In a major step towards peace, reconciliation and development in Manipur, 46 militants, including four women cadres of the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party-Taibanganba faction, on Tuesday laid down 20 arms and surrendered before the state government.
The chief minister said the surrender of the 46 KCP militants was taking place under the Revised Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Policy, 2018
He lauded the rebel group for coming forward to surrender, stating that holding guns had not brought peace to the state. He added that the government would extend all possible support to those who had surrendered and help them return to the mainstream. Khemchand Singh stated that the government supports the demand for implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state, but does not appreciate the practice of calling bandhs. The latest surrender ceremony was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, Art and Culture and Tourism Minister Khuraijam Loken Singh, several MLAs, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, and senior officers from the civil administration, Manipur Police and other central security forces.
Khemchand Singh said the surrender of the 46 KCP militants was taking place under the Revised Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Policy, 2018, under which each surrendered cadre would be provided a monthly stipend of up to Rs 6,000 for 36 months, besides a fixed deposit grant of Rs 4 lakh.
The “Homecoming Ceremony”, organised by the Home Department at the 1st Manipur Rifles Parade Ground in Imphal, took place after Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, on August 12, publicly announced a 15-day deadline for the surrender of illegal weapons as part of efforts to strengthen the peace process in the state. Addressing the “Homecoming Ceremony”, Khemchand Singh said that the ethnic violence that erupted in the state on May 3, 2023, may have instigated some individuals to pick up arms and join insurgent groups. He said other forms of democratic protest, instead of bandhs, should be considered, as such shutdowns adversely affect the lives of school and college students as well as daily wage earners in the state. A similar “Homecoming Ceremony” for 46 cadres of the KCP (People’s War Group faction) was held on July 21 at Mantripukhri Garrison, Headquarters of the Inspector General of Assam Rifles, South, Imphal.
