Tribunal under Gauhati HC judge to decide ban on Meitei extremist groups

The MHA on November 13 declared several Meitei extremist organisations, their factions, wings and front organisations as unlawful associations under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for 5 years

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal consisting of Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi, Judge of the Gauhati High Court, to adjudicate whether there is sufficient cause for declaring the Meitei Extremist Organizations of Manipur along with all their factions, wings and front organizations as "unlawful associations".

The Ministry made the announcement in a notification issued late on November 28-- a move taken almost 15 days after it declared several Meitei extremist organisations, their factions, wings and front organisations as unlawful associations under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for a period of five years.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 5 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central Government hereby constitutes "The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal" consisting of Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi, Judge of the Gauhati High Court, for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Meitei Extremist Organizations of Manipur, viz the Peoples' Liberation Army generally 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, wings and front organizations as 'Unlawful Associations'," the notification read.

The MHA on November 13 declared several Meitei extremist organisations, their factions, wings and front organisations as unlawful associations under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for a period of five years.

These organisations are the Peoples' Liberation army (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, wings and front organisations.

The ministry had declared Meitei extremist organisations as unlawful associations by exercising "the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 3 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

As per the then notification, the order will be effective from November 13, 2023 for a period of five years.

The MHA then clarified that the action was based on inputs that all the Meitei extremist organisations-- the PLA and its political wing RPF, the UNLF and its armed wing MPA), the PREPAK and its armed wing "Red Army", the KCP and its armed wing also called the "Red Army", the KYKL, the CorCom and the ASUK-- have as their professed aim of establishing an independent nation by secession of Manipur from India through armed struggle and to incite indigenous people of Manipur for such secession.

Besides, the MHA had said, these Meitei Extremist Organisations have been engaging in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India; employing and engaging in armed means to achieve their aforesaid objectives; attacking and killing the Security Forces, the Police and Civilians in Manipur; indulging in acts of intimidation, extortion and looting of civilian population for collection of funds for their Organisations; making contacts with sources abroad for influencing public opinion and for securing their assistance by

way of arms and training for the purpose of achieving their secessionist objective; and maintaining camps in neighbouring countries for the purpose of sanctuaries, training and clandestine procurement of arms and ammunition.

The Ministry had also said that the activities of the Meitei extremist organisations were considered "detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India and that they are unlawful associations".

Considering all these facts, the MHA had said there was need for immediate curb and control of the Meitei extremist organisations as they were suspected to take the opportunity to mobilize their cadres for escalating their secessionist, subversive, terrorist and violent activities; propagate anti-national activities in collusion with forces inimical to sovereignty and integrity of India; indulge in killings of civilians and targeting of the police and security force personnel; procure and induct illegal arms and ammunitions from across the international border; and extort and collect huge funds from public for their unlawful activities.