Peace talk signatory URF picks up arms once again

IMPHAL, October 2: The United Revolutionary Front, URF said the outfit is left with no other option other than quit the Memorandum of Understanding signed with both the State and

Old Photo: Militant Armed Cadres surrendered in a ceremony to CM & officials, for peace talk.

Old Photo: Militant Armed Cadres surrendered in a ceremony to CM & officials, for peace talk.

IMPHAL, October 2: The United Revolutionary Front, URF said the outfit is left with no other option other than quit the Memorandum of Understanding signed with both the State and Central governments and picked up arms once again.

A press statement signed by the outfit`™s chairman Lanheiba Meitei said that its cadres have been instructed to keep vigilant against any instigation.

The statement from the outfit`™s chairman Lanheiba Meitei said picking up arms once again has been necessitated in order to defend one`™s own rights and this has today become the only means to defend one`™s own identity.

The outfit had signed the Memorandum of Understanding with both the State and Centre on February 13, 2013.

The statement continued that since its formation, the outfit has been trying to unite the small revolutionary groups of Manipur and form a unified force.

It said the outfit was formed by seven smaller outfits on a common platform and has its own set rules and regulations.

It said on February 13, 2013 the outfit signed for peace-talks with both the State and Central governments.

Before the signing of the peace deal, the outfit had made several appeals for the welfare of the people to the representatives of both the State and the Centre, it said.

However, after the talk, both the governments seem to have forgotten their assurances, it said before asking how long a peace deal where the signatories are trying to pick faults with one another can last.

The Centre may not know, but the State government considers the signing of the MoU as a mass surrender, it said.

It continued that before the signing of the MoU, drafts were exchanged three times following which the MoU was signed at the Banquet hall of the 1st MR on February 13, 2013.

It said 90 cadres along with 50 weapons had arrived along with their leaders for the signing of the MoU.

However, the scene at the banquet hall was totally different from what the URF had reckoned, it said.

With much cajoling, the outfit managed to make the government take down the `Home coming ceremony` banner from the venue.

Further charging that the outfit was cajoled into signing the agreement, it said when the agreement was about to be signed, the outfit had checked on the agreement but found it to be different from the agreements reached beforehand.

But after much cajoling from the side of the government, the URF leaders were made to signed the agreement, it further said.

Now, whenever any complaint is made, it is denied stating that it is not in the agreement.

It further claimed that a person who had signed the peace treaty has not been even pardoned of previous cases and made to appear twice every month before the NIA Guwahati court.

The statement further said that it condemns and disapproves the government`™s act to completely crush an outfit and further demanded to immediately stop barricading police commandos at the Loitongkhunou camp of the URF.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/peace-talk-signatory-urf-picks-up-arms-once-again/