Foreign conspiracy behind Manipur violence: NIA

The NIA have so far arrested two persons from Manipur, one Meitei and one tribal, for their alleged involvement in the 'conspiracy'.

Terrorists based out of Myanmar and Bangladesh hatched a "transnational conspiracy" with militant leaders in the Northeast to stoke the current ethnic strife in Manipur and wage a war against India, National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said.

The anti-terror agency, which has arrested two individuals allegedly involved in the conspiracy in the past week, on Saturday said investigations revealed that insurgent leaders based in the two neighbouring countries have been providing funds to procure arms, ammunition and other "terrorist hardware", which are being sourced both from across the border as well as from other terrorist outfits active in Northeast to stoke the current ethnic strife in Manipur.

"Investigation revealed that Myanmar and Bangladesh-based militant groups have entered into a conspiracy with a section of militant leaders in India to indulge in incidents of violence with an intention to drive a wedge between different ethnic groups and to wage war against the Government of India," the NIA said in a statement.

On Saturday, NIA sleuths arrested Seiminlun Gangte, a tribal from Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district for his alleged involvement in the conspiracy. On September 22, the NIA arrested another accused, Moirangthem Anand Singh, a Meitei, who was reportedly wanted in several other cases in Manipur. Singh was taken to Delhi and remanded to four-day custody.

On September 23, the NIA said that Myanmar-based terrorist organizations are recruiting "over ground workers", cadres and sympathisers to augment the strength to carry out attacks on security forces and opposing ethnic groups by exploiting the current unrest in Manipur.

"And for this purpose, the terrorist leadership are collecting arms, ammunition and explosives by unlawful means, including plunder and pillage of government facilities and resources," the central agency added.

More than 175 people have been killed and over 60,000 others have been displaced due to the clashes between the Meiteis and the Kukis since May 3. Sporadic incidents of violence have still kept Manipur troubled.

Sources said the Centre asked the NIA to register a case based on inputs provided by the security agencies about possible involvement of foreign elements in the ongoing violence. Manipur CM N Biren Singh and some organizations representing the Meiteis have also alleged involvement of terror elements based out of Myanmar, with which Manipur shares a 390-km border. Most stretches of the border have remained unfenced, allowing terrorists and smugglers to carry out unlawful activities.