Manipur's Black T-Shirts

The Hindu

14-06-2025

Violence returned to Manipur after a brief lull when security personnel picked up Asem Kanan Singh, the self-styled 'army chief' of Arambai Tenggol (AT), a radical Meitei group, from one of its strategic units in Imphal on the night of June 7. The following day, sleuths of the CBI arrested him at the Imphal Airport and brought him to Guwahati for questioning. The AT lifted its 10-day shutdown across the Imphal Valley on the fourth day after officials assuaged tempers by saying Mr. Singh, a suspended Manipur Police head constable, was not arrested for his AT connection but for involvement in several criminal cases.
One of these cases related to arms smuggling in 2020 is almost as old as the AT, which derives its name from a poisoned dart-like weapon (Arambai) used by the troops of the Manipuri kings against Burmese invaders and a cavalry platoon (Tenggol). It was no coincidence that the AT's primary fight turned out to be against the Kuki-Zo people, perceived as 'illegal' settlers from Myanmar with the agenda of grabbing the Meitei domain.
Founded by Manipur's titular king and the BJP's Rajya Sabha member, Leishemba Sanajaoba, the group uses the 'Salai Taret' flag, representing seven Meitei clans. It adopted a religious and nationalist rhetoric, invoking the pre-Hindu Sanamahi faith of the Meiteis and envisaging a return to the old glory of the Meitei kingdom of Kangleipak.
The group is headed by Korounganba Khuman, referred to by his subordinates as pathou, meaning revered leader. The members of the group, estimated to be 60,000 now, can be identified from their black T-shirts bearing a red insignia of three horsemen charging with weapons.
The AT came into discussion in 2022, around the same time the Meitei Leepun — a similar radical group founded by Pramot Singh in 2015 — began drawing attention. Both shot to prominence after the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities broke out in May 2023, but the more organised, aggressive, and armed AT soon pushed the Meitei Leepun into near-obscurity. The AT scored more on optics and alleged intimidation of those not in line with its outlook, apart from the royal patronage it received. The organisation believes its members are like the warriors who once served the Meitei kings, and one of its major oath-taking ceremonies in 2022 was held at Mr Sanajaoba's house.
During the initial days of the conflict, AT members were accused of going on a rampage, organising blockades on roads leading to the hills where Kuki-Zo people living in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley fled to, looting arms from the police armouries, and indulging in arson. It was also accused of hounding and killing Kuki-Zo people.
Parallel government
The group allegedly received the support of former Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh and virtually ran a parallel government during much of the conflict. Kuki-Zo organisations blame the AT, apart from Biren Singh, for the conflict that claimed more than 250 lives. The AT, on the other hand, holds several Kuki-Zo insurgent groups, albeit in ceasefire mode, responsible for starting the fire.
This was evident when it summoned two MPs, including Mr. Sanajaoba, and 37 MLAs to Imphal's historic Kangla Fort in January 2024, made them take an oath to preserve the integrity of Manipur and sign a six-point demand to be communicated to the Centre. The AT reportedly assaulted two BJP and a Congress legislator for refusing to sign the document. In a Facebook post before the summoning, the AT said it would consider absentee political leaders as 'enemies of the Meiteis' and would deal with them accordingly.
The AT went on the back foot after the President's Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, days after Mr. Biren Singh quit as the Chief Minister. Soon after, the group surrendered some 300 firearms during a seven-day ultimatum set for wielders of weapons looted during the peak of the conflict.
Often compared with Chhattisgarh's Salwa Judum, a government-trained anti-Maoist militia that degenerated into a vigilante movement that went on a killing spree, The AT has often underlined its nationalist outlook, unlike several Meitei extremist outfits, which insist on Manipur's sovereignty. At a traditional annual event in Imphal on April 13, Mr. Sanajaoba stressed this difference to an audience that included muscular 'men in black' belonging to the AT.
He said the group was established to 'defend our land, culture, and identity' and that it was not anti-national. 'Our goal is to defend and protect Manipur and India, but we were compelled to take a role 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,' he said.