GUWAHATI: Forty-six insurgents belonging to Manipur’s banned outfit Kangleipak Communist Party (People’s War Group), or KCP (PWG), surrendered before Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Tuesday.
They laid down 28 weapons, including AK-series rifles, pistols, grenades, IEDs, detonators and ammunition.
The “homecoming” ceremony was organised at the Mantripukhri Garrison of the Assam Rifles (South) headquarters in Imphal. Senior officials of the Manipur Police and security forces were also present.
Speaking at the event, Singh said Manipur had enjoyed a peaceful environment in both the hills and the valley before the ethnic violence. He observed that the violence led to the emergence of an alarming gun culture, affecting the state.
He said sustained efforts by central and state security forces had resulted in the recovery of more than 8,000 weapons. He further stated that since the formation of the present government on February 4 this year, over 1,200 firearms had been recovered, including around 600 weapons looted from government armouries.
Stating that conflict and gun culture can never bring peace, he welcomed the surrendered rebels for joining the mainstream.
The Chief Minister assured full support for implementing the revised "Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation of Militants in the North Eastern States, 2018" scheme, including rehabilitation assistance and a stipend for the surrendered cadres.
He also lauded the concerted efforts of the security forces and Manipur Police in maintaining law and order and protecting civilians.
State Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said that under the revised Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Scheme, the surrendered insurgents would receive a monthly stipend of up to Rs 6,000 for three years and a rehabilitation grant of Rs 4 lakh in the form of a fixed deposit.
Defence officials described the surrender as a “turnaround” and expressed confidence that it would usher in a stable and development-oriented era.
“This mass transition is highly significant as none of these cadres was part of prior peace agreements. It directly addresses the legacy of the KCP, founded on April 14, 1980, by communist ideologues Y Ibohanbi and Ibopishak. Over the decades, ideological decay fractured the group into numerous entities,” a Defence Ministry statement said.
It further stated that the PWG faction emerged as a highly disruptive splinter unit, severely impacting the Imphal Valley districts through anti-social and anti-national activities.
“While it cannot be definitively stated that this marks the absolute dissolution of the two PWG factions, it represents a severe operational degradation that significantly dismantles their regional anti-social networks and territorial reach,” the statement added.