Reaffirming its political vision, the UNLF articulated the ‘Idea of Manipur’ as a shared homeland for all ethnic groups—Meitei, Naga, Kuki, Pangal, and others—without domination or exclusion. It cautioned that both tribal chauvinism and majoritarian arrogance threaten the state’s fragile fabric and collective survival.
BY PC Bureau
November 12, 2025: The proscribed United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Manipur’s oldest armed outfit, has accused the Government of India of pursuing what it called a “Divide and Destroy” strategy in the conflict-torn state.
In a statement issued by its Department of Publicity (DoP/PR–No. 608, dated November 12, 2025), the group alleged that New Delhi had intensified its “colonial policy,” moving beyond “Divide and Rule” to deliberately fragment Manipuri society since the outbreak of ethnic violence on May 3, 2023.
The UNLF claimed that the unrest had resulted in a “demographic war,” displacing thousands of Meiteis from hill areas and enabling the resettlement of refugees from Myanmar. “This is not merely a humanitarian crisis — it is a grave assault on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Manipur,” the statement said.
The outfit also condemned what it described as “reactionary and divisive propaganda” circulating on social media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, asserting that such content was designed to fracture the state’s unity. The UNLF vowed to “counter and neutralize” these narratives through public awareness and ideological outreach.
Reaffirming its vision of an “Idea of Manipur” as a shared homeland, the group emphasized that no community — Meitei, Naga, Kuki, or others — should claim dominance over another. It warned against both “tribal chauvinism” and “majoritarian arrogance,” urging all ethnic groups to resist external manipulation and safeguard the state’s collective identity.
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Concluding with a call for unity, the statement urged all communities to “reject divisive narratives” and uphold the ideal of “a united and indivisible Manipur.”
Founded in 1964, the UNLF is one of Northeast India’s oldest insurgent organizations. It has maintained a tenuous ceasefire with the Indian government since 2012, though political tensions and occasional clashes persist. The May 2023 ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups has claimed more than 250 lives and displaced over 60,000 people, deepening communal divides across the state.
