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GS Paper: GS3-20.Linkages between Development and Spread of Extremism.

  • UNLF Peace Accord: Why one pact is not peace

    Central idea 

    In a volatile state like Manipur, peace agreements can be challenging to implement because of the multiplicity of stakeholders and their divergent interests and grievances

    Key Highlights:

    • Welcoming a Milestone Accord: Recent peace accord between UNLF in Manipur and the government of India viewed positively for its potential impact on regional normalcy.
    • Regional Peace Trends: Successful peace deals in Northeastern states like Mizoram, Tripura, and Shillong, along with significant progress in Assam through accords with separatist groups.

    Key Challenges:

    • Lurking Threat of Looted Arms: The presence of approximately 4,500 looted arms in various hands poses a substantial threat to the journey towards lasting peace.
    • Complexities in UNLF Accord: Lack of clarity on the terms of the UNLF peace accord and potential complications arising from the involvement of militants in ethnic conflicts.
    • Diverse Demands and Historical Grievances: Reconciling diverse demands and historical grievances from various ethnic and tribal communities in Manipur emerges as a complex challenge.

    Key Terms/Phrases:

    • Peace Dynamics: Peace accord, insurgency, Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.
    • Challenges in Reconciliation: Multiplicity of stakeholders, ethnic conflicts, geopolitical factors.
    • Key Players: Separatist groups, militant factions, political negotiations.

    Key Quotes/Statements:

    • “Any peace initiative is welcome — more so if it deals with a militant group abjuring arms to join the mainstream.”
    • “The biggest hurdle in the road to peace remains the floating looted arms numbering around 4,500 in various hands.”
    • “Diverse demands from various ethnic and/or tribal communities… making it hard to arrive at a resolution that satisfies all parties.”

    Key Examples/References:

    • Positive Precedents: Peace accords in Mizoram, Tripura, Shillong, and Assam leading to regional normalization.
    • NSCN-IM Accord: The signing of an accord by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland — Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) in 2015.
    • Militant Factions in UNLF: Presence of factions like the Pambei faction advocating for dialogue.

    Key Facts/Data:

    • Ban Extension: The ban extension on nine Meiti extremist groups, including UNLF and Manipur People’s Army (MPA).
    • Surrender Statistics: Tripartite accords initiated by the Centre since 2014 leading to 6,112 insurgents surrendering.
    • Arms Challenge: Presence of 4,500 looted arms posing a significant challenge to peace efforts.

    Critical Analysis:

    • Distrust and External Influences: Challenges in implementing peace agreements due to historical distrust, external influences, and divergent interests.
    • Fragility of Agreements: The fragility of peace agreements highlighted by disruptions caused by extremist factions or splinter groups.
    • State’s Volatility: Manipur’s volatile state demands comprehensive efforts for lasting peace.

    Way Forward:

    • Addressing Arm Threat: Focus on resolving the issue of looted arms to ensure a major cause of concern is adequately addressed.
    • Transparent Communication: Clearly communicate the terms of the UNLF peace accord to manage expectations and foster understanding.
    • Holistic Approach: Focus on political negotiations, rehabilitation of displaced individuals, and dismantling militant-controlled zones.
    • Inclusive Engagement: Engage all political parties, appoint a political negotiator, and seek a comprehensive agreement that satisfies various stakeholders.

  • Centre and Manipur signs Peace Agreement with UNLF

    UNLF

    Central Idea

    • The Union and Manipur governments have signed a peace agreement with the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), a banned Meitei extremist organisation.
    • UNLF is the oldest armed group based in the Manipur valley, marking this agreement as a notable event in the region’s history.

    Understanding the UNLF

    • Formation: Established on November 24, 1964, under Arembam Samarendra Singh‘s leadership, the UNLF is the oldest valley-based insurgent group in Manipur.
    • Diverse Leadership: Initially led by a mix of ethnicities, including Naga and Kuki leaders.
    • Armed Wing and Activities: The Manipur People’s Army, formed in 1990, and has been responsible for multiple attacks against Indian security forces.
    • Current Status: The UNLF, now split into two factions, is estimated to have 400-500 cadres, operating primarily in the valley areas of Manipur and some Kuki-Zomi hill districts.
    • Base of Operations: Largely operating from Myanmar, the group has faced setbacks due to conflicts with the Myanmar military and other Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs).

