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News18
13-07-2025
- News18
10 Pilgrims Injured After Three Buses In Amarnath Yatra Convoy Collide In Kulgam
Last Updated: The incident occurred near the Tachloo crossing on the highway, when the convoy heading towards Baltal met with an accident involving three buses. At least ten pilgrims were injured on Sunday when three buses in the Amarnath Yatra convoy collided en route to a base camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, officials said. They said that the incident occurred near the Tachloo crossing on the highway, when the convoy heading towards Baltal met with an accident involving three buses. 'More than ten people sustained injuries and were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment," the official said, adding that all three buses sustained damage in the collision. A doctor at Qaimoh Hospital told KNO that nine injured pilgrims received first aid at a nearby facility before being transferred to Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag. 'All of them have sustained minor injuries and are in stable condition. They were referred to GMC for further medical treatment and necessary formalities," the doctor said. Officials confirmed that other passengers from the affected buses were moved to reserve vehicles, and the convoy continued its onward journey. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Civil groups in Manipur flag conflict of interest in SoO monitoring, urge Centre to abrogate pact
GUWAHATI: Four civil society organisations in Manipur have urged the Centre to abrogate the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements signed with Kuki insurgent groups, alleging that the pacts are flawed and have been repeatedly violated, thus impeding efforts to restore peace in the violence-hit state. In a joint memorandum submitted to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the four groups – Indigenous Peoples' Forum Manipur, Meitei Alliance, Thadou Inpi Manipur and Foothills Naga Co-ordination Committee, representing Meitei, Naga and Thadou communities – alleged violations of the ground rules by Kuki rebels during the ethnic conflict. The tripartite SoO agreements were signed in 2008 between the Centre, the Manipur government and two umbrella bodies of rebel groups – Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People's Front (UPF). Around 25 rebel groups fall under their purview. The civil groups said that although the ground rules were allegedly violated multiple times by the Kuki groups, the state government was unable to hold them accountable due to structural flaws in the agreements. According to them, the preamble of the SoO agreements states that KNO and UPF will completely abjure the path of violence and not engage in kidnappings, ambushes, extortions, intimidation etc.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
End peace deals with Kuki armed groups, Manipur organisations tell Centre
GUWAHATI: Four Manipur organisations representing the Meitei, Naga, and Thadou communities have appealed to the Centre not to renew the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with Kuki extremist groups, citing alleged repeated violations of the conditions and a failure to maintain law and order. These organisations are the Indigenous Peoples' Forum Manipur, Meitei Alliance, Foothill Naga Coordination Committee, and Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM). They submitted a joint memorandum to Home Minister Amit Shah on July 3, justifying their demand for scrapping the peace deals with the Kuki groups. A section of the Thadou tribe, represented by the TIM, resents being clubbed under the 'Kuki' nomenclature. The four organisations claimed that some 25 groups under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF), which signed the SoO agreements in 2008, were responsible for inciting violence that began on May 3, 2023, in Churachandpur, including arson in Torbung and Kanvai. 'The preamble of the SoO agreements states that KNO and UPF will completely abjure the path of violence and will not engage in violent or unlawful activities like killing, injuries, kidnappings, ambush, extortions, intimidations, carrying of arms in public and imposing of 'tax' or 'fines'. Therefore, it establishes that the purpose of the SoO agreements is to maintain law and order, which is a State subject under the Constitution of India,' the joint memorandum read. It pointed out that the agreements have a provision allowing the Manipur government to terminate and take appropriate action against the KNO and UPF if they violate the ground rules of the SoO agreements, based on the recommendation of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG). However, the JMG includes the very groups – KNO and UPF – responsible for violence and expected to recommend to the State government whether or not to take action against themselves, the organisations pointed out. They said the State government has been unable to take action against the groups under the KNO and UPF because of the 'flawed structure' of the SoO agreements, creating a 'conflict of interest' and rendering 'accountability impossible'. The quartet of organisations highlighted that the Manipur government withdrew from the SoO agreements with groups like the Kuki National Army and the Zomi Revolutionary Army in March 2023 and formally opposed their renewal in January 2024. Calling for peace and accountability, the memorandum suggested either an abrogation of the SoO agreements or a comprehensive overhaul of their structure. It also called for a re-election in the State to allow a popular government to decide on any future agreement and for the prosecution of any militants involved in violence, even if they are signatories to the SoO. The groups stressed that the SoO must not become a 'protector of violence', but a genuine mechanism for ensuring non-violence and restoring normalcy in Manipur.
