Suspension of Operations (So0) Agreement
- June 2, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Suspension of Operations (So0) Agreement
Subject : Geography
Section: Places in news
Concept :
- The recent statement by the Union Home Minister, who threatened to take stern action against any Kuki militant groups that breach the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, has drawn criticism from some members of the SoO groups.
- They claimed that they have not violated any of the terms of the pact, which was signed in 2008 with the Centre and the Manipur government to end decades of insurgency in the hill areas of Manipur.
Details
- The SoO groups, which comprise 24 Kuki insurgent outfits under two umbrella organisations, the United Peoples’ Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), have been demanding a separate administration for the Kuki tribal areas in Manipur as part of the peace talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
- The talks were progressing well until violence erupted on May 3 this year, when clashes broke out between Meitei and Kuki communities over land disputes.
SoO Agreement
- The SoO agreement was a result of the bloody Kuki-Naga clashes in the 1990s, which claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands.
- The agreement stipulated that the groups would surrender their weapons, join peace talks and stay in designated camps.
- The groups are also entitled to a monthly stipend of ₹6,000 per cadre. However, the SoO group member alleged that the camps were in poor condition and the stipend was delayed by months. The member said that if the cadres did not step out of the camps to earn their living, they would starve.
Background of the agreement
- This cease-fire agreement was made with two umbrella organisations, the Kuki National Organization (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF), which together represent 25 groups: 17 under the KNO and 8 under the UPF.
- This trilateral agreement, which was signed by the state, the groups, and the centre, called for an end to tensions and violence on all sides and the beginning of a political discussion.
- The tribal bodies said that “the Union Home Minister vowed to solve the Kuki demand for a separate ethnic state during the 2022 election, now the questions have been raised as a result of the recent step taken by the state government. The Centre will decide what happens next.”
Insurgency in Manipur
- The Insurgency in Manipur is a continuous armed conflict between the government and several separatist rebel groups.
- Manipur’s insurgency is a part of the larger insurgency in Northeast India and contains elements of an ethnic conflict and a battle for national liberation.
- Historical background:
- The Kangleipak State was established in 33 AD, beginning Manipur’s long tradition of independence. A single power did not rule the entire country before that.
- Following the brief Anglo-Manipur War of 1891, Great Britain seized control of the Kingdom of Manipur and turned it into a protectorate.
After Independence
- In October 1949, Manipur was integrated into India.
- It became an independent state in 1972 as a response to violent demonstrations.
- Following Manipur’s integration into the Indian state, several insurgent groups emerged, arguing that the union with India was forced upon Manipur and calling for the establishment of an independent state within its borders.
Main insurgent groups
- United National Liberation Front (UNLF), the first secessionist organisation, was established in 1964. However, they didn’t start using force until 1991.
- TheKangleipak Communist Party (KCP), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), and the People’s Liberation Army of Manipur (PLA) were all founded between 1977 and 1980 and joined the conflict.
- The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, of 1958 was imposed on Manipur by the Indian government in 1980 after the region was declared a source of instability; the act is still in effect today.
- Manipur-based militants are differentiated from the other insurgencies in the Northeast by a low rate of defections and a well-organized intelligence network. However, they have avoided targeting local police officers to win over the public.
- The primary means of funding for armed organisations continue to be extortion.