Centre forms tribunal to adjudicate ban on Meitei extremist organisations

At least nine Meitei extremist organisations were banned by the ministry on November 13 for their “secessionist, subversive, terrorist and violent activities”

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has constituted a tribunal under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), consisting of Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi at Gauhati high court, for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for banning the Meitei Extremist Organizations of Manipur.

Residents from Meitei community stop an army vehicle from moving towards a gunfight site after a fresh clash between members of rival ethnic groups, in Imphal, Manipur, India, November 7, 2023.(Reuters)

At least nine Meitei extremist organisations were banned by the ministry on November 13 for their “secessionist, subversive, terrorist and violent activities”.

These are - Peoples’ Liberation Army generally known as PLA, and its political wing, the Revolutionary Peoples’ Front (RPF), the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and its armed wing, the Manipur Peoples’ Army (MPA), the Peoples’ Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its armed wing, the “Red Army”, the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and its armed wing, also called the “Red Army”, the Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL), the Coordination Committee (CorCom) and the Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK) along with all their factions, wings and front organisations.

“MHA has constituted the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal consisting of Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi, Judge of the Gauhati high court, for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Meitei Extremist Organizations of Manipur”, a notification issued by it on Tuesday stated.

The government believes these organisations are indulging in attacks on security forces, police and civilians in Manipur, and involved in as activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.

MHA said these organisations have, as their professed aim, “establishment of an independent nation by secession of Manipur from India through armed struggle and to incite indigenous people of Manipur for such secession”.

The Centre, it said, is of the opinion that the Meitei extremist organisations have been,- “engaging in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, employing and engaging in armed means to achieve their aforesaid objectives, attacking and killing the security forces, the police and civilians in Manipur, indulging in acts of intimidation, extortion and looting of civilian population for collection of funds for their organisations, making contact with sources abroad for influencing public opinion and for securing their assistance by way of arms and training for the purpose of achieving their secessionist objective, and maintaining camps in neighbouring countries for the purpose of sanctuaries, training and clandestine procurement of arms and ammunition”.