NDTV
03-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
More Communities In Manipur Join Call For Ending Deal With Kuki Militants, Write To Amit Shah
Imphal/Guwahati: Four influential civil society organisations from different communities in Manipur have for the first time made a united call against extending what they called a "flawed and violated" tripartite agreement signed between 25 Kuki, Zomi and Hmar insurgent groups and the Centre and the state government. While the Meitei Alliance, a global umbrella body of civil groups of the Meitei community, and the Thadou Inpi Manipur, a body that represents the indigenous distinct Thadou tribe, have been asking the Centre to scrap the controversial suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the 25 insurgent groups, two more top civil society organisations of the Naga tribes and other indigenous communities have come forward in demanding the same. The four civil society organisations made a joint representation to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, pointing out that the insurgent groups have been persistently violating SoO ground rules. Broadly, under this agreement, the insurgents have to stay at designated camps and keep their firearms in locked storage, to be jointly monitored with the security forces. They cannot recruit fresh insurgents too. The four civil society organisations, however, alleged these armed groups protected by the SoO agreement"are gravely undermining safety and security of all communities in Manipur." The preamble of the SoO agreement state that KNO and UPF will completely abjure the path of violence and will not engage in violent or unlawful activities like killing, injuries, kidnappings, ambush, extortions, intimidations, carrying of arms in public and imposing of 'tax' or 'fines', the civil society organisations said in their memorandum submitted to Mr Shah. Therefore, it establishes that the purpose of SoO agreement is to maintain law and order, which is a State subject under the Constitution (List II, State List), they said. The other two civil society organisations are the Foothills Naga Coordination Committee, and the Indigenous Peoples' Forum Manipur. The 25 insurgent groups come under two umbrella organisations for the purpose of negotiations - the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) led by the Kuki National Army (KNA), and the United People's Front (UPF) led by the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA). The KNO and the UPF representing all the others have signed the SoO agreement. The SoO agreement is steered by a joint monitoring group (JMC) which also takes a call on whether to extend it or not. Alleged Misuse of SoO Agreement "... On one hand, the SoO agreement states that the Manipur government can terminate and take appropriate action against the KNO and the UPF. In case the groups are found violating the ground rules, the state government on the recommendation of the joint monitoring group may terminate the SoO arrangements and also take appropriate action including use of force against the groups," they said in the memorandum. "However, on the other hand, the SoO agreement establishes a joint monitoring group that includes the very groups responsible for violence - KNO and UPF - who are expected to recommend to the state government whether action should be taken against themselves," the memorandum said, pointing out what they called an inherent flaw in the controversial arrangement. They said the purpose of the SoO agreement is to maintain law and order in Manipur, and it is the state government that should be responsible for maintaining law and order; however, due to the flawed structure of the SoO agreement, the state government is unable to do so. As the SoO agreements are tripartite between the Centre, the state government, and the insurgent groups, and since the armed militant groups have violated the preamble and ground rules of the SoO agreements, the state government officially scrapped the SoO agreements with KNA and ZRA in March 2023 and recommended against their extension in January 2024, the memorandum said. "Therefore, the SoO agreements cannot be renewed or extended unless recommended by the elected state government of Manipur, and not in the current structure and form of the agreements," the civil society organisations said in the memorandum. Corrective Measures The civil society groups suggested the Union home minister to consider these measures: 1. Abrogate SoO agreements as recommended by the last Manipur state government, or establish a popular government or conduct re-election in Manipur to ensure the elected state government can recommend renewal of the SoO agreement. 2. If the SoO agreement is to be renewed, then the structure and framework of the agreement should be holistically reviewed for effective and efficient implementation. 3. Establish an independent and neutral arbitrator in case of conflict of interest under the Constitution. 4. The armed militants who committed acts of violence should be prosecuted according to the law, and if any signatories or members of KNO and UPF are found to be associated directly or indirectly, they should not be protected under the SoO agreement. 