Manipur: Rahul Gandhi urged to address tripartite SoO agreement in upcoming parliament session
Jiribam: Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has been urged to raise the issue of the tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement of Manipur in the forthcoming Parliament session, set to commence on July 22, 2024.
The agreement, signed between the Government of India, the Government of Manipur, and 25 Kuki militant organizations, aims to establish a ceasefire and restore peace in the troubled region of Manipur.
During a whirlwind tour of the Jiribam district headquarters on Monday, Gandhi received a memorandum from the Jiri United Committee (JUC), an apex body of civil societies and student organizations in Jiribam.
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The memorandum highlighted the urgent need to address the SoO agreement and included five key demands.
One of the demands was to take serious and effective steps to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur, particularly in Jiribam.
The second was to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur, using 1951 as the base year to protect indigenous people and maintain demographic balance.
The SoO agreement, initially signed on August 22, 2008, involved the Government of India, the Manipur government, and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO).
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The agreement sought to cease hostilities, with the militant groups committing to completely stop any form of violence. The Kuki militants have long demanded a separate Kuki state within Manipur.
A total of 25 Kuki militant groups, under the umbrellas of the Kuki National Organisation/Army (KNO/A) and the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), signed the peace pact with the government.
The peace deals have been extended periodically, with 17 outfits under the KNO and 8 under the United Peoples’ Front (UPF).
However, there remains a state of uncertainty among the general masses in Manipur regarding the extension or abrogation of the SoO agreement. The JUC's memorandum called for immediate action to address this and other pressing issues to restore peace and normalcy in the region.