    Precedent for the Peace Agreement

    • Historical Context: This is a significant development as Meitei Extremist Organisations (VBIGs) have traditionally not engaged in peace talks with the Centre.
    • Previous Instances: Smaller groups like UPPK, KCP, and Maoist Communist Group have disbanded or diminished in influence, but the terms of their agreements are unclear.
    • UNLF’s Internal Dynamics: The group underwent splits in the mid-1990s and 2021, leading to the formation of factions under different leaders. The faction led by Khundongbam Pambei has been open to negotiations since 2020.

    Status of Other Insurgent Groups

    • Broader Insurgency Landscape: The UNLF is one of several Meitei insurgent groups and is among the seven banned by the Union government.
    • Opposition to Talks: The UNLF faction under NC Koireng remains opposed to peace talks.
    • Agreements with Other Groups: A Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement was reached in 2008 with Kuki-Zomi insurgent groups, but the Manipur government withdrew from agreements with some groups in 2022.

    Conclusion

    • The peace agreement with the UNLF marks a critical step in addressing the long-standing insurgency in Manipur.
    • It reflects a shift in the approach of Meitei insurgent groups towards dialogue and potential reconciliation.
    • The success of this agreement could pave the way for further peace initiatives in the region, contributing to stability and development in Manipur.

  • Narco-Terrorism and Manipur Violence

    manipur narco

    Central Idea

    • A civil society organization has written a letter to the European Parliament (EP) expressing concerns over the portrayal of violence in Manipur as a religious conflict.
    • It ascertains that the ongoing violence is not a religious issue but rather fueled by narco-terrorism and illegal settlements.
    • The organization highlighted the dangers of Manipur becoming a new Golden Triangle, a notorious drug trafficking corridor in Southeast Asia.

    Golden Triangle Reference to Manipur

    • Golden Triangle: The Golden Triangle is a well-known area spanning China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, notorious for opium poppy cultivation and drug trafficking.
    • Chin-Kuki and Meitei Communities: Manipur is home to various ethnic groups, with the Kukis being the third-largest community, after the non-tribal Meiteis and the tribal Nagas. The ethnically-related Chins are primarily from Myanmar, and some have allegedly settled illegally in Manipur over the years.

    manipur golden triangle

    Rise of Narco-Terrorism in India

    • Golden Crescent Influence: India’s proximity to the “Golden Crescent” provides easy access to narcotics from Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.
    • Cross-Border Connections: India shares borders with countries known for their involvement in drug trafficking, such as Pakistan.
    • Financing Mechanism: Socioeconomic factors like poverty and unemployment contribute to the involvement of individuals in the drug trade.
    • Corruption and Weak Law Enforcement: Corruption within law enforcement agencies facilitates drug trafficking operations, especially in Punjab.
    • High Profits and Demand: The lucrative nature of the drug trade makes it an attractive revenue source for terrorist organizations.
    • Transnational Networks: Transnational drug syndicates collaborate with terrorist groups, enabling the flow of drugs and funding for terrorist activities.

    Security Implications of Narco-Terrorism

    • Criminalization of Youth: Drug trafficking and abuse lead to increased crime, violence, and corruption within communities.
    • Public Health Concerns: Drug addiction and related health issues pose significant challenges to public health systems.
    • Threat to National Security: The linkages between drug trafficking networks and terrorist organizations create a complex security environment.
    • Drain on Resources: Combating narco-terrorism requires substantial human resources, equipment, and funding.

    Efforts to Combat Narco-Terrorism

    • Rehabilitation Programs and Counselling Centers: Government-funded drug rehabilitation measures and counselling centres are established across all districts.
    • Operation Sadbhavana: The Indian Army conducts de-addiction counselling centres and awareness camps to combat drug addiction.
    • Nasha Mukt J&K Campaign: The campaign aims to make J&K drug-free, with a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics. The same should be replicated in North East.

    Recommendations to Curb Narco-Terrorism

    • Strengthening ED: The Enforcement Directorate’s jurisdiction should be improved to monitor terrorist financing and money laundering.
    • Anti-Drone Technology: Enhance anti-drone technology along the Line of Control and international borders to counter drug trafficking via drones.

