Meitei group surrenders arms on last day of Manipur Governor’s appeal

The radical Meitei armed group Arambai Tenggol surrendered a large number of weapons on Thursday, the final day of the seven-day deadline set by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla for all groups to surrender illegally acquired arms. The development came two days after a delegation from the group met the Governor on February 25.

The Kuki community has criticised Bhalla for engaging with the radical militia, which they accuse of committing genocide against them. They dismissed Arambai Tenggol’s surrender as a mere “gesture”, claiming that only 5 per cent of the total weapons looted from Imphal Valley had been returned.

While an exact count of surrendered weapons by Arambai Tenggol was unavailable, reports indicate that only around 200 weapons had been surrendered by various groups and individuals as of Thursday. This is a small fraction of the more than 6,000 weapons and six lakh rounds of ammunition looted from police armouries following the outbreak of ethnic violence in Manipur in May 2023.

On February 20, Governor Bhalla had urged all groups, particularly youth, to voluntarily surrender illegal weapons within seven days, assuring them that no punitive action would be taken against those who complied by the February 27 deadline.

However, following their February 25 meeting with Bhalla, Arambai Tenggol stated that they would surrender weapons only if their conditions were met.

The Governor’s meeting with the radical group has drawