• The Union government and Manipur government signed a peace agreement with United National Liberation Front (UNLF), under which the rebel group has agreed to renounce violence.

• The UNLF is Manipur’s oldest militant organisation dominated by the majority Meitei community.

• The UNLF was formed in 1964 and has been operating from both within and outside Indian territory. 

• Chief Minister N.Biren Singh said a new era of peace and progress has dawned in Manipur as the Centre signed the peace agreement with the UNLF.

• The development comes after the ban on the group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was extended for five years earlier this month.

• Representatives of the UNLF signed the agreement in New Delhi with senior officials of the Union ministry of home affairs and Manipur government.

• The Centre has signed agreements with several armed groups of the Northeast to end militancy and promote development. 

• While political settlements have been finalised with several ethnic armed groups of the northeast as part of conflict resolution initiatives of the Centre, it is for the first time a valley-based Manipuri armed group has agreed to return to mainstream by abjuring violence and agreeing to honour the Constitution of India and laws of the land. 

• The agreement will not only bring an end to hostilities between UNLF and security forces which have claimed precious lives on both sides over the last more than half a century but also provide an opportunity to address the longstanding concerns of the community.

• A peace monitoring committee will be constituted to oversee enforcement of the agreed ground rules. The development is likely to be a significant step in restoring peace and normalcy in the state.

• The return of UNLF to the mainstream may also encourage other valley-based armed groups to participate in the peace process in due course. 

• Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes between the Meitei and tribal Kuki communities since May resulting in the death of over 180 people. 

Insurgency in Northeast Region

• India’s Northeast Region stretches from the foothills of the Himalayas in the eastern range and is surrounded by countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Myanmar. 

• It includes Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. 

• The region is rich in natural resources, covered with dense forests, has the highest rainfall in the country, with large and small river systems nesting the land and is a treasure house of flora and fauna.

• The quest for ethnic and regional identity, nationalism, and ideological motivations have fomented a climate of insurgency in several parts of the Northeast Region, which has led to political fragmentation of the region. The climate has been further fuelled by the slow pace of development. The difficult terrain, dense forest cover and open borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh have provided a congenial environment for this.

• Insurgency has taken a heavy toll on economic progress in the region. 

Initiatives for peace process

The government has shown its willingness to enter into dialogue with any group, which is willing to abjure the path of violence and place its demand within the framework of the Constitution of India. 

Pursuant to the above policy of the government, a number of outfits have come for talks with the government for resolution to their grievances and a number of cadres of insurgents have surrendered with weapons.

1) Scheme for Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation of militants in North East

The ministry of home affairs has been implementing a scheme for Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation of militants in Northeast to wean away the misguided youth and hardcore militants who stray into the fold of militancy and later find themselves trapped into that net.

The scheme also seeks to ensure that the militants, who have surrendered, do not find it attractive to join militancy again.

The scheme provides for:

• An immediate grant of Rs 1.5 lakh to each surrenderee.

• Payment of stipend of Rs 3,500 per month to each surrenderee for a period of one year.

• Vocational training to the surrenderees for self-employment.

2) Reimbursement of Security Related Expenditure (SRE)

The central government has been implementing a non-plan scheme for reimbursement of Security Related Expenditure (SRE) for the states seriously affected by militancy/insurgency.

The scheme is being implemented in all states of the region except Mizoram and Sikkim. 

Under it, the expenditure incurred by them on various items, is being reimbursed. It includes:

• Raising of India Reserve Battalions.

• Logistics provided to the CAPFs/Army deployed in the state.

• Ex-gratia grant and gratuitous relief to the victims of extremist violence.

• 75 per cent of the expenditure incurred on POL (petrol, oil and lubricants) in operations and honorarium.

• Payment to Village Guards/Village Defence Committees/Home Guards deployed for security purposes,

• Expenditure incurred on maintenance of designated camps set up for groups with whom the central government/state governments have entered into agreement for suspension of operations.

3) Civic Action Programme in the North Eastern States

In order to take the local populace in confidence and boost the image of armed forces among the common people, Army and Central Armed Police Forces conduct Civic Action Programme.

Under this programme, various welfare/developmental activities are undertaken like holding of medical camps, sanitation drives, sports meets, distribution of study material to children, minor repairs of school buildings, roads, bridges and running adult education centers, etc.

4) Advertisement and Publicity

Keeping in view of the issues like militancy, infiltration and perceived feeling of alienation, ministry of home affairs implements a scheme of Advertisement and Publicity in North Eastern States with a view to highlight the activities being undertaken by the government for peace in the region and also with a view to convey that “peace pays”.

5) Modernisation of Police Force

The home ministry is implementing a non-plan scheme, namely Scheme for Modernisation of State Police Forces (MPF) towards modernisation of the state police forces, especially for meeting the emerging challenges to internal security in the form of terrorism, naxalism etc. All major items of Police infrastructure have been included under the scheme like construction of secure police stations, outposts, police lines, mobility, modern weaponry, security, surveillance, communication, forensic equipment, upgradation of training infrastructure, police housing, computerisation, etc.

6) Helicopter Services in North Eastern States

At present, the helicopter services are in operation in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura with subsidy from the ministry of home affairs. The subsidy portion is limited to 75 per cent cost of operation of helicopter service minus recovery from passengers. The balance cost of operation of the helicopter service is met by concerned state governments.

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