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Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Express View: In Manipur, the state must reassert its authority
Manipur has a long and complex history of insurgency rooted in issues of ethnic identity. Historical grievances have led to the formation of militant groups within both the Meitei and the Kuki communities, like the United National Liberation Front, the People's Liberation Army, the Kuki National Army and the Zomi Revolutionary Army. The National Socialist Council of Nagaland has a significant presence in northern Manipur. When ethnic violence erupted in May 2023, these networks of militancy were reactivated. The failure of the Centre and the state government to bring the situation under control has, in many areas, entrenched the hold of these groups. This was evident in the recent protests in Imphal over the arrest of a top leader of the Arambai Tenggol (AT) by the CBI. Asem Kanan Singh, the self-styled 'army chief' of the AT, was picked up by security forces along with four other members of the outfit for involvement in 'various criminal activities related to Manipur violence in 2023'. Originally framed as a 'socio-religious' body — founded by BJP MP and titular king of Manipur Leishemba Sanajaoba — the AT now operates as an armed militia. Its proclivity for violence, extortion and intimidation is well documented. In what was a chilling demonstration of its power, the AT infamously 'summoned' all the elected Meitei legislators in the state, including ministers, to a meeting at the Kangla Fort in January 2024. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had alleged back then that the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president, K Meghachandra, was assaulted in this meeting. The state government, led by N Biren Singh, was either unable or unwilling to crack down on this group. Manipur's descent into militia-fuelled politics underscores the urgent need for the state to reassert its authority. It must reclaim its role as the mediator between Meiteis and Kukis — a task that demands political leadership with credibility across ethnic lines. Following Singh's resignation and the imposition of President's Rule in February, the Centre has attempted to stabilise the situation, even as some MLAs (none of them Kuki) push to restore a popular government. It must do more. The Centre must send an unequivocal message: Unlawful activities by groups like the AT will face zero tolerance. The threat is not one-sided. Around the same time as Asem Kanan Singh's arrest, the NIA arrested three Kuki insurgents accused of attacking a police post and killing two commandos in Moreh in January 2024. The state must convince all communities that peace and prosperity cannot be sacrificed at the altar of ethnic rivalry.
Qatar Tribune
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Curfew, internet shutdown in India's violence-hit Manipur
Authorities have imposed a curfew and shut down the internet in parts of the troubled north-eastern Indian state of Manipur after protests erupted over the arrest of leaders from an ethnic group. On Sunday, police arrested five leaders of Arambai Tenggol, an armed Meitei radical group, including their chief Asem Kanan Singh. India's top investigation agency said Singh was arrested at Manipur's Imphal airport for his involvement in 'various criminal activities' related to the violence that broke out in the state in 2023. Manipur has been rocked by periodic violence since 2023 after ethnic clashes between the two largest groups, the majority Meitei and minority Kuki, over land and influence. More than 250 people have been killed in the conflict, with tens of thousands displaced. Arambai Tenggol identifies itself as a social outfit and wields considerable influence in the state, enjoying support from the Meitei community. The latest round of tensions began on June 7, when India's top investigation agency arrested Singh and four other leaders of Arambai Tenggol, following which he was taken to Guwahati city in the neighbouring state of Assam. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating cases related to violence in Manipur, said that the trial for these had been shifted from Manipur to Guwahati in Assam 'in view of the law and order situation in Manipur'. After the arrests, protesters demanding the release of members of Arambai Tenggol stormed a police post, set fire to a bus and blocked roads in parts of Imphal. Some protesters also clashed with security personnel, The Hindu newspaper reported. A 13-year-old boy was injured after security forces fired tear gas shells and live rounds to disperse crowds, The Hindustan Times reported. State lawmaker Okram Surjakumar said the arrests had thrown the state into chaos. Following the violence, the state government suspended internet and mobile data services in five districts of the state for five days and imposed an indefinite curfew in one. Gatherings of four or more people has also been prohibited in the some parts. Arambai Tenggol has also declared a 10-day shutdown in parts of the state since Saturday night. Priyanka Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress party, on Sunday questioned why the government was unable to bring to peace to the conflict-hit state. Earlier this year, the Indian government brought the state under direct federal rule after the chief minister resigned following criticism from opposition groups. (Agencies)
Saudi Gazette
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Curfew and internet shutdown in India's violence-hit Manipur state
