Formed under the leadership of Areambam Samrendra Singh on November 24, 1964, it is the oldest Meitei insurgent group in Manipur. It aims to achieve 'independence' and a 'socialist society' in Manipur.
A pan-Manipuri Youth League was formed in December 1968, which functioned as an overground body for UNLF. Later, differences within the outfit surfaced over the issue of strategies to be adopted to achieve the final goal. While Samrendra Singh sought to spread ideological consciousness before launching an armed struggle, the more radical leader Oinam Sudhir Kumar established a Revolutionary Government of Manipur (RGM). Samarendra was killed by unidentified terrorists in Imphal on June 10, 2001.
In the seventies and eighties, the UNLF concentrated mainly on mobilisation and recruitment. In 1990, it decided to launch an armed struggle for the ‘liberation’ of Manipur from India. In the same year, it formed an armed wing called Manipur People’s Army (MPA).
Objective
To establish an independent socialist Manipur.
Leadership
At present Rajkumar Meghen alias Sana Yaima is its Chairman of UNLF while other important leaders include ‘General Secretary’ Th Sanachou; ‘Secretary of Defence’ A Wangpa; ‘Secretary of Organisation’ M Nongyai; and ‘Secretary of Publicity’ N Thabal. The Women’s wing Chief is Nganbi Devi; Deputy Women’s wing Chief: Banti Devi. The then UNLF Chairman, Namuizum Okendra was arrested on May 19, 1993.