The United National Liberation Front (UNLF) marked its 61st anniversary today at several camps, where the group strongly reiterated that there has been no surrender of arms and that the 2023 agreement with the Government of India is only a ceasefire, not a compromise on Manipur’s sovereignty.
The main event was held at Camp Hongbiban in Kakching Khunou, led by Acting Chairman Thokchom Khambaton.
Top members, including General Secretary S. Nongdol, senior cadres of the Manipur People’s Army (MPA), and representatives from different wings of the organisation, were present and pledged to continue pushing the movement’s goals.
A similar ceremony took place at Camp Lamdeng, presided over by Vice Chairman Khundongbam Lanjingba, and attended by Central Committee leaders such as Finance Secretary Sinam Pankhei and former Acting Chairman–turned–advisor N. Nongyai.
Programmes were also held at Ingourok Camp, Yaithibi Camp, and other battalion units.
Speakers across camps stressed that the agreement signed on 29 November 2023 was meant to stop armed clashes between the MPA and Indian forces and to open the door for political talks.
Leaders emphasised that no weapons have been handed over, no change has been made in the move for restoration of Manipur’s sovereignty, and the ceasefire is being used as a political route, not an end to the movement.
As UNLF enters its 62nd year, it is being asserted that the ceasefire is only the start of the final chapter, in which Manipur’s future is expected to be decided through dignity and historical truth.
The Central Committee, in its yearly report on behalf of the UNLF and its Army, on its 61st anniversary, pays tribute to the people of Manipur for their “enduring sacrifices” in the struggle for sovereignty. The group also saluted its founders, cadres, and civilians who “laid down their lives for the motherland.”
In its report, the Central Committee emphasized that the armed movement grew not from ambition but from political necessity, stating that Manipur’s dignity and rights could not be safeguarded within the Union of India.
UNLF highlighted that from the 1990s onwards, parts of Sajik Tampak, Churachandpur hills, Khengjoi–Chingsang in Chandel, and Barak valley became “liberated zones” where they practiced guerrilla control against Indian forces.
The group claimed it maintained a base at Khengjoi–Chingsang for four years, clashing repeatedly with the Indian security forces. According to the statement, these engagements eventually triggered counter-operations such as Operation All Clear, Somtal–I, and Somtal–II.
The report credited these battles with “proving the legitimacy of the liberation struggle in blood, not words,” stating that people’s support was the “most powerful military strength” of the MPA.
UNLF condemned the activities of armed extortion gangs and contract killers, saying such groups misuse the name of “revolution,” endanger civilians, and destroy public trust.
The organisation appealed to the public not to support anti-social armed groups, calling them “counter-revolutionary tools used by external forces.” It also urged youth engaged in such activities to desist.
The anniversary report also stressed that the nationalist struggle cannot succeed without building an essential self-reliant economy, arguing that political liberation without economic independence would be hollow.
Agriculture will be the core sector, with expanded food production linked to border markets including Myanmar and neighbouring Northeast states, local products replacing India’s “captive market system,” and community-based sustainable development driven through agriculture, horticulture, and small and medium enterprises.
UNLF claimed this programme forms a “central revolutionary principle” of the organisation and insists it must be pursued even during conflict.
The Central Committee reaffirmed that Manipur is a historically independent state, pointing to state formation through centuries of self-rule, the Constitution of Manipur adopted on October 18, 1948, and its forced annexation by India on October 15, 1949.
Citing disparities in population—2.8 million in Manipur against India’s 1.4 billion—and increasing migration pressures, the UNLF warned of a “demographic invasion.” It alleged that India is “obstructing Manipur’s survival as a distinct nation.”
The statement described the “Idea of Manipur” as a shared destiny of both hill and valley communities, arguing that identity is rooted in mutual interdependence of land, forests, rivers, and wetlands; a shared economy around agriculture, food, weaving, forest products, and lakes; and coexistence expressed through markets, livelihoods, and culture.
The organisation stressed that ethnic divisions being promoted today threaten this shared heritage.
Concluding the report, the UNLF asserted that “national liberation is a responsibility of the people,” not merely of an armed group. Every citizen must contribute through knowledge, honesty, economic participation, and ethical conduct. Sovereignty requires “collective moral discipline and unity above fear.”
