Reacting to the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) charge that the “China-Myanmar module of NSCN-IM supported the cadres of two banned Meitei outfits” to infiltrate India and exploit the current ethnic unrest in Manipur, the Naga outfit on Wednesday called it not only ‘misleading’, but also ‘cruel’ and ‘vicious’.
The NIA in a charge sheet filed before a court in Guwahati on March 27 said, “The China-Myanmar module of NSCN-IM based in Myanmar under the leadership of Hangshi Tangkhul and Absilom Tangkhul have decided to extend support to proscribed terrorist organisations, Kanglei Yaol Kamba Lup (KYKL) and People’s Liberation Army (PLA), to infiltrate their cadres into the Indian territory for carrying out terrorist attacks in India.”
KYKL is under the leadership of N. Owen while the PLA is headed by M.M. Ngouba, the NIA said.
As per the charge sheet, these outfits were tasked to identify, recruit, and train impressionable youths and get them involved in the ongoing violence with the larger goal of destabilising the security situation in Manipur and to further wage a war against the government of India.
The charge sheet also claimed that the accused Anand Singh, a trained PLA cadre, not only attended a camp in July 2023 in Imphal and trained others, but also “mobilised local youth” for arms training to “escalate the ethnic conflict in the state”.
The NSCN-IM said in a statement on Wednesday that it is sensitive to the “propaganda war” waged by the “government of India against NSCN which had signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre and engaged in political talks for the last 27 years”.
“What is going on now along the Myanmar border is something that is exposing the hidden war or proxy war against the NSCN. The Indian security forces consisting of Assam Rifles and para-regiments are constantly raining bombs on NSCN positions on a daily basis in the name of KNA (B).
“The reason is not far to seek. The Indian security forces do not want the Naga Army to be stationed in the Myo Thit (Tab) area of Myanmar. Things have become very clear that the security forces are extending their logistics and material support to KNA (B) to wage a war against the Meitei revolutionary groups stationed there,” the statement said.
The NSCN-IM also said that the Indian security forces even allow the Kuki militant groups operating in Manipur’s Tengnoupal district to enter Myanmar and fight with the Meitei revolutionary groups.
It said that nothing is left to doubt about the dubious role of the Indian security forces, as they use the Kukis as frontal forces to engage in bloody discord against the Nagas, giving all logistics support to the Kuki militant groups.
“The security forces also sealed the international border along Namlee and Wanglee in Manipur’s Kamjong district,” the NSCN-IM said.
