United National Liberation Front

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

Not to be confused with Unitary National Liberation Front, a World War II political organization from the former Yugoslavia.

United National Liberation Front of Manipur

Banner of the United National Liberation Front
Abbreviation	UNLF
Founded	24 November 1964 (1964-11-24)
Founder	Arambam Samendra
Type	Armed Independence Group
Legal status	Banned by the Government of India
Purpose	Sovereignty of Manipur
Headquarters	Manipur
Membership	2,000 armed cadres (2005)
Chairperson	Arambam Samendra † (1964-2000) RK Meghen (2000-2010) Lamjingba Khundongbam (2010-2023)
Main organ	Ningtam Meira (journal)

The United National Liberation Front (UNLF), also known as the United National Liberation Front of Manipur, was a separatist insurgent group active in the state of Manipur in Northeast India which aims at establishing a sovereign and socialist Manipur.

Background

The United National 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 with the following key personalities as its central committee members:

1. Sana Yaima, Chairman
2. Kalalung Kamei, President
3. Thankhopao Singsit, Vice-President
4. Arambam Samarendra, General Secretary
5. Longjam Manimohan, Member
6. Laishram Kanhai, Member
7. Nongmeikapam Sanajaoba, Member
8. 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

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."

The UNLF chairperson, 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."

Sana Yaima believes that Manipur is "under martial law," and has questioned the character and worthiness of the elections held in Manipur. He further believes that "the most democratic means to resolve conflict is plebiscite."

Organization

The UNLF is one of the oldest insurgent organizations in 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 organizational control."

Manipur People's Army
Flag of the Manipur People's Army
Dates of operation	24 November 1964 – present (armed since 1990)
Headquarters	Manipur
Active regions	Northeast India
Ideology	Manipur Nationalism Socialist Separatism Islamism
Size	2,000
Opponents	India Myanmar

Manipur People's Army

Manipur People's Army (MPA) 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 was carried out on 15 December of 1991 at Lamdan on a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). In 2005, the MPA's strength was estimated to be about 2,000 armed cadres. According to the UNLF, by 2005, the UNLF was engaged in a battle against about 50,000 armed personnel from the Indian Army deployed against the organisation in the forest regions of Manipur. The cadres of the group are drawn largely from the Meiteis and the Pangals.

Strategy and Tactics

The UNLF is known to be heavily involved with Extortion, Arms Trading, and Income Generating Projects to finance their armed movements. They have several organized training camps within the northeast sector of India and the neighbouring countries of Myanmar and Bangladesh. Ningtam Meira is the primary media outlet they use to make publications.

Four–point proposal to Indian government

The UNLF had put forward four condiciones sine quibus non before the government of India if it is willing to initiate dialogue and ink a peace accord with the organisation, which are:

1. "A plebiscite under UN supervision to elicit the people's opinion on the core issue of restoration of Manipur's independence."
2. "Deployment of a UN peacekeeping force in Manipur to ensure a free and fair process."
3. "Surrender of arms by the UNLF to the UN force, matched by the withdrawal of Indian troops."
4. "Handing over of political power by the UN in accordance with the results of the plebiscite."

Arrest of chairperson

On 4 December 2010, Sanayaima was produced by the NIA, who claimed to have arrested Sanayaima from Motihari in Bihar; while Sanayaima has proclaimed that he was abducted by the Bangladeshi agencies on 29 September 2010 and "handed over" to the agencies of India. Sanayaima has been booked by the NIA for "waging war against the Indian Union under section 120 (B) IPC, 121, 121 (A), 122 IPC and 16, 17, 18, 18 (A), 18 (B) & 20 Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967 as amended in 2008." After the arrest, he said that "in a multi-community region, the idea of peace cannot be achieved without considering the collateral damages of the secondary conflict that emerges out of the meaningless peace process."

The Indian government ploy in the so-called peace process in 'Western South East Asia' (WESIA) [Indian northeast region] is aimed at transforming the conflict between the peoples of the region with the government of India into a conflict between the peoples on ethnic lines.

— Sanayaima, in 2012

Drawing inspiration from the "charged political atmosphere" during the "Naxalbari uprising", he had dropped out of the higher studies at the Jadavpur University in Kolkata, and "picked up a gun and vanished into the forest" about 4 decades ago; and had remained underground since then.

Controversies

Civil rights activist Babloo Loitongbom said that "there was an allegation that certain members of the UNLF had raped 20 women. We formed a multi-ethnic fact-finding team to go to the place. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to go inside the camp, we were not given any medical evidence."

Surrender

Amit Shah 𝕏 @AmitShah

A historic milestone achieved!!!

Modi govt’s relentless efforts to establish permanent peace in the Northeast have added a new chapter of fulfilment as the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) signed a peace agreement, today in New Delhi.

UNLF, the oldest valley-based armed group of Manipur has agreed to renounce violence and join the mainstream. I welcome them to the democratic processes and wish them all the best in their journey on the path of peace and progress.

November 29, 2023

On November 29, 2023, the group officially surrendered following a tripartite agreement among the group, the Central Government, and the Manipur State Government. The announcement of the surrender was made by the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, on the same day on X. The peace accord, symbolizing the culmination of negotiations, was formally executed in New Delhi through the participation of representatives from the aforementioned parties.

See also

• Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act
• Insurgency in Northeast India
• List of terrorist organisations in India

External links

• About UNLF in the Global Security Website
• Description of the UNLF in The South Asian Terrorist Portal The international India Jammu organizations.