    Way Forward

    • Community Engagement and Rehabilitation: Focus on community awareness, education, and rehabilitation programs.
    • Target Financing Networks: Strengthen efforts to track and disrupt financing networks supporting narco-terrorism.
    • Cross-Border Intelligence Sharing: Strengthen intelligence-sharing mechanisms with countries affected by drug trafficking.
    • De-radicalization: Implement sustainable economic development programs to provide alternatives to communities involved in the drug trade.

  • Women Cadres (Maoist): Structural Violence and Exploitation

    Women Cadre

    Central idea

    • The Communist Party of India (Maoist) claims to fight for gender equality, but the reality is that women cadres are subject to structural violence and exploitation.

    Women’s representation in the party

    • Negligible representation in the council: Despite constituting 35%-40% of the party, women’s representation in the Central Committee and the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) is negligible
    • Members in the cadre: Only one-woman cadre is a Central Committee member out of more than 20 members, and only two women cadres are DKSZC members out of approximately 20 members

    Concerns over women’s health and nutrition

    • Health challenges: Women face additional health challenges in the jungle and receive inadequate nutrition and healthcare. Most women become anaemic due to the lack of proper nutrition.
    • Menstrual hygiene challenges: Women cadres do not receive menstrual leave and need to be alert all the time with a gun. Only one loin cloth is provided to two women cadres to be shared as a sanitary napkin for six months.
    • Fundamental necessities are not adequate: Women cadres are not allowed to liberally use water and are at the mercy of the unit commander who carries some medical necessities

    Conditions for marriage and reproduction

    • Marriage is not to enjoy family life: The party permits marriage only between willing partners to fight together, not to enjoy family life.
    • Forced vasectomy: Male cadres are forced to undergo vasectomy either before marriage or immediately after marriage.
    • Forced abortion: If a woman cadre gets pregnant, she has to undergo an abortion
    • Silent on divorce and polygamy: The party is silent on issues of divorce and polygamy

    Sexual exploitation and ill-treatment of women

    • Sexual exploitation and ill treatment: Sexual exploitation of women is not uncommon in the party, and instances of suicide by women cadres due to ill-treatment and suspicion are reported.
    • Nominal punishment: Disciplinary action is taken against cadres for moral turpitude, but the maximum punishment is only suspension for a year or demotion.

    Conclusion

    • Women who join the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the hope of bringing about a revolution for the proletariat and the landless class are often subject to the same structural violence that they are supposed to fight. The party needs to ensure gender equality in reality, not just in its claims, and provide better conditions for women cadres.

    Mains Question

    Q. How do structural inequalities and power dynamics within political movements impact the fight for gender equality? Illustrate.

  • Home Ministry designates 10 individuals as Terrorists

    A total of 10 members of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and other proscribed outfits have been designated as terrorists by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

    What is Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act (UAPA)?

    • The UAPA is aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India.
    • Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India
    • It is an upgrade on the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act TADA, which was allowed to lapse in 1995 and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was repealed in 2004.
    • It was originally passed in 1967 under the then Congress government led by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
    • Till 2004, “unlawful” activities referred to actions related to secession and cession of territory. Following the 2004 amendment, “terrorist act” was added to the list of offences.

    Designation of Terrorists

    • The Centre had amended UAPA, 1967, in August 2019 to include the provision of designating an individual as a terrorist.
    • Before this amendment, only organisations could be designated as terrorist outfits.
    • Section 15 of the UAPA defines a “terrorist act” as any act committed with intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security, economic security, or sovereignty of India or with intent to strike terror or likely to strike terror in the people or any section of the people in India or in any foreign country.
    • The original Act dealt with “unlawful” acts related to secession; anti-terror provisions were introduced in 2004.

    Who makes such designation?

    • The UAPA (after 2019 amendment)seeks to empower the central government to designate an individual a “terrorist” if they are found committing, preparing for, promoting, or involved in an act of terror.
    • A similar provision already exists in Part 4 and 6 of the legislation for organizations that can be designated as a “terrorist organisations”.

    How individuals are declared terrorists?

