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United National Liberation Front

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This article is about a separatist group in Manipur, India. For the Paraguayan resistance group, see United National Liberation Front (Paraguay).

United National Liberation Front of Manipur
AbbreviationUNLF
Founded24 November 1964; 60 years ago (1964-11-24)
FounderArambam Samendra[1]
TypeArmed Independence Group
Legal statusBanned by the Government of India
PurposeSovereignty of Manipur
HeadquartersManipur
Membership2,000 armed cadres (2005)
Chairman
Khundongbam Pambei
Main organ
MPA

The United National Liberation Front (UNLF), also known as the United National Liberation Front : Manipur,[2] is the oldest insurgent group active in the state of Manipur in the Northeast India which aims at establishing a sovereign and socialist Manipur.

Background

The United Nation Liberation Front's movement manifested as a result of several similar movements of the same political agenda. The outfit was founded on 24 November 1964[2] with the following key personalities as its central committee members:

  1. Kalalung Kamei, President
  2. Thankhopao Singsit, Vice-President
  3. Arambam Samarendra, General Secretary
  4. Longjam Manimohan, Member
  5. Laishram Kanhai, Member
  6. Nongmeikapam Sanajaoba, Member
  7. Nongmaithem Pahari, Member

Ideology and Aim

UNLF have nothing to demand from the Government of India but instead it is fighting to regain the lost sovereignty [of Manipur].

UNLF[3]

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in September 2012, acknowledged that "the activities carried out by the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) are for bringing sovereignty in the state of Manipur." The UNLF has viewed the statement as "a big political victory."[3]

The UNLF chairperson of that time, R. K. Meghan alias Sanayaima, has been charged for "waging war" against India by the NIA, but the UNLF leader has voiced that the UNLF does not view India or its army as enemies, and "the UNLF only resist the Indian armed forces stationed in Manipur and to resist those people who engaged in colonial repression."[3]

Sanayaima believes that Manipur is "under martial law," and has questioned the character and worthiness of the elections that had been held in Manipur. He further believes that "the most democratic means to resolve conflict is plebiscite."[3]

Organisation

The UNLF is one of the oldest insurgent organisation in the Northeast India. E. N. Rammohan, the former Director General of the Border Security Force, once wrote, "Of the five major (Imphal) valley underground groups, the UNLF's ideology is by and large intact. The senior leadership is well educated and has good organisational control."[2]

Manipur People's Army
Dates of operation9 February 1987 – present
(armed since 1990)
HeadquartersManipur
Active regionsNortheast India
IdeologyManipur Nationalism[4]
Socialist[5]
Separatism
[6]
Size2,000
OpponentsIndia India[7]
Myanmar Myanmar

Manipur People's Army

Manipur People's Army was formed on 9 February 1987 as an Army Wing of UNLF. In 1991, the UNLF picked up arms, and its first armed action against IOF carried on 15 December of 1991 at Lamdan on a CRPF Convoy. In 2005, the strength of the MPA was estimated to about 2,000 armed cadres.[2] According to the UNLF, by 2005, the UNLF was engaged in battle against about 50,000 armed personnel from the Indian Army, that are deployed against the organisation in the forest regions of Manipur.[8] The cadres of the group are drawn largely from the Meiteis and the Pangals.

The territory inhabited by the Nagas, consisting of four districts of Manipur, is the operating ground of Naga groups such as the NSCNs, who are predominantly Christian. The Imphal valley, consisting of four districts, is the operating ground of Meitei/Pangal groups such as PLA and PREPAK, who predominantly follow Vaishnav Hinduism and Sunni Islam respectively.

Split of UNLF

In May 2020, seven members of UNLF lead by one Major Nongdol made a written complaint with video evidence to the Chairman of UNLF against the then General Secretary of UNLF P Yaimachou @ Priyo for having illicit sexual relation with one Sergeant Tamyanganbi. The Chairman put up the matter at the Central Committee and proposed to punished Yaimachou for his violation of UNLF rules. But some Central Committee members influenced by Yaimachou tried a coup against the Chairman which had miserably failed.

The Chairman Khundongbam Pambei expelled Central Committee members Lancha, Chaoba, Chinglen, Yaimachou and some of their followers who took part in the attempted coup.

Controversies

Today, UNLF is still lead by Chairman Khundongbam Pambei but a group of expelled former members of UNLF like Lancha, Thabal, Iboyaima, Chinglen, Puyani are running an extortion gang using the name of UNLF.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Manipur : A Degenerated Insurgency". Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Nitin A. Gokhale (1 October 2005). "A life roughed–out in the jungle". —. Hong Kong: Tehelka. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d "UNLF activities are for bringing sovereignty in Manipur". Imphal Free Press. Sify. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  4. ^ "United National Liberation Front". Hindustan Times. 12 August 2004. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  5. ^ "The Official Home Page of the Indian Army". www.indianarmy.nic.in. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Insurgencies of the Northeast explained (Part I)".
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ Nitin A. Gokhale (1 October 2005). "Want peace? travel the roads not taken". Tehelka. Hong Kong. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
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