Imphal, Sept. 24: The Revolutionary People’s Front today reaffirmed its decision to continue with the three-decade-old armed campaign to “restore” Manipur’s lost freedom.

The assertion by the RPF, one of the major rebel groups in Manipur that has been waging a war against India, has dashed the state government’s hopes of holding peace talks with the group.

“The RPF will never make any deal less than Manipur’s freedom with India,” its president, Irengbam Chaoren, declared in a statement issued today on the occasion of the 30th raising day of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), its armed wing. The RPF believed in winning “freedom” through armed propaganda, Chaoren said.

The statement comes as a setback for the Okram Ibobi Singh government and New Delhi when they are hoping to wean away more armed groups of Manipur to the talks table after signing the ground rules for suspension of operation agreement on August 22 with the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UNF), the two umbrella bodies representing 19 tribal militant groups.

The Ibobi Singh government is preparing to implement the ground rules, that include setting up of designated camps for the cadres and laying down of arms.

After the initial success with the tribal rebel groups, the Manipur government was expecting more armed groups to follow suit. Chaoren described New Delhi’s peace process as an attempt to trigger fratricidal killings among ethnic communities in the Northeast.

“The suspension of operation is a trap. India is trying to use the splinter groups that signed the suspension of operation agreement to trigger bloodshed between brothers.”

Chaoren also accused India of denying participation of people of smaller states like Manipur in sports events.