The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was established under the leadership of N. Bisheswar Singh on September 25, 1978. The PLA has focussed on mobilising people and conducting selective campaigns directed principally against the security forces. PLA, though a Meiti outfit, claims itself to be a trans-tribal organisation seeking to lead the non-Meiteis also.

The outfit's stated objective is to organise a revolutionary front covering the entire Northeast and unite all ethnic groups, including the Meiteis, Nagas and Kukis to liberate Manipur. PLA recruits had been trained in guerrilla warfare by the then united National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) at its headquarters in Challam, beyond the Somrah Tract, in north Myanmar during the eighties. PLA is also reported to have contacts with Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).

PLA unleashed a reign of terror in the Imphal Valley during 1978-79, killing several security forces personnel. Between June 1978 and October 1979, PLA was involved in 39 incidents of violence including raids on police stations, looting and killing and snatching arms from security forces.

However, the underground organisation faced serious problems in the early eighties following the capture and killing of almost all its prominent leaders. Its founder chief, N. Bisheswar was arrested at Tekcham, Thoubal district, on July 6, 1981. Again, in April 1982, PLA Chairman Thoudam Kunjabehari was killed along with eight frontline leaders by security forces at Kodampokpi, near Imphal.

Following these setbacks, PLA undertook a number of steps to revitalise itself. In 1989, it formed a political body called Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF). RPF runs a government-in-exile in Bangladesh where the PLA has set up a number of bases in Sylhet district. Irengbam Chaoren is the President of RPF. It has a Vice-president, a General Secretary, Secretaries in charge of Home, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Publicity and Communication, Social Welfare, Health and Education.

As part of the revitalisation efforts, PLA was reorganised on the lines of a disciplined army. The militant wing now comprises four divisions--Sadar Hill West areas of the Valley of Manipur, Sadar Hill areas in eastern Valley, entire hill areas in Manipur and the entire Imphal area. Each division has a commander, lieutenants, sergeant and lance corporals in its ranks. PLA activists are equipped with sophisticated arms. It had set up two camps in Myanmar and five camps in Bangladesh where about 1,000 recruits received arms training.