Manipur Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel has assured that the state government will fully implement all provisions of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement, signed between the Centre, the state, and various armed groups in the state.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the State-Level Teachers’ Day celebration in Imphal, Goel underlined that the government’s foremost priority remains the restoration of peace and normalcy in the state, which has been witnessing ethnic unrest for over a year.
He added that the agreement reached on September 4 regarding the reopening of the National Highway — a crucial lifeline for Manipur’s supplies — will be put into action soon. On the demand raised by the Kuki Zo Council to strictly enforce buffer zones between Meitei and Kuki-Zo inhabited areas, the Chief Secretary reiterated that the government is committed to honouring every clause of the SoO pact.
The SoO agreement, first signed in 2008, is a ceasefire arrangement between the Government of India, the Manipur government, and Kuki insurgent groups under two umbrella bodies — the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF).
It requires militant cadres to stay in designated camps under suspension of armed operations in exchange for political dialogue and security guarantees. Over 25 Kuki groups are currently under the pact.
The agreement has often come under strain due to ethnic tensions, with both valley-based groups and Kuki-Zo organisations accusing the government of bias in its enforcement.