46 militants surrender in Manipur; major step towards peace, says CM
Imphal : The police said the surrendered militants handed over 28 weapons, including AK-series rifles, RPGs, pistols and other war-like stores comprising grenades, IEDs, detonators, ammunition and wireless sets.
Forty-six militants of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (People's War Group) surrendered before security forces in Manipur on Tuesday, the police said.
Addressing the "homecoming ceremony" at the headquarters of the inspector general Assam Rifles (South) in Imphal's Mantripukhri, Singh said it was a "significant step towards lasting peace and stability" and urged the surrendered militants to contribute to the state's progress.
The CM said Manipur had remained peaceful until the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023, leading to the spread of an "alarming gun culture".
He said sustained operations by security forces have led to the recovery of more than 8,000 weapons, including over 1,200 firearms, since his government assumed office on February 4.
State home minister Govindas Konthoujam said the surrendered militants would receive a monthly stipend of up to Rs 6,000 for three years and a rehabilitation grant of Rs 4 lakh.
The police said the surrendered militants handed over 28 weapons, including AK-series rifles, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), pistols and other war-like stores comprising grenades, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), detonators, ammunition and wireless sets.
The CM said Manipur had remained peaceful until the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023, leading to the spread of an "alarming gun culture".
He said sustained operations by security forces have led to the recovery of more than 8,000 weapons, including over 1,200 firearms, since his government assumed office on February 4.
Of these, around 600 arms were looted from government armouries, he said. Maintaining that "gun culture" could never bring peace, Singh assured the surrendered militants of full support under the Centre's Revised Scheme for Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation of Militants in the North East States, 2018.
State home minister Govindas Konthoujam said the surrendered militants 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 under the scheme.
He also appealed to other insurgents to shun violence and join the peace process.
KCP (PWG) chairman L Ranjit Singh, who was among those who surrendered, said the outfit had decided to shun violence and return to normal life after years of hardship.
"Our cadres have endured immense hardships, including arrests and suffering faced by their families. That is why we decided to lay down arms and return to the mainstream," he said.
Singh appealed to the public not to associate any future criminal acts with the outfit.
"If anyone indulges in extortion, abduction or any other unlawful activity in the name of KCP (PWG), they should be punished and handed over to the police. KCP (PWG) will never engage in such activities again," he said.
Singh said four women were among the 46 surrendered cadres and expressed hope that all of them would now lead peaceful lives and contribute positively to the development of the state.
DGP Mukesh Singh said the ceremony reflected the growing confidence of misguided youths in the peace process, while Lt Gen Girish Kalia, General Officer Commanding, 3 Corps, said no society could progress under the shadow of conflict.
In a social media post, the Indian Army's Eastern Command said the surrender followed months of sustained outreach by the Army and Assam Rifles, assisted by the Manipur Police and central security agencies.
In a statement, the government said none of the cadres had been part of any previous peace agreement.
The dissolution of the KCP-PWG faction represented a major setback to the outfit's operational network in the state's valley districts, it said.
