NIA Chargesheet Filing:
On March 7, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet in a Guwahati court.
The charges were against the “China-Myanmar module” of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN).
The NSCN was accused of aiding cadres from two banned Meitei groups: the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL).
The objective was to exploit ongoing ethnic unrest in Manipur, which began in May 2023, aiming to destabilize the state and wage war against the Government of India.
Main Ethnic Groupings in Manipur
Meitei:
Largest community, making up about 53% of the total population (27.21 lakh as per the 2011 Census).
Naga:
Constitutes about 17% of the population.
Kuki-Zomi-Mizo:
Make up around 26% of the population, categorized into 34 Scheduled Tribes.
India-Myanmar Border Issue:
India and Myanmar share a 1,643 km unfenced border, with 398 km along Manipur.
In January, the Indian government decided to fence the entire border and end the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which allowed people to cross without documents due to shared ethnic ties.
Significance of the Chargesheet
The chargesheet names five individuals: M. Anand Singh, A. Kajit Singh, Keisham Johnson, L. Michael Mangangcha, and K. Romojit Meitei.
They were arrested on September 16, 2023, in camouflage uniforms similar to those worn by security personnel.
Weapons and ammunition looted from police armouries were recovered.
Following their arrests, Meira Paibi, a women’s collective in Manipur, protested and clashed with police demanding their release.
A court granted bail, but Anand Singh was re-arrested by the NIA and taken to Delhi.
Anand Singh was identified as a trained cadre of the PLA, banned for advocating Manipur’s secession through armed struggle.
Singh was involved in subversive activities and mobilized local youth for armed training.
In July 2023, he participated in a weapons training camp organized by PLA cadres, training 80-90 young men.
The NIA stated that the accused conspired to carry out violent terror attacks against the Kuki-Zo community using looted arms and ammunition.
Kuki-Zo Insurgent Groups:
In 2008, 24 Kuki-Zo insurgent groups under the United Peoples’ Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) signed a suspension of operations pact with the MHA and the Manipur government.
The pact, up for annual extension on February 29, was left in limbo as the Manipur government did not send a representative.
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh accused these groups of violating ground rules and instigating violence.
The agreement followed the Kuki-Naga clashes in the 1990s, which resulted in hundreds of deaths.
Insurgent groups demanded independent land for Kuki-Zo people.
Clashes occurred after the NSCN's demand to include Kuki-Zo-inhabited areas in its proposed ‘Greater Nagaland’ project.
NSCN’s Stand
Following the NIA findings, the NSCN accused Indian security forces of aiding Kuki militant groups against Meitei revolutionary groups in Myanmar.
The NSCN claimed it was sensitive to the propaganda war by the Government of India.
The NSCN, which signed a ceasefire and has been in political talks with the Indian government for 27 years, distanced itself from the Manipur violence.
In August 2023, the NSCN stated that “no ethnic blood should flow in Naga areas in the name of Meitei-Kuki-Zo ethnic conflicts.”
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