    • The central government may designate an individual as a terrorist through a notification in the official gazette, and add his name to the schedule supplemented to the UAPA Bill.
    • The government is not required to give an individual an opportunity to be heard before such a designation.
    • At present, in line with the legal presumption of an individual being innocent until proven guilty, an individual who is convicted in a terror case is legally referred to as a terrorist.
    • While those suspected of being involved in terrorist activities are referred to as terror accused.

    What happens when an individual is declared a terrorist?

    • The designation of an individual as a global terrorist by the United Nations is associated with sanctions including travel bans, freezing of assets and an embargo against procuring arms.
    • The UAPA, however, does not provide any such detail.
    • It also does not require the filing of cases or arresting individuals while designating them as terrorists.

    Removing the terrorist tag

    • The UAPA gives the central government the power to remove a name from the schedule when an individual makes an application.
    • The procedure for such an application and the process of decision-making will is decided by the central government.
    • If an application filed by an individual declared a terrorist is rejected by the government, the UAPA gives him the right to seek a review within one month after the application is rejected.
    • The central government will set up the review committee consisting of a chairperson (a retired or sitting judge of a High Court) and three other members.
    • The review committee is empowered to order the government to delete the name of the individual from the schedule that lists “terrorists”, if it considers the order to be flawed.
    • Apart from these two avenues, the individual can also move the courts to challenge the government’s order.

     

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  • Kuki Insurgency in Manipur

    Just before the first of the two phases of the Assembly Elections went underway in Manipur, all insurgent groups associated with the Kuki tribes in Manipur said they will vote for a particular political party.

    Who are the Kukis?

    • The Kukis are an ethnic group including multiple tribes originally inhabiting the North-Eastern states of India such as Manipur, Mizoram and Assam; parts of Burma (now Myanmar), and Sylhet district and Chittagong hill tracts of Bangladesh.
    • While Kuki is not a term coined by the ethnic group itself, the tribes associated with it came to be generically called Kuki under colonial rule.
    • In Manipur, the various Kuki tribes, living mainly in the hills, currently make up 30% of the total 28.5 lakh population of the State.
    • While Churachandpur is their main stronghold, they also have a sizable population in Chandel, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal and Senapati districts.

    Their ethnicity

    • The rest of the population of Manipur is made up mainly of two other ethnic groups — the Meiteis or non-tribal, Vaishnavite Hindus who live in the valley region of Manipur, and the Naga tribes, historically at loggerheads with the Kukis, also living in the hilly areas of the State.
    • Of the 60 seats in the Manipur Assembly, 40 are held by Meiteis and the rest 20 seats are held by Kukis and Nagas.

    What led to the Kuki insurgencies in Manipur?

    • The Kuki insurgent groups have been under Suspension of Operation (SoO) since 2005, when they signed an agreement for the same with the Indian Army.
    • Later, in 2008, the groups entered a tripartite agreement with the State government and the UPA led Central government to temporarily suspend their operations and give political dialogue a chance.
    • Manipur, formerly a princely state including parts of Burma, made the accession into India after Independence, but was only made a full-fledged State in 1972.
    • The resentment over the “forceful” inclusion into India and delay in granting statehood led to the rise of various insurgent movements.

    Roots of the insurgency

    • The roots of Kuki militancy lie in conflicts of ethnic identity.
    • First was the demand for self-determination solely for groups belonging to their ethnic fabric, meaning the dream to form a Kukiland.
    • The second reason for insurgency lies in the inter-community conflicts between the Kukis and the Nagas in Manipur.
    • The Kuki-Naga conflict was started over securing identity and land as some Kuki inhabited areas coincided with Naga inhabited areas.
    • Wanting to dominate trade and cultural activities in those areas the two communities often engaged in violent standoffs, with villages being torched, civilians killed and so on.

     

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  • Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in India

    Six Maoists including four women cadres were killed morning in an “exchange of fire” with a joint team of Telangana and Chhattisgarh police in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.

    What is Naxalism?

    • The term ‘Naxal’ derives its name from the village Naxalbari of district Darjeeling in West Bengal, where the movement originated in 1967 under the leadership of Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal.
    • It refers to the use of violence to destabilize the state through various communist guerrilla groups.
    • Naxalites are far-left radical communists who derive their political ideology from the teachings of Mao Zedong.

