Imphal: Forty-six cadres of the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)-Taibangnganba faction, including four women, surrendered before Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh in Imphal on August 18.
The cadres handed over 20 weapons during a homecoming ceremony held at the 1st Manipur Rifles Parade Ground. Their surrender takes the number of insurgents from various underground organisations who have laid down arms before the chief minister over the past month to 92.
The weapons deposited by the cadres included AK-series and AK-56 rifles, INSAS Ex-Caliber rifles, self-loading rifles (SLRs), 9mm carbines, .303 rifles, RPGs, 9mm pistols and barrel guns. The surrendered items also included magazines, RPG shells, hand grenades, electric detonators and ammunition.
Addressing the gathering, Khemchand said the state government would provide Rs 4 lakh for each surrendered insurgent through fixed deposit schemes as part of efforts to support their rehabilitation and return to civilian life under a Central government initiative.
Under the Revised Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Scheme, the former cadres will also be eligible for a monthly stipend of up to Rs 6,000 for three years.
The chief minister welcomed the decision of the cadres to abandon armed activities and called on other underground groups to follow the same path. He said lasting peace in Manipur could be achieved through dialogue and reconciliation rather than the use of weapons.
The August 18 ceremony was the second major surrender event in Manipur within a month. On July 21, 46 cadres of the KCP-People’s War Group (KCP-PWG) surrendered at the Mantripukhri Garrison.
The latest surrender also comes days after Khemchand announced a 15-day window on August 12 for people possessing illegal, unauthorised or looted weapons in the hills and valleys to voluntarily hand them over through local MLAs or Superintendents of Police.
The chief minister had warned that legal action would follow against those who continued to retain such weapons after the deadline expired.