The Attack in Manipur May Have Been A Fallout of Unity Talks Between Insurgent Groups from the Northeast

07 June 2015
Members of the cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K), the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) and the People’s Republican Army of Kangleipak–Progressve [PREPAK(P)] after a combined parade at a camp in Myanmar, Sagaing Division in December 2011.
Rajeev Bhattacharya
Members of the cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K), the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) and the People’s Republican Army of Kangleipak–Progressve [PREPAK(P)] after a combined parade at a camp in Myanmar, Sagaing Division in December 2011.
Rajeev Bhattacharya

In the biggest attack on the Indian army in recent years, armed militants ambushed a convoy on 4 June 2015 in Manipur’s Chandel district, which borders Myanmar. At least 18 soldiers were killed, while 11 were injured. The attack has forced the government to redraw its strategy to contain militancy in the state.

A combined group comprising the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K)—a Myanmar-based insurgent group also active in the northeast of India—the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) and a faction of the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), both of which are insurgent groups from Manipur, have claimed responsibility for the attack in a joint press release that was sent on 4 June 2015.

The involvement of the KYKL in the act has raised eyebrows since it has never been a part of any large-scale armed operation since its inception in 1994, when Namoijam Oken, its chairman walked out of the United National Liberation Front—an insurgent group based in Manipur. He went on to form the KYKL with senior functionaries from two other outfits from Manipur. The organisation's focus has always been to rebuild Manipuri society by ridding it of vices such as immoral activities, drug trade and corruption. It has primarily been known for its role in cultural policing in the state.

Rajeev Bhattacharya is a senior journalist in Guwahati and author of Rendezvous With Rebels: Journey to Meet India's Most Wanted Men.

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