    History and evolution

    • Russian Revolution: Naxalism in India, like any other leftist movement around the globe draws its ideological basis from the Russian revolution.
    • Overthrowing Tsarist Regime: Lenin successfully fought against the Czarist Rule through a combination of peasant movement and an armed struggle.
    • Marxian ideology of class struggle: The prime intent was to bestow power in the hands of the exploited and marginalized and enforce societal control over governance and nation building.
    • Neo-Marxism: After the success of the Lenin-led revolution in Russia, the intellectual class in many countries got inspired. Prominent amongst them were Fidel Castro and Mao Zedong.

    Root cause of origin in India

    • Corporate exploitation: Since Eastern India is rich in natural resources including forests, minerals and mines, tribal face exploitation and harassment from government and corporate bodies targeting to extract those resources.
    • Tribal alienation: Tribal communities have been systematically alienated from their traditional rights over natural resources after independence.
    • Livelihood losses: Tribal livelihood is at stake due to depletion of natural resource base.
    • Forceful displacement: Forceful displacement from their homeland destroys their traditional governance system.
    • Absence of governance: In such exploited areas, the absence of governance becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy since the delivery systems are extinguished through killings and intimidation.
    • Foreign provocations: Many of LWE outfits are supported by external forces inimical to India and the Maoists consider such alliances as strategic assets.

    Other factors:

    1. Oppression and HR violations by Security Forces e.g. AFSPA
    2. Violation of Constitutional Protections under PESA and FRA
    3. Prevalence of Acute Poverty

    Impact of LWE

    • Romanticism without a cause: Some sections of the society, especially the younger generation, have romantic illusions about the Maoists, arising out of an incomplete understanding of their ideology of Class –Struggle.
    • Extreme violence: Their doctrine glorifies violence as the primary means to overwhelm the existing socio-economic and political structures.
    • Destruction of governance mechanism: LWEs aims at creating a vacuum at the grassroots level of the existing governance structures by killing lower-level government officials, police personnel of the local police stations and the people’s representatives of the PRIs.
    • Radicalization of youths: After creating a political and governance vacuum, they coerce the local population to join the movement.
    • Urban-Maoism: Many extremists have facilitated mass-mobilization in semi-urban and urban areas through ostensibly democratic means often led by well-educated intellectuals.

    Outcomes of perpetrating LWE

    The Leftist organizations skilfully use state structures and legal processes to further the Maoist agenda and weaken the enforcement regime through:

    1. Recruitment of ‘professional revolutionaries’
    2. Raising funds for the insurgency
    3. Creating urban shelters for underground cadres
    4. Providing legal assistance to arrested cadres and
    5. Mass- mobilization by agitating over issues of relevance/ convenience

    Govt initiatives for LWE affected areas

    • Aspirational Districts: The MHA has been tasked with the monitoring of the Aspirational districts programme in 35 LWE affected districts.
    • HRD measures: Building of schools under the Eklavya model.
    • Road Connectivity Project for LWE affected areas (RRP-II): This aims for improving road connectivity in LWE affected States. Under this, 9279 km of roads and 392 bridges are sanctioned.
    • Naxal Surrender Policy: It aims to wean away misguided youth and hardcore naxalites who have strayed into the fold of the naxal movement and cannot find a way back.

    SAMADHAN doctrine: It encompasses the entire strategy of government from short-term policy to long-term policy formulated at different levels. SAMADHAN stands for-

    • S- Smart Leadership
    • A- Aggressive Strategy
    • M- Motivation and Training
    • A- Actionable Intelligence
    • D- Dashboard Based KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and KRAs (Key Result Areas)
    • H- Harnessing Technology
    • A- Action plan for each Theatre
    • N- No access to Financing

    Way forward

    • Indian counterinsurgency has to work with a dual objective of defeating the insurgents militarily and fully quell the insurgent impulses. This will need institutional overhauls.
    • States must do more to synergize their efforts by launching coordinated operations, thereby denying Maoists any space for maneuverability.
    • On parallel grounds, it is also important to segregate the population from the insurgents both operationally and ideologically.
    • The conflict over the distribution of resources can be mended with economic development.

     

    With inputs from:

    https://www.mha.gov.in/division_of_mha/left-wing-extremism-division

     

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