DELHI — Authorities have imposed a curfew and shut down the internet in parts of the troubled north-eastern Indian state of Manipur after protests erupted over the arrest of leaders from an ethnic group. On Sunday, police arrested five leaders of Arambai Tenggol, an armed Meitei radical group, including their chief Asem Kanan Singh. India's top investigation agency said Singh was arrested at Manipur's Imphal airport for his involvement in "various criminal activities" related to the violence that broke out in the state in 2023. Manipur has been rocked by periodic violence since 2023 after ethnic clashes between the two largest groups, the majority Meitei and minority Kuki, over land and influence. More than 250 people have been killed in the conflict, with tens of thousands displaced. Arambai Tenggol identifies itself as a social outfit and wields considerable influence in the state, enjoying support from the Meitei community. The latest round of tensions began on 7 June, when India's top investigation agency arrested Singh and four other leaders of Arambai Tenggol, following which he was taken to Guwahati city in the neighboring state of Assam. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating cases related to violence in Manipur, said that the trial for these had been shifted from Manipur to Guwahati in Assam "in view of the law and order situation in Manipur". After the arrests, protesters demanding the release of members of Arambai Tenggol stormed a police post, set fire to a bus and blocked roads in parts of Imphal. Some protesters also clashed with security personnel, The Hindu newspaper reported. A 13-year-old boy was injured after security forces fired tear gas shells and live rounds to disperse crowds, The Hindustan Times reported. State lawmaker Okram Surjakumar said the arrests had thrown the state into chaos. Following the violence, the state government suspended internet and mobile data services in five districts of the state for five days and imposed an indefinite curfew in one. Gatherings of four or more people has also been prohibited in the some parts. Arambai Tenggol has also declared a 10-day shutdown in parts of the state since Saturday night. Priyanka Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress party, on Sunday questioned why the government was unable to bring to peace to the conflict-hit state. Earlier this year, the Indian government brought the state under direct federal rule after the chief minister resigned following criticism from opposition groups. Gandhi blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he had not met representatives from the state or made any efforts for peace. "It is the prime minister's responsibility to ensure peace and security for the citizens of the country. To step back from this is to turn away from one's duty," she wrote in a post on X. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been sharply criticized by opposition leaders and rights groups for its handling of the conflict. Opposition leaders have also criticized Modi for not visiting the state since the violence first began in 2023. On Sunday, a multi-party delegation of state lawmakers met the state governor. BJP lawmker Kh Ibomcha said the delegation had asked that the arrested leaders be released after they were questioned by the police. — BBC
Indian Express
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Manipur simmers after Arambai Tenggol leader arrested: A short history of the Meitei outfit
The CBI's arrest of a leader from Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol on Saturday has put the focus back on the group. Protests immediately followed the arrest, with internet services snapped across Manipur's central valley. In a statement, the CBI said it arrested Asem Kanan Singh, the self-styled 'army chief' of the outfit at Imphal airport over his involvement in 'various criminal activities related to Manipur violence in 2023' and that he had been taken to Guwahati in connection with the investigation. According to officials, Asem was also allegedly involved in the February 2024 abduction of an Additional SP of Imphal West from his home. The arrest is significant as the organisation shot to prominence after the violence between the Meitei and Kuki groups in May 2023. In an environment of a near-institutional collapse in Manipur, along with a complete separation of Meitei and Kuki populations and a general lack of trust in the fairness of police and security forces, a lot of radical and militant organisations have become operational on either side of the ethnic divide. Sources in the security establishment say that Tenggol and its newfound clout are a product of this. In January 2024, more than 30 MLAs across party lines, as well as Minister of State for External Affairs and Inner Manipur Lok Sabha MP Rajkumar Ranjan Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba, had gathered for a meeting in Imphal upon 'summons' from Arambai Tenggol. Chief Minister N Biren Singh was among those who later signed a document containing the demands of the group. Subsequently, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that the party's legislators had been attacked at the meeting. Formed as a socio-cultural outfit in 2020, the Arambai Tenggol has come to prominence since the Meitei-Kuki conflict began in 2023, garnering public support and administrative clout. The group's name roughly translates to 'spear wielders' and is derived from the ancient war tactics of Meitei warriors. While it has an armed cadre strength of around 2,000, the outfit is supported by several thousand volunteers across the Imphal Valley. Soon after violence erupted in May 2023, members of the group were seen to be at the forefront of the clashes with Kukis, and were accused of looting arms from state armouries and defending Meitei villages against Kuki attacks. Multiple FIRs registered by the Manipur Police in