5. The SoO agreement should be considered as a mechanism for non-violence and not as a protector of violence. In June, a KNA insurgent was among three people arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly attacking a police post and killing two commandos in Manipur's border town Moreh in January 2024. That was the second time an authority confirmed on record the violation of SoO ground rules by Kuki insurgents in Manipur in the last two years since Meitei-Kuki ethnic clashes began in May 2023. The first official confirmation of the SoO agreement's ground rules violation came from the Manipur Police in September 2024 when three Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) insurgents - all of them residents of Churachandpur district - were killed in a gunfight in Jiribam. They were Seiminlen Khongsai, Haogoulen Doungel (31), and Nehboithang Haokip (26). The Manipur Police in September 2024 also for the first time confirmed the involvement of Meitei insurgent group UNLF (P), which had signed a ceasefire with the Centre and the state, after a UNLF (P) insurgent identified as Baspatimayum Lakhi Kumar Sharma (41) was killed in the Jiribam gunfight. The NIA's June 8, 2025 statement and the Manipur Police's September 8, 2024 statement showed that insurgent groups in Manipur that have signed the SoO agreement have been involved in the Manipur violence. While the authorities have confirmed only two cases of SoO agreement and ceasefire violations in the last two years, both Meitei and Kuki civil society groups accuse each other of hiding the involvement of insurgents belonging to their respective communities in dozens of cases.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
KNO commander, three others killed in Manipur ambush as civil society push for peace
Imphal: Four persons, including a deputy commander of a banned Kuki militant group, and a woman caught in a crossfire between two warring groups, were killed on Monday in Churachandpur district of Manipur, as violence returned to the northeastern state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The killings came on a day, three civil society groups from Manipur urged the Centre to take immediate steps to rehabilitate people hit by the ethnic violence and ensure security for farmers who have land in the vicinity of the Imphal valley. Thangboi Haokip, also known as "Thahpi", a deputy commander-in-chief of the Kuki National Organisation/Kuki National Army (KNO/KNA), was killed in a daylight ambush. The attack occurred in the Songpi area of Churachandpur district, sending shockwaves through the region. According to police, unidentified gunmen launched a close-range assault on a car carrying Haokip and his two bodyguards at around 2 pm. The ambush unfolded as the KNO/KNA leader was enroute to attend a funeral. Tragically, a woman passing by on her way to the fields from her home was struck by a stray bullet during the attack. She later succumbed to her injuries at the Churachandpur district hospital, adding to the day's grim toll. The two bodyguards accompanying Haokip, identified as Gaogao Singson and Saijin Haokip, were also killed instantly in the attack. The loss of these lives underscores the severity of the incident. Thangboi Haokip, a key figure in the KNA, a group under the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the govt of India, was a significant player in the region's delicate peace process. "His death is expected to have far-reaching implications, potentially destabilizing the fragile peace maintained under the SoO framework," one official said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The United Kuki National Army (UKNA) claimed responsibility for the attack, citing it as retaliation for the killing of their town commander and PRO in October last year. In a statement released in the Kuki dialect, the UKNA accused Haokip of being a govt informant and alleged his involvement in the deaths of over 30 people. This incident has heightened tensions between the rival groups, fuelling suspicion and deepening hostilities among the local population. In a swift response, security forces were deployed to the area to assess the situation and prevent any further escalation of violence. As the region grapples with the aftermath of this high-profile killing, the potential for further conflict looms large. Authorities are on high alert, and the situation remains tense as investigations continue. Beginning May 3, 2023, more than 250 civilians have died in ethnic clashes and valuable properties destroyed, though various steps have been taken up to curb the violence. Manipur is currently under President's rule and the past BJP govt members are trying to push for the reinstatement of elected govt rule in the state. During the day, a 19-member delegation comprising members of the three groups -- Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) and Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) met representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi. While the Kuki-Zo have been asking for a separate homeland, the Meitei groups say the territorial integrity of the state is non-negotiable in the peace initiative.
