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Manipur: With fleet of pickup trucks carrying weapons, Meitei group Arambai Tengol surrenders arms
Last week, Manipur governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla urged people from all communities to surrender looted and illegally held weapons within seven days.
Members of ‘Arambai Tengol’, a radical Meitei group in Manipur on Thursday surrendered their arms to the state government, a move that comes days after state governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla asked all communities to voluntarily surrender looted and illegally held arms and ammunition within seven days as part of efforts to end the protracted ethnic violence in Manipur.
Visuals that surfaced on social media showed members of the Meitei group in a fleet of pickup trucks carrying arms and ammunition.
On Tuesday, Arambai Tenggol said it would give up illegal weapons only when its terms and conditions are accepted. A delegation of the radical group had also met Bhalla.
“Bhalla also requested us to surrender the illegally possessed weapons. ...we put forward certain terms and conditions and assured him that the weapons would be surrendered if those conditions were met,” said Arambai Tenggol’s public relations officer Robin Mangang Khwairakpam, without specifying what the conditions were.
The Arambai Tenggol also submitted a memorandum to Bhalla demanding fencing of the border with Myanmar, implementation of the National Register of Citizens with 1951 as the cut-off, deportation of “illegal immigrants” abrogation of the agreement for the suspension of operations against Kuki groups, etc.
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It sought an assurance that no arrests or legal action would be taken against volunteers or armed civilians including those belonging to Arambai Tenggol, and Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the majority Meitei community.
The violence in Manipur was triggered in May 2023 and has claimed at least 260 lives and displaced around 60,000 people in the state.
Arambai Tenggol has been accused of killing Kuki tribals and destroying their homes.
Mobs also looted weapons from state armouries, police stations, and outposts after the ethnic violence began. Around 2,500 of the 6,000 looted weapons have been recovered.
The president’s rule was imposed in Manipur this month as N Biren Singh resigned as the chief minister days after Bhalla was named the governor.
