MHA Constitutes Tribunal Under Gauhati HC Judge to Probe Unlawful Meitei Extremist Organizations

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has established the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, headed by Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi, a Judge of the Gauhati High Court.

This tribunal is tasked with determining whether there is sufficient cause to designate Meitei Extremist Organizations of Manipur, along with their factions, wings, and front organizations, as "unlawful associations."

The announcement, made through a notification issued on November 28, comes approximately 15 days after the MHA declared various Meitei extremist organizations, their factions, wings, and front organizations as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for a five-year period.

Quoting the notification, it states, "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 5 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central Government hereby constitutes 'The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal' consisting of Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi, Judge of the Gauhati High Court, for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Meitei Extremist Organizations of Manipur... as 'Unlawful Associations.'"

The MHA's initial declaration on November 13 outlined the Meitei extremist organizations affected by the decision, such as the Peoples' Liberation Army (PLA), Revolutionary Peoples' Front (RPF), United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Manipur Peoples' Army (MPA), Peoples' Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), Red Army (armed wing of PREPAK), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Red Army (armed wing of KCP), Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL), Coordination Committee (CorCom), and Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK), along with their factions, wings, and front organizations.

The MHA had invoked the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to declare these Meitei extremist organizations as unlawful associations. The order, effective from November 13, 2023, extends for five years.

The ministry clarified that this action was prompted by intelligence indicating the Meitei extremist organizations' shared goal of establishing an independent nation through armed struggle and inciting indigenous people for secession. These organizations were found to engage in activities prejudicial to India's sovereignty, integrity, and security, including attacks on security forces, police, and civilians, intimidation, extortion, and looting for funding, contacts with foreign sources, and maintaining camps in neighboring countries for sanctuary, training, and arms procurement.

The MHA underscored the detrimental impact of these activities on India's sovereignty and integrity, justifying the immediate need to curb and control these organizations. The ministry expressed concerns about the potential escalation of secessionist, subversive, terrorist, and violent activities, collaboration with forces opposed to India's sovereignty, civilian and security force casualties, illegal arms procurement, and substantial fund collection for unlawful activities.

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