Meitei Alliance Urges Governor to Scrap SoO with Kuki Groups
Global Body Cites Alleged Ground Rule Violations and Systemic Abuse, Calls Agreement a "Source of Lawlessness."
- The Meitei Alliance has urged Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla not to extend the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki insurgent groups.
- The alliance accused the groups of blatant ground rule violations and becoming a source of lawlessness and systemic abuse.
GG News Bureau
Imphal, 1st July: A global body of Meitei civil society organizations, the Meitei Alliance, has formally requested Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla not to renew the tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with two dozen Kuki insurgent groups. In its representation, the alliance alleged blatant violations of ground rules and stated that the agreement has become a “source of lawlessness, parallel authority, and systemic abuse across the state.”
The representation acknowledged that the SoO agreement was originally intended to foster peace but argued that it has failed to meet its objectives. The Meitei Alliance cited a recent NDTV report that alleged the Kuki National Front (KNF), a signatory of the agreement, was involved in siphoning off highway-widening compensation funds in Kangpokpi district. The alliance claimed this shows how SoO-protected groups have extended their influence into public institutions, obstructing governance and economic development.
The KNF has refuted these allegations, calling them “utterly baseless and motivated.” However, the group did not request an investigation or a forensic audit to clear its name. Similarly, at least 12 village chiefs and chairmen have objected to what they called “unverified allegations” but have not sought an investigation by any enforcement agency. A top banking source told NDTV that a proper forensic audit may be needed to detect suspicious entries.
The Meitei Alliance provided three key reasons for not renewing the agreement: a constitutional breach of state authority, public distrust and a breakdown of governance, and social and communal fragmentation. The alliance argued that the continuation of the SoO without accountability or the consent of the elected state government “erodes constitutional federalism.”
This representation follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Manipur assembly on February 29, 2024, which urged the Centre to scrap the deal. The assembly is currently under suspended animation due to President’s rule.
The 25 Kuki, Zomi, and Hmar insurgent groups are organized under two umbrella bodies—the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF)—which signed the SoO agreement. Official confirmations of ground rule violations have been made on at least two occasions. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a KNA insurgent in June 2025 for allegedly killing two commandos, while Manipur Police in September 2024 confirmed the involvement of Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) insurgents in a Jiribam gunfight. A Meitei insurgent group, UNLF (P), which has a separate ceasefire agreement, was also confirmed to have been involved in the same gunfight.
