New Delhi: A remark by Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha MP Leishamba Sanajaoba, who is also the titular Meitei king, is being considered a veiled threat to the Kuki community.

In an event organised by Arambai Tenggol, an armed outfit of which he is said to be the founder, Sanajaoba stated that though the groups has surrendered some of its weapons publicly, it would “be ready to defend [Meitei] land” at any time. 

Arms

The BJP MP’s statement made at a public event organised by the radical group in Imphal on April 16 is significant, considering that the Arambai Tenggol is accused of attacking Kuki-Zos in the valley districts of the state and capturing their properties in Imphal. The group had hit headlines in February for surrendering 246 looted weapons on a single day at the call of the Manipur governor. Media reports have highlighted that only 106 of those weapons were sophisticated while “most were single- or double-barrel weapons and country-made ones.” 

In a March 7 report, The Wire had noted that an additional 67 weapons were handed over to state police by Arambai Tenggol in some other areas, taking the total number of surrendered weapons by the group to 307. The report had underlined that the surrendered cache represented only a fraction of the arms looted since the violence began. Notably, not a single bulletproof jacket was returned by it. 

The Wire had then learned that Arambai Tenggol and another Meitei radical group, Meitei Leepun, together had looted from state armoury a far larger number, much of which remains in circulation. Notably, despite the fact that the Manipur Police routinely lists surrendered arms on X, it has omitted any reference to those turned in by Arambai Tenggol, which remains under investigation by the National Investigation Agency for its alleged role in looting a Manipur Rifles complex. The Wire had tried contacting the state director general of police Rajiv Shah to enquire about the situation, but has not received a response yet. 

A total of 6,000 arms were looted in Manipur over different periods since May 3, 2023 by “the Meitei militia”, as reported by The New Indian Express. By the evening of March 6, 1,044 arms and 14,779 rounds of ammunition were surrendered to security forces, according to Indian Express.

'Should not be mistaken for a passive or inactive group'

In a video clip of the April 13 event in Imphal West – the closing ceremony of a football tournament of various Arambai Tenggol units – the Rajya Sabha MP is heard saying:

“Arambai Tenggol was established to defend our land, culture and identity. We are not anti-national or against anyone. Our real intention is to defend and protect Manipur and India. However, we were compelled to take a role that we never intended to. Some may say that Arambai Tenggol have surrendered their weapons and are living as civilians. But, at any given time, we will be ready for the call to defend our land.”

Speaking in presence of the armed outfit’s leader K. Khuman and its unit commanders and advisors, the BJP MP “lauded Arambai Tenggol, stating that its actions today stand as a testament to that belief and are a matter of pride,” reported E-Pao Net. The news report quoted the Meitei leader as saying, “While the group had assumed a different form during a critical period to protect the Meetei (Meitei) community and Manipur, it has now reverted to its foundational identity, engaging in religious practices, farming and sports.”

“Nevertheless, he said that Arambai Tenggol should not be mistaken for a passive or inactive group.”

The report said that he warned, “If any threat arises against Manipur and its people, the organisation will not hesitate to return to its former role.”

The ethnic tensions between the two communities once again came to a head this past week as it is that time of the year when Meiteis climb the Thangjing Hills it considers sacred. This time, the community had to abort it due to threats of retaliation by the Kuki-Zo community. Thangjing Hills is located in the Kuki-Zo dominated Churachandpur district. On April 13 which was a full moon night, many Meitei pilgrims from across the Imphal Valley had offered prayers in Bishnupur which is contiguous to the Churachandpur district, and had camped overnight hoping to do the pilgrimage to the sacred site on the Hills but had to return home without completing the age-old tradition. 

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