the initial days of the violence in the state mentioned Arambai Tenggol. Kuki groups claim that Tenggol fighters have led mobs that torched their villages and killed their people, while the Manipur Police remained a mute spectator. The group's cadre are also suspected to be involved in the clashes with Kuki militants in Moreh. The group also casts a political shadow. In a social media post in August 2022, it claimed to have met Biren Singh. A picture of the meeting showed Singh and Sanajaoba sitting with the group's chief, Khuman, and other members of the Arambai Tenggol. That September, a Facebook post by Sanajaoba, who is also the titular king of Manipur, showed Tenggol members taking 'oath' at his residence. Tenggol members typically wear black T-shirts with a red coloured picture of Meitei cavalry on the back. They also hoist Salai Taret flags which have seven colours, with each representing a clan of the Meiteis. Security establishment sources say that leaders of the group often invoke ancient Meitei culture and the historical Meitei kingdom of Kangleipak as well as use nationalistic rhetoric and talk about the protection of the Sanamahism religion. 'By putting themselves at the forefront of violence against the Kukis and defending villages against Kuki attacks, the group has garnered tremendous public support in the Valley. It has sophisticated arms, mostly looted from police armouries, and enjoys some sympathy in the Manipur Police constabulary. At a time when the credibility of Manipur politicians is rather low, the group has gained clout. Everyone, including political leaders, wants to associate with it,' said a Manipur official. Sources said the security establishment, too, was wary of taking any action against the group, or even against the Kuki militant groups, given the support they enjoy at the moment in their respective areas of influence. In May 2023, when it began making headlines amid violence in the state, the Arambai Tenggol announced its dissolution. Security establishment sources, however, said it merely pretended to do that to go underground. Earlier this year, addressing members of Arambai Tenggol at an event in Imphal, Sanajaoba said that the group would 'be ready for the call to defend our land' at any time despite having publicly handed over some of its weapons to the police.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Curfew and internet shutdown in India's violence-hit Manipur state
Authorities have imposed a curfew and shut down the internet in parts of the troubled north-eastern Indian state of Manipur after protests erupted over the arrest of leaders from an ethnic group. On Sunday, police arrested five leaders of Arambai Tenggol, an armed Meitei radical group, including their chief Asem Kanan Singh. India's top investigation agency said Singh was arrested at Manipur's Imphal airport for his involvement in "various criminal activities" related to the violence that broke out in the state in 2023. Manipur has been rocked by periodic violence since 2023 after ethnic clashes between the two largest groups, the majority Meitei and minority Kuki, over land and influence. More than 250 people have been killed in the conflict, with tens of thousands displaced. Arambai Tenggol identifies itself as a social outfit and wields considerable influence in the state, enjoying support from the Meitei community. The latest round of tensions began on 7 June, when India's top investigation agency arrested Singh and four other leaders of Arambai Tenggol, following which he was taken to Guwahati city in the neighbouring state of Assam. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating cases related to violence in Manipur, said that the trial for these had been shifted from Manipur to Guwahati in Assam "in view of the law and order situation in Manipur". After the arrests, protesters demanding the release of members of Arambai Tenggol stormed a police post, set fire to a bus and blocked roads in parts of Imphal. Some protesters also clashed with security personnel, The Hindu newspaper reported. A 13-year-old boy was injured after security forces fired tear gas shells and live rounds to disperse crowds, The Hindustan Times reported. State lawmaker Okram Surjakumar said the arrests had thrown the state into chaos. Following the violence, the state government suspended internet and mobile data services in five districts of the state for five days and imposed an indefinite curfew in one. Gatherings of four or more people has also been prohibited in the some parts. Arambai Tenggol has also declared a 10-day shutdown in parts of the state since Saturday night. Priyanka Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress party, on Sunday questioned why the government was unable to bring to peace to the conflict-hit state. Earlier this year, the Indian government brought the state under direct federal rule after the chief minister resigned following criticism from opposition groups. Gandhi blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he had not met representatives from the state or made any efforts for peace. "It is the prime minister's responsibility to ensure peace and security for the citizens of the country. To step back from this is to turn away from one's duty," she wrote in a post on X. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been sharply criticised by opposition leaders and rights groups for its handling of the conflict. Opposition leaders have also criticised Modi for not visiting the state since the violence first began in 2023. On Sunday, a multi-party delegation of state lawmakers met the state governor. BJP lawmker Kh Ibomcha said the delegation had asked that the arrested leaders be released after they were questioned by the police.
