Insurgency in Manipur
The Manipur government withdrew from the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with two hill-based tribal insurgent groups. The state government claimed that a protest rally organised recently, defying Section 144, was influenced by the two groups, Kuki National Army (KNA) and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA).
There is an ongoing armed conflict between India and a number of separatist rebel groups in Manipur. This insurgency in Manipur is part of the wider Insurgency in Northeast India which combines elements of a national liberation war as well as an ethnic conflict.
Historical background -
- Following the brief Anglo-Manipur War of 1891, the Kingdom of Manipur was conquered by Britain.
- After this war, Manipur kingdom became a British protectorate.
- Manipur became a part of India in October 1949 and became a separate state in 1972.
Rise of insurgency -
- Manipur's incorporation into the Indian state led to the formation of a number of insurgent organisations.
- These groups demanded the creation of an independent state within the borders of Manipur, and dismissed the merger with India as involuntary.
- The insurgency problem in Manipur came into existence in the late 1960s and 1970s.
- There was no problem of insurgency when Manipur merged into India.
- The first separatist faction, United National Liberation Front (UNLF), was founded in November 1964.
- Now, the region is infested with many insurgent groups.
Reasons for insurgency in Manipur -
• Merger with India —
- Meiteis are the majority community of Manipur. Their influence declined after Indian Independence.
- This led to resentment in a section of Meities about the merger of the State with the Indian Union, which led to the Meitei insurgency from the 1960s.
Ethnic conflict —
- Manipur has a diverse ethnic population with Meitis controlling the Valley, Nagas on the surrounding hills and Kukis interspersed in between.
- This leads to clashes between these communities.
- Kukis and Nagas of Manipur have overlapping and conflicting territorial interests over almost all the hill districts of Manipur.
- Similarly, there are competing interests between the Nagas and Meitis.
- The demand for Nagalim or Greater Nagaland includes the Naga inhabited areas of Manipur. On the other hand, the Meitis want to preserve what has been a single geographic entity for centuries.
• Lack of socio-economic development —
- Owing to its topographical structure, the state has problems of economic development and socio-economic transformation for a long period.
- Over the years, endless corruption, mismanagement of funds and the failure to devolve power to common people have led to the rise of dissatisfaction.
Steps taken to address the issue -
- The government has negotiations with the Hill-based groups in the region.
- NLFT Tripura Agreement, Bru Accord, Naga peace accord etc. are few examples.
- Government signed the Bodo agreement in January 2020 and the Karbi Anglong agreement in September 2021.
- The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region has been created to provide an impetus to the socio-economic development of the region.
- Also, the North Eastern Council was created as the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North Eastern Region.
What is the Suspension of Operations pact?
- There are nearly 30 Kuki insurgent groups in Manipur, of which 25 are under tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) with the Government of India and the state.
- As many as 17 are under the umbrella group Kuki National Organisation (KNO), and eight are under the United People’s Front (UPF).
- The SoO pact was signed in August, 2008, with the primary objective of initiating political dialogue.
- Talks are ongoing under AB Mathur, former special secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), as the interlocutor.
- As a result of these talks, the Kuki outfits who were initially demanding a separate Kuki state have come down to a ‘Kukiland territorial council’.
- This council would have financial and administrative powers independent of the Manipur Assembly and government.
Black Sea Grain Initiative
Russia recently agreed to extend the Black Sea grain deal following talks with the United Nations for an additional 60 days.
About Black Sea Grain Initiative -
- It was set up to resume vital food and fertiliser exports from Ukraine to the rest of the world.
- It was brokered between Russia and Ukraine by the United Nations and Turkey.
- The Initiative allowed exports of grain, other foodstuffs, and fertiliser, including ammonia, to resume through a safe maritime humanitarian corridor from three key Ukrainian ports:
- Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi, to the rest of the world.
- Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) —
- A JCC was established to monitor the implementation of the Initiative.
- JCC Centre is hosted in Istanbul and includes representatives from Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the United Nations.
- The UN acts as the Secretariat for the Centre.
Procedure —
- Vessels wishing to participate in the Initiative will undergo inspection of Istanbul to ensure they are empty of cargo.
- They then sail through the maritime humanitarian corridor to Ukrainian ports to load.
- The corridor is monitored 24/7 to ensure the safe passage of vessels.
- Vessels on the return journey will also be inspected at the inspection area off Istanbul.
About Black Sea -
- It is an inland sea between Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
- It is bound by Ukraine to the north and northwest, Russia and Georgia to the east, Turkey to the south, and Bulgaria and Romania to the west.
- It links to the Sea of Marmara through the Strait of Bosphorus and then to the Aegean through the Strait of Dardanelles.
Exercise La Perouse 2023
A multilateral exercise La Perouse is scheduled to be conducted in the Indian Ocean Region from 13th to 14th March 2023.
About the ‘Exercise La Perouse’ -
- The third edition of the multilateral maritime exercise is conducted in the Indian Ocean Region.
- This edition will witness the participation of personnel, ships and integral helicopters of the Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Indian Navy, Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, Royal Navy and the United States Navy.
- The biennial exercise La Perouse is conducted by the French Navy and is aimed at enhancing maritime domain awareness and optimising maritime coordination amongst the participating navies in the Indo-Pacific Region.
- The two-day exercise provides an opportunity for like-minded navies to develop closer links in planning, coordination and information sharing for seamless maritime operations.
- The exercise will witness complex and advanced naval operations including surface warfare, anti-air warfare, air defence exercises, cross-deck landings and tactical manoeuvres.
- Indigenously built guided missile frigate INS Sahyadri and fleet tanker INS Jyoti will be participating in this edition of the exercise.
- Participation of the Indian Navy in the exercise showcases the high levels of synergy, coordination and interoperability between the friendly navies, and their commitment to a rulesbased international order in the Indo-Pacific region.
Indian Black Turtle
Recently, the Marakkanam police seized 46 live Indian Black Turtles (Melanochelys trijuga) from two persons who were allegedly smuggling them on a two-wheeler, from neighbouring Puducherry.
About the Indian Black Turtle -
- The Indian black turtle is a medium-sized found across the Indian subcontinent.
- It is an aquatic species, mainly associated with standing water bodies, sometimes rivers.
- The species is an omnivore, consuming both aquatic macrophytes and invertebrates.
- The species shows a crepuscular to a nocturnal lifestyle, with individuals seen foraging after dark along the edges of water bodies.
- The distribution in India includes the hill ranges of the Western Ghats, south of Gujarat, and the southeast coast, and then a separate disjunct distribution in northern and northeastern India.
- Conservation status — IUCN: Least concern
