Centre Forms Tribunal To Determine Ban On Meitei Extremist Organisations Of Manipur

The tribunal, formed under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), will be headed by Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi of the Gauhati High Court.

Amid the ongoing crisis in Manipur, the Home Ministry has formed an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal to adjudicate whether there is sufficient cause for banning nine Meitei extremist organisations and their affiliate outfits in the state. The tribunal will be headed by Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi of the Gauhati High Court, ANI reported.

The tribunal will determine whether Peoples' Liberation Army, also 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 could be declared as "unlawful associations".

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The northeastern state has been plagued by sporadic violence ever since clashes erupted between the majority Meiteis and the Kukis on May 3 over the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Over 180 lost their lives and thousands have been displaced in the ethnic clashes.

The development comes days after the Home Ministry extended the ban under the UAPA of seven Meitei extremist organisations and their affiliates for five years due to anti-India activities and attacking and killing civilians, police and security forces in Manipur.

The Home Ministry notification, issued a fortnight ago, said the outfits have professed their aim of the secession of Manipur from the country through armed struggle and "and to incite indigenous people of Manipur for such secession".

The ministry said it was of the opinion that the groups were "engaging in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India" and were resorting to armed means to achieve their objectives. The MHA also said the members of such outfits were intimidating and extorting civilians to collect funds, maintaining camps in neighbouring countries, and "making contacts with sources abroad" to influence public opinion and get help in procuring arms and ammunition.