). During the corresponding period of 2022, five civilians had been killed, and no further killing was reported in the remaining period of 2022. There were four civilian killings in 2021 and 2020. 2019, however had recorded 18 fatalities, the highest since the 36 (the preceding high) recorded in 2011. There were 18 fatalities in 2012 as well. Significantly, since March 6, 2000, when SATP, started compiling data on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in India, at least 191 civilians have been killed in the district.
No trooper has been killed in Gadchiroli in the current year, as in 2022. The last SF fatality was recorded on August 14, 2020, when a Police Constable, Dushyant Nandeshwar (26), was killed while another Constable was injured when a CPI-Maoist ‘action team’ shot at them in a market in Kothi village under Bhamragad Tehsil in the Gadchiroli District. Since March 6, 2000, a total of 166 SF personnel, have been killed in the district, including a maximum of 52 such killings in 2009 alone.
Four Maoists have been killed in the district in the current year. During the corresponding period of 2022, two Maoists were killed, and no further killing was reported in the remaining period of 2022. A maximum of 51 such killings were documented in 2018, while a low of one such fatality was recorded in 2002. A total of 322 Maoist fatalities have been documented in Gadchiroli district since March 6, 2000.
Thus, Gadchiroli has recorded a total of 691 LWE-extremism linked fatalities since March 6, 2000, including 191 civilians, 166 SF personnel, 322 Naxalites and 12 in the Not Specified (NS) Category (data till December 3, 2023). During this period, Maharashtra state recorded a total of 707 fatalities (200 civilians, 170 SF personnel, 325 Naxalites and 12 NS]. Other than Gadchiroli, the Gondia district recorded seven fatalities [five civilians (one each in 2009, 2013, 2019 and two in 2012) and two SF personnel (one each in 2006 and 2011)]; followed by Bhandara, three fatalities [two SF fatalities in 2003 and one civilian in 2010]; Nagpur, two fatalities [one civilian in 2001 and one Maoist in 2011]; and one civilian fatality in Aurangabad in 2012. The specific location of three fatalities in the state could not be confirmed.
Meanwhile, search operations and combing raids have resulted in the arrest of 355 Maoists in the District since March 6, 2000, including five arrests recorded in the current year, according to SATP data. Besides, mounting SF pressure has also led to the surrender of 269 Maoists since 2000, including three in 2023. The SFs recovered arms on at least five occasions in 2023, compared to four such incidents in the corresponding period of 2022. There were no further incidents of this kind recorded in the remaining 30 days of 2022.
Gadchiroli, situated on the North-Eastern side of Maharashtra State, bordering Telangana and Chhattisgarh, covers a total of 14,412 square kilometres, of which 78.40 per cent (around 11,694 square kilometres) is under forest cover. The district borders four districts – Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur, and Rajnandgaon – in Chhattisgarh, the worst Naxal-affected districts of the country; as well as two Maoist affected Districts – Adilabad and Karimnagar – of Telangana. The district is divided into six Sub-Divisions i.e., Gadchiroli, Chamorshi, Aheri, Etapalli, Desaiganj and Kurkheda respectively and each sub-division has two talukas. The eastern part of district, i.e., Dhanora, Etapalli, Aheri and Sironcha talukas; are under dense forest cover. Bhamragadh, Tipagad, Palasgad and Surjagarh are the hilly areas of the district. The geographical juxtaposition of steep hills and deep forests provides ideal terrain for the Maoists to operate, and make it a grueling task for the SFs to take on the insurgents.
Nevertheless, as the data indicates, the SFs have succeeded in establishing dominance and a semblance of peace in the district. However, the recent civilian killings suggest that the Maoists seek to re-establish their terror over the section of the population that sides with the government and consequently creates hindrances for their efforts to revive the movement.
According to a November 24, 2023, report, these efforts include taking projections that the Maoists are fighting for the rights of citizens, by calling for a 'Gadchiroli bandh' (general shut down strike) on November 30, in protest against Police action to disperse anti-mining protesters at Todgatta village in the Etapalli Tehsil of Gadchiroli District. The CPI-Maoist ‘western sub-zonal bureau’ called for the bandh. In the morning of November 20, 2023, a huge Police contingent allegedly surrounded and destroyed the site at Todgatta in Gadchiroli District, where protesters from over 70 Adivasi villages had been peacefully agitating for the last eight months, against the six proposed and auctioned iron-ore mines in the district’s Surjagarh area.
Earlier, on September 19, 2023, the Maoists threatened Maharashtra Food and Drugs Minister Dharmaraobaba Bhagwantrao Atram in a pamphlet found in Gadchiroli District, over the Surjagarh steel project. Atram is the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Aheri in the Gadchiroli District. The pamphlet, from Shrinivas of the Maoists’ ‘Paschim Sub Zonal Bureau’, accused Atram and his kin of being "agents" of the Surjagarh steel project and appealed to people to protest against them. It also warned the minister to stop "anti-people work."
Meanwhile, a July 15, 2023, report noted that 1,200 new Maoist recruits were being trained in the bordering districts of Chhattisgarh, a matter of potential concern for Gadchiroli.
To counter the re-emerging threats, according to a November 21, 2023, report, more than 2,000 SF personnel erected a 'ballistics-proof' Police post at Wangeturi village in the Etapalli Taluka of Gadchiroli District. This Police post covers 19 villages in Etapalli Taluka, and will help C-60 commandos conduct road-opening missions on foot, to avert ambushes or Maoist boobytraps while crossing into Maharashtra from the Chhattisgarh side during joint inter-state 'sanitization' operations. Speaking on the occasion, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP), Neelotpal noted,
In a renewed effort to prevent the youth from joining Maoist ranks, on April 7, 2023, the Police and local administration, under the guidance of SP Neelotpal, set up a library with Wi-Fi facilities at the Nargunda village in Gadchiroli District under the 'Ek Gaon-Ek Vachanalaya' (library in every village) initiative, with more than 150 books, aimed at helping students. On March 9, 2023, CPI-Maoist cadres had shot dead a tribal youth, Sainath Narote (26), who was preparing for competitive exams, on suspicion of being a 'Police informer', at Mardhur village of the Bhamragarh Taluka under Nargunda Police Station limits in Gadchiroli District.
Security Forces consolidation in Gadchiroli has been instrumental in keeping the Maoist threat under control, though the rebels continue to look for every possible opportunity for restoration of their losing influence. The Maoists are yet to be written off from the region, and it remains imperative, for both State and Union governments to ensure that adequate action is taken to contain the residual Maoist threat.
Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia November 27- December 3, 2023
Civilians
Security Force Personnel
NS
Total
AFGHANISTAN
BANGLADESH
CHT
INDIA
Chhattisgarh
Jammu and Kashmir
Maharashtra
Manipur
INDIA (Total)
PAKISTAN
Balochistan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
PoK
PAKISTAN (Total)
Total (South Asia)
Taliban falls short in supporting human rights, says Amnesty International: On November 28, Amnesty International said that after two years, the Taliban de facto authorities have failed to respect and protect the human rights of women and girls. The organisation called on the international community to continue building the pressure." Hasht e Subh Daily, November 29, 2023.
Pambei faction of UNLF declares no weapons surrender until solution for 'Manipur's sovereignty' is achieved: On December 2, acting 'chairman' of the Pambei faction of United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Moirangthem Nongyai stated that the peace agreement signed on November 29, does not compromise its demand for the 'sovereignty of Manipur' and the outfit made it clear that it will not lay down its weapons until a solution regarding its demand for a "sovereign Manipur" is achieved.
On November 29, Manipur's oldest valley-based armed group, the UNLF, signed a peace agreement with the Central Government in New Delhi. Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah tweeted, "UNLF, the oldest valley-based armed group of Manipur, has agreed to renounce violence and join the mainstream. I welcome them to the democratic processes and wish them all the best in their journey on the path of peace and progress." India Today, November 30, 2023. Deccan Herald, December 4, 2023.
Canada giving space to anti-India elements and interfering in our affairs, says MEA: On November 30, at a media briefing the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said "Ottawa has consistently given space to anti-India extremists and violence. That is at the heart of the issue (in bilateral ties). Our diplomatic representatives have borne the brunt of this. So, we expect the Government of Canada to live up to their obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. We have also seen interference in our internal affairs. This is obviously unacceptable. The Statesman, December 1, 2023.
Maoists still making presence felt in four Odisha Districts, says BSF IG Dhaneswar K R Sharma: The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) menace is still prevailing in four districts of Odisha, said Border Security Force (BSF) Inspector General (IG) Dhaneswar K R Sharma on November 30. The BSF IG said, "No Naxal [left Wing Extremism, LWE]-related activity was reported from Malkangiri and Koraput districts in the last three years. But Naxal activities are still being reported from districts like Kandhamal, Boudh, Kalahandi, and Nuapada." Odisha Tv, December 1, 2023.
November saw 34 per cnet increase in anti-state violence across Pakistan, says PICSS report: Following a two-month decline in terrorist activities, Pakistan experienced 34 pc increase in anti-state violence in November, Dawn reported on December 3 quoting Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) data. The data reveals a total of 63 terrorist attacks during the month, resulting in 83 fatalities, including that of 37 Security Force (SF) personnel and 33 civilians. Additionally, 89 individuals sustained injuries, comprising 53 civilians and 36 SF personnel. SF eliminated at least 59 terrorists, while 18 suspected terrorists were apprehended. Dawn, December 3, 2023.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa witnessed 563 terror incidents in 2023, reveals CTD report: The Provincial Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on November 30 released a report on the terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2023, according to which as many as 563 terror incidents this year. Out of 563 incidents, Police were targeted 243 times. According to the report, the highest 132 incidents of terrorism were reported in Dera Ismail Khan District, 103 incidents in Khyber District and 89 terror incidents were reported in Peshawar District. Ary News, December 1, 2023.
Over 50 female terrorists' list issued in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on December 1 issued a list of female terrorists who had been involved in different natures of unlawful activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2014. According to the list, 30 females were involved in incidents of terrorism, 13 in kidnapping, two in extortion and three each in targeted killing and terror financing. Geo News, December 2, 2023.
The South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on related economic, political, and social issues, in the South Asian region.
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