46 cadres of KCP (PWG) surrender before Manipur Chief Minister

Forty-six cadres belonging to Manipur's banned outfit, the Kangleipak Communist Party (People's War Group) [KCP (PWG)], surrendered before Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Tuesday.

The cadres laid down 28 firearms, including three AK-series rifles, four AK-56 rifles, one INSAS Excalibur rifle, one SLR, one 9 mm carbine, three .303 rifles, one RPG, two 9 mm pistols, one 7.65 mm pistol, two double-barrel guns, and nine single-barrel guns.

They also surrendered 16 magazines, nine RPG shells, 23 hand grenades, 40 electric detonators, six sets of 27 detonators, 300 blasting caps, seven IEDs weighing approximately 15 kg, seven communication devices, and 342 rounds of ammunition during a homecoming ceremonyheld at IGAR (South), Mantripukhri, in Imphal.

According to the police, the cadres will be rehabilitated under the Government of India's Revised Scheme for Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation of Militants in the North East States, 2018.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh said Manipur had remained peaceful before the outbreak of violence on May 3, 2023, with people from both the hills and the valley living together in harmony. He added that the violence had led to the rise of gun culture, which has adversely affected the state.

Khemchand said sustained operations by the Central and State security forces resulted in the recovery of more than 8,000 weapons across the state. Since the formation of the present government on February 4 this year, more than 1,200 firearms have been recovered, including around 600 weapons that were looted from government armouries, he added.

Appreciating all the cadres who voluntarily surrendered their weapons, the Chief Minister said they are peace-loving citizens who want to restore normalcy.

"Conflict and gun culture can never bring peace. I welcome all the surrendered cadres for choosing the path of peace and joining the mainstream to build a better future," the Chief Minister said.

Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said the surrendered cadres would receive benefits under the Centre's Revised Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Scheme. He said that, under the scheme, surrendered cadres would receive a monthly stipend of up to Rs. 6,000 for three years and a rehabilitation grant of Rs. 4 lakh in the form of a fixed deposit.

Stating that restoring peace should be the priority of all so that all communities can live together in harmony, Govindas appealed to all insurgents to return to the path of peace and join the mainstream.

L. Ranjit, Chairman of KCP (PWG), while speaking to the media, appealed to those who are still in the organisation to come out and join the mainstream. He also informed that around 543 cadres had completed the verification process, but many of them were arrested before the homecoming ceremony.

Ranjit said the cadres had been struggling, and their families were also facing serious economic hardship. He added that even if the cadres wanted to return, they had no means to rebuild their lives.

Keeping in mind the struggles of the cadres, the senior leaders of the party decided to help and rescue them, and that was one of the main reasons why the cadres surrendered their weapons, he added.