Chairman (Luchingpurel) RK Meghen | |
|---|---|
Yambung Sana Yaima | |
| Born | 21 September 1944 Yaiskul |
| Education | Master |
| Occupation | Chairman of UNLF |
| Organization | UNLF |
| Spouse(s) | Ibemnungshi |
| Parents |
|
| Family | RK Chinglen (son) Thounaojam Brinda (daughter in law) |
| Honours | Chairperson[1] |
Rajkumar Meghen (born 21 September 1944)[2] alias Sana Yaima (precious son)[3] is a Manipuri separatist politician and the chairman of United National Liberation Front.
Personal life
Meghen is the second son of RK Madhuyarajit Singh & Laitonjam Ningol Hemabati, and the great grandson of Prince Tikhendrajit, the military commander for Manipur Kingdom in the Anglo Manipuri War.[4][5] He graduated from St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College in Kolkata and went on to receive his masters from Jadavpur University in International Relations.[5][6]
Meghen has two sons; the elder's wife was employed by Manipur Police for about three years.[7][4]
UNLF
RK Meghen reportedly joined UNLF in 1964.[citation needed] In 1975, he left Manipur and trekked to a militant camp in Myanmar’s Somra Tract led by Thuingaleng Muivah and S. S. Khaplang; his younger son was six days old.[7][4] He became chairman of UNLF in 1998.[citation needed]
In 2010, he was arrested at Bangladesh and soon, handed over to India.[8][9][10] The National Investigation Agency (NIA) charged him along with 18 other leaders for waging a war on India and raising funds by extorting the state government and private bodies.[9] In June 2016, the NIA Court pronounced a guilty verdict on 11 sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act; Meghen was sentenced to 10 years in prison.[11] He declined to appeal for leniency and rejected that Indian Courts had any sovereign rights to litigate him.[11]
In November 2019, his sentence was commuted by about 10 months owing to his contributions to the jail like setting up a library , a music school for jail inmates and construction of a garden inside the Guwahati Central Jail[12] and he was released from jail — in what was widely perceived to be a governmental strategy during the Naga Peace talks.[6][13] However, he was disallowed by the National Investigation Agency to immediately return to Manipur and instead transported to a safe house in Guwahati followed by Delhi.[9][14] On November 28, he was finally allowed to leave for Imphal.[14] Meghen has since spent a quite life, away from media attention.[14]
References
- ↑ Scroll Staff. "Manipuri separatist leader RK Meghen released from Guwahati jail after completing sentence". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ↑ "Plot to assassinate former UNLF Chief RK Meghen is fake: Manipur Police". thenortheasttoday.com. 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ↑ "RK Meghen, leader of Manipur valley insurgents, freed, then detained". The Indian Express. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "The Chequered Career of a Manipur Police Officer Whose Father-in-Law is an Insurgent Leader". The Wire. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "UNLF chief RK Meghen set to return home after 44 years : 28th nov19 ~ E-Pao! Headlines". e-pao.net. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chakravarti, Sudeep (2019-11-14). "Can Manipur rebel chief R.K. Meghen sway Naga peace talks?". mint. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bhonsle, Anubha. "In Manipur, a policewoman pays heavily for being related to an insurgent leader". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
- ↑ "Indian separatist leader 'arrested in Bangladesh'". BBC News. 2010-10-13. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Scroll Staff. "Manipuri separatist leader RK Meghen released from Guwahati jail after completing sentence". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
- ↑ "India confirms arrest of Manipur rebel leader". BBC News. 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Meghen firm on stand". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
- ↑ "UNLF Chief Rajkumar Meghen Set to Return Home after 44 Years". www.news18.com. 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ↑ Quint, The (2019-11-30). "UNLF Chief Meghen Reaches Imphal, Says, 'Will Work For the People'". TheQuint. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Manipur Police Suspects Assassination Plot Against Rebel Leader R.K. Meghen". The Wire. Retrieved 2021-05-03.