Former UNLF Chief Calls for Economic Integration to End Manipur Violence, Flags Outside Interference

NEW DELHI: Rajkumar Meghen, former chairman of the Manipur-based insurgent group United National Liberation Front (UNLF), is in New Delhi to meet academics, lawyers, and activists from the state to build a coalition for peace. Meghen, who was released from prison in 2019 after serving a sentence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, is advocating for what he describes as rebuilding the 'idea of Manipur' based on 'interdependent coexistence.'

Speaking to reporters, Meghen urged the government to take steps toward economic integration of the Kuki and Meitei communities to build trust between the hill and valley regions. He arrived in Delhi on July 3 and said he has already met members of the Naga and Meitei communities and is open to meeting Kuki representatives 'if they are willing.' This outreach follows the abduction and killing of six Naga civilians in June, whose bodies were recovered, triggering widespread outrage.

Meghen alleged that 'non-state actors from outside India' are fueling the violence. He pointed to inadequate manning of the India-Myanmar border, leading to an influx of illegal immigrants who, he claimed, are overwhelming Kuki tribal areas and joining armed groups. He specifically mentioned Thanglianpau Guite, president of the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), who he said is a former member of parliament in Myanmar and whose Indian citizenship is under scrutiny. Meghen further claimed that many Chin-Kuki-Zo people from Myanmar enter Manipur and obtain domicile documents illegally, and that this demographic change will become evident in the 2027 Census.

Meghen criticized the central and state governments for failing to build confidence and stop the violence, asserting a 'lack of political will.' He argued that security measures like deploying CRPF commando battalions are insufficient. He also noted that heavily guarded buffer zones between Meitei-dominated valley and Kuki-Zo hill districts are restrictive and becoming hardened de facto borders.

'Since 1949 no governments in Delhi and Manipur have evolved any policy on how the communities in the state should be integrated into interdependent coexistence,' Meghen said. 'The most important thing for that to happen is to develop an interdependent economy where the hills and the valleys can come together for coexistence. Security is a critical responsibility of the state but it is crucial to build a climate of trust - silently, with sincerity and honesty so that community leaders can talk.'

Violence in Manipur erupted in May 2023 and has claimed over 260 lives. Meghen noted that the toll has affected both Meitei and Kuki communities, with 65,000 people displaced internally. He added that recent killings of Nagas indicate the conflict has become multilateral.

Meghen's visit to Delhi is his first since 2010, when he was brought to the capital after being arrested in Bangladesh and handed over to Indian authorities. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison under UAPA and released in 2019 after his sentence was commuted for good conduct.