🗞️ Why in News The Union Home Ministry has not renewed the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups in Manipur, a month after the one-year agreement expired, The Hindu reported on 3 October 2026. Government sources said the pact is in abeyance until the groups surrender all weapons, while Meitei and Naga groups have sought its abrogation.
What Has Happened
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| The pact | Tripartite: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Government of Manipur, and two umbrella bodies, the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF) |
| Last signed | 4 September 2025, for one year, on “re-negotiated terms and conditions or ground rules” |
| Expired | 4 September 2026; not extended |
| Centre’s position | Pact kept in abeyance until all weapons are surrendered; officials cite arms with civilians as a prime driver of violence |
| Groups’ position | “Not extending the SoO pact does not mean it has been abrogated”; weapons in designated camps are inspected and accounted for |
| Demand for abrogation | Meitei and Naga civil society groups, and Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho |
| Security build-up | After a review by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on 30 September, 30 more CRPF companies (about 3,000 personnel) and two CoBRA battalions (about 2,000) are being sent |
| Next | Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected in Senapati, a Naga-majority district, on 7 October |
How the Pact Evolved
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 1990s | Kuki-Naga clashes kill hundreds; Kuki armed groups multiply, demanding a separate homeland |
| 22 August 2008 | Tripartite SoO agreement signed with the KNO and UPF, umbrella bodies of about two dozen Kuki-Zo groups; renewed periodically since |
| 3 May 2023 | Ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo people begins |
| February 2024 | The Manipur government declines to extend the pact; the Centre continues talks |
| 13 February 2025 | President’s Rule imposed in Manipur |
| 4 September 2025 | Pact re-signed on revised ground rules (below) |
| 4 February 2026 | President’s Rule revoked; an elected government returns |
| From 7 February 2026 | Naga-Kuki tensions: more than 40 killed in Ukhrul, Kangpokpi and Kamjong districts |
| 4 September 2026 | Pact expires without renewal |
The 2025 ground rules. The KNO and UPF agreed to uphold the territorial integrity of Manipur, relocate seven designated camps away from conflict-prone areas, reduce the number of camps, move their weapons to the nearest CRPF and BSF camps, and accept physical verification of cadres to weed out foreign nationals. The Kuki-Zo Council agreed to open National Highway 2 to free movement.
What an SoO Agreement Is
An SoO is a truce, not a settlement. Security forces stop operations against the signatory groups; the groups stop attacks, live in designated camps, keep weapons under double-lock arrangements and are monitored by a Joint Monitoring Group. Cadres receive a monthly stipend. The agreement buys time for political dialogue on the groups’ demands.
| Instrument | Example | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Ceasefire | NSCN (I-M), since 1997 | Mutual halt to hostilities with a group in talks; the Framework Agreement was signed on 3 August 2015 |
| Suspension of Operations | Kuki-Zo groups, since 2008 | Camps, weapons custody and ground rules; renewed periodically |
| Peace accord | Bodo Accord, 2020; Karbi Anglong Agreement, 2021 | Final settlement with surrender, rehabilitation and political or financial arrangements |
The Constitutional and Legal Setting
- Article 355: the Union’s duty to protect every State against internal disturbance and to ensure its government follows the Constitution. Central forces are deployed under it.
- Article 356: President’s Rule, used in Manipur from February 2025 to February 2026.
- Article 371C: a special provision for Manipur, including a Hill Areas Committee of the Assembly.
- Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958: applies to “disturbed areas” in parts of Manipur.
- Free Movement Regime (FMR): in 2024 the Centre moved to scrap the FMR, which let border residents cross into Myanmar without visas, and began fencing the border.
Analysis
1. Arms are the core problem. Many of the weapons looted from police armouries in 2023 have still not been recovered. The Centre’s condition of full surrender targets the same problem from the other side: arms held in camps by SoO groups.
2. Three communities, three demands. Meitei groups want the SoO ended; Naga groups, newly in conflict with Kuki groups in the hills, back them; Kuki-Zo groups want the talks to continue toward a political arrangement. Any step is read against the others.
3. Abeyance is a lever, not an end. By not renewing, the Centre keeps the camps and the dialogue but raises the price of staying in the process. The risk is that cadres drift back to armed activity if they see no political track.
4. Dialogue has stalled. For context, SoO groups say the interlocutor, Ajit Lal (MHA’s Adviser, Northeast), last met them on 30 April and has not visited the affected areas.
5. Lessons from other accords. The Bodo and Karbi settlements came after long ceasefires, combined surrender with autonomy and development packages, and involved State governments closely. Manipur’s hill-valley divide makes that harder, but the template exists.
UPSC Relevance
GS Paper 3. Linkages between development and the spread of extremism; challenges to internal security; security challenges and their management in border areas; role of various security forces and agencies. GS Paper 2. Centre-State relations; emergency provisions.
A question worth preparing. “Suspension of Operations agreements have bought peace but not settlement in the North-East.” Examine with reference to Manipur. (250 words)
The Mains framing. Define the SoO and contrast it with ceasefires and accords. Trace Manipur’s pact from 2008 to its lapse in September 2026, explain the 2025 ground rules, and set out the competing demands. Conclude with arms recovery, a time-bound political dialogue and confidence-building between hill and valley.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
Prelims, statement-ready facts:
- SoO pact: tripartite (MHA, Manipur govt, KNO and UPF); first signed 22 August 2008; last re-signed 4 September 2025 for one year.
- The pact expired on 4 September 2026; the Centre keeps it in abeyance until all weapons are surrendered.
- 2025 ground rules: seven camps relocated, fewer camps, weapons moved to CRPF and BSF camps, cadre verification.
- NSCN (I-M) ceasefire since 1997; Framework Agreement 3 August 2015.
- Article 371C: Manipur’s Hill Areas Committee; President’s Rule in Manipur: Feb 2025 to Feb 2026.
Prelims, the traps:
- An SoO is a truce with camps, not a peace accord; groups keep their identity and weapons under custody.
- Article 355 is a duty of the Union to protect States; Article 356 is President’s Rule.
Mains, arguments and keywords:
- Arms recovery; designated camps; hill-valley divide; political dialogue; Naga-Kuki tensions; trust deficit.
Interview, be ready for:
- “Should the Centre abrogate the SoO?” Abrogation risks pushing cadres underground; a time-bound renewal tied to disarmament is safer.
Sources: The Hindu, The Week (PTI) on the 2025 pact, ThePrint on the SoO groups, Constitution of India
Source: Manipur SoO Pact With Kuki-Zo Groups Lapses: Insurgency Tools — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs
