Asem Bhakta
Special Correspondent North East
IMPHAL: The Meitei Alliance has submitted a memorandum to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, urging him not to recommend or support the renewal of Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with militant groups Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF).
The agreement, originally intended to reduce violence and aid peace-building, has failed to deliver on its objectives and has instead become a source of lawlessness and systemic abuse across the state, the memorandum claims.
A recent NDTV investigative report exposed large-scale financial irregularities involving fraudulent compensation claims for national highway expansion, with funds disbursed against blank documents and multiple credits routed to individuals connected to SoO-protected armed groups.
The Meitei Alliance cites repeated violations of SoO ground rules, constitutional breach of state authority, public distrust, and social fragmentation as grounds for not renewing the agreements. Armed groups continue to engage in violence, extortion, and intimidation, and the continuation of SoO agreements without accountability or consent from the elected State Government erodes constitutional federalism.
The Meitei Alliance has urged the Governor not to recommend or support any extension or renewal of the SoO Agreements in their current form, ensure strict enforcement of the law against all groups found violating 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, rather than one that rewards armed impunity, the memorandum emphasizes.
