IMPHAL, October 13: The United Revolutionary Front (URF) has termed the so called `peace initiative`™ set on course by the government to bring several militant groups operating in Manipur into the mainstream, as a `retirement policy`™ for militants.
Speaking to IFP somewhere at the Indo-Bangladesh border, Lanheiba Meitei, chairman of the outfit disclosed that they officially left the agreement on September 22 last.
However, the official announcement of the outfit`™s walking out of the agreement was made public only in the first week of October, he said.
The outfit had decamped from the designated camp with around 50 cadres however the numbers has increased to around 70 as more have joined in, he continued.
Justifying their decision to walkout of the tripartite agreement, he maintained that the governments in total disregard of the MoU treated them like surrendered militants.
He termed the so called peace agreement as a `retirement policy`™ for militants with an intention to wipe out the revolutionary movement rather than finding a solution to the problem.
The government failed to acknowledge the major steps taken by the URF, he said adding that some of the leadership of the outfit are being subjected to undergo legal obstacle for their past doings.
A total of 33 cases including over three NIA cases which were lodged against him were not revoked, he claimed adding that he was the first person to have spent 90 days in police custody, probably one of the longest in Manipur, continued Lanheiba.
At the same time, the government`™s failure to provide the rehabilitation package was another factor that ridiculed the so called `peace initiative`™ according to Lanheiba.
It is learnt that the URF cadres stopped getting their monthly honorarium since March last.
Despite the outfit`™s repeated attempts to have the government come to the terms of the MoU, the government remained indifferent, lamented Lanhaiba.
`It is like walking into a trap and only vested interest groups with lack of revolutionary principals can be part of it`, he said.
He confided that in their last attempt to bring the government to the agreed terms, Lanheiba along with his home secretary, Ruhini met with principal secretary Home, Dr J Suresh Babu.
The response was however apathetic, rued the URF chairman adding that the very attitude was prominent enough to prove the insincerity of the government.
Lanheiba also strongly deplored the act of the government for framing charge sheet against his wife on the charges of conspiring against the country.
The NIA has reportedly framed a charge sheet against the URF chairman`™s wife for meeting his husband at Bangladesh.
Contradicting the charges, Lanheiba revealed that his wife visited Bangladesh with a genuine passport to meet their relatives adding that his meeting with his wife was coincident as he happened to be in Bangladesh at that time.
`It is very unfortunate that the government has also declared war against our family. I would like to warn my fellow revolutionary this is a time for extreme precaution as the very intention of the government is clear`, he warned.
The URF signed the tripartite agreement (or Memorandum of Understanding) with both the State and Central governments on February 13, 2013 to end violence handing over its weapons to the representatives of the State government with initial strength of 90 cadres including its leadership.
The MoU was signed in the presence of the Chief Minister of Manipur, Okram Ibobi Singh, deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, representatives of Ministry of Home Affairs and other top brass of law enforcing agencies.
Since signing the MoU, the cadres of the URF have been taking shelter at an army post as their temporary designated camp at Loitangkhunou, Imphal West district.
The estimated cadre strength of the URF is said to be around 470, of which over 144 have been so far been approved by the Government.
It is learnt that the Imphal West district Police station had registered a case under FIR No. 378(10)2014, IPS u/s 16/17/UA(P) Act, 120-B/406/353 IPC, in connection with the recently decamping incident.