WMC cautions against pampering SoO groups

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 18 : The World Meetei Council (WMC) has cautioned the Government of India against pampering militant groups under Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement.
While appreciating the Government of India’s efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the State of Manipur, the WMC has expressed deep concern with the ongoing engagement of the Ministry of Home Affairs with the armed groups under the ‘expired’ SoO agreement.
In a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the WMC said that dialogue for peace is always welcome.
However, it appears that undue importance is being given to the approval and demands of these armed groups, thereby implicitly legitimizing their actions. This is deeply alarming and sets a dangerous precedent, it said.
“It is our belief that the Government of India may have been misinformed- perhaps by certain quarters of military intelligence operating in the region - that peace in Manipur hinges solely on the involvement of these groups. Such a narrative overlooks the socio- political fabric of the State and delegitimizes the role of the democratically elected State Government”, it said.
Though the Biren Singh-led State Government may have failed in its response to the ongoing crisis, it does not justify bypassing Constitutional institutions or elevating non-State actors to positions of political influence. On the contrary, the State's authority must be strengthened, not supplanted, the WMC asserted.
The MHA's continued engagement with these ‘ex-SoO’ groups, without addressing the fundamental question of their legitimacy, threatens to undermine India's democratic founda- tions.
These groups have, at times, operated with impunity-using the threat of violence to override the authority of elected representatives, the WMC said.
It questioned how a Constitutional democracy could condone such actions. The WMC also urged the Prime Minister to consider the long-term implications of nurturing or “pampering” any armed group - irrespective of community or ethnicity. Doing so only reinforces the perception that violence, or the threat thereof, is a viable means to achieve political or territorial objec- tives in India.
The WMC also earnestly appealed to the Prime Minister to reassert the authority of the Indian State, and to ensure that peace is pursued through lawful and democratic means - anchored in the values of justice, equity, and Constitutional integrity.