Bhalla urged not to back SoO extension
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By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 29: The Meitei Alliance has submitted a memorandum urging the Governor not to support or recommend an extension/renewal of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with militant groups, under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF).
The SoO agreement—originally intended to reduce violence and aid in peace-building—has not only failed to deliver on its objectives, but has become a source of lawlessness, parallel authority, and systemic abuse across the State, said the Meitei Alliance's memorandum submitted to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla today.
It quoted a July 13 report of the NDTV, which pointed at SoO militant groups' involvement in a multi-crore highway compensation scandal.
Multiple compensation credits were allegedly routed to individuals connected to SoO- protected armed groups. This investigation of the NDTV exposes how groups under the protection of SoO have extended their influence into public institutions and resource distribution, thereby obstructing both governance and economic development, said the Meitei Alliance.
There have been repeated violations of the SoO ground rules.
The armed groups continue to engage in violence, extortion, and intimidation, it added. Law and order is a State subject, and the continuation of SoO agreement without accountability or consent from the elected State Government erodes Constitutional federalism, said the Meitei Alliance. Widespread violence since May 3, 2023, and the documented financial frauds exposed by the NDTV report have led to a complete breakdown of trust between the public and the SoO groups, it said.
Further, the SoO framework has enabled the ethnic militarisation of civil society, obstructing the return to normalcy and inclusive peace across communities in Manipur, said the Alliance, appealing to the Governor to not recommend or support any extension or renewal of the SoO agreement in its current form. It also urged the Governor to ensure strict enforcement of the law against all groups found violating the SoO terms, and support the re-establishment of democratic governance, where the elected State Government can exercise its rightful authority on law and order matters. The future of Manipur depends on a governance framework that upholds peace, accountability, and Constitutional integrity-not one that rewards armed impunity, said the Alliance.
IMPHAL, Jul 29: The Meitei Alliance has submitted a memorandum urging the Governor not to support or recommend an extension/renewal of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with militant groups, under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF).
The SoO agreement—originally intended to reduce violence and aid in peace-building—has not only failed to deliver on its objectives, but has become a source of lawlessness, parallel authority, and systemic abuse across the State, said the Meitei Alliance's memorandum submitted to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla today.
It quoted a July 13 report of the NDTV, which pointed at SoO militant groups' involvement in a multi-crore highway compensation scandal.
Multiple compensation credits were allegedly routed to individuals connected to SoO- protected armed groups. This investigation of the NDTV exposes how groups under the protection of SoO have extended their influence into public institutions and resource distribution, thereby obstructing both governance and economic development, said the Meitei Alliance.
There have been repeated violations of the SoO ground rules.
The armed groups continue to engage in violence, extortion, and intimidation, it added. Law and order is a State subject, and the continuation of SoO agreement without accountability or consent from the elected State Government erodes Constitutional federalism, said the Meitei Alliance. Widespread violence since May 3, 2023, and the documented financial frauds exposed by the NDTV report have led to a complete breakdown of trust between the public and the SoO groups, it said.
Further, the SoO framework has enabled the ethnic militarisation of civil society, obstructing the return to normalcy and inclusive peace across communities in Manipur, said the Alliance, appealing to the Governor to not recommend or support any extension or renewal of the SoO agreement in its current form. It also urged the Governor to ensure strict enforcement of the law against all groups found violating the SoO terms, and support the re-establishment of democratic governance, where the elected State Government can exercise its rightful authority on law and order matters. The future of Manipur depends on a governance framework that upholds peace, accountability, and Constitutional integrity-not one that rewards armed impunity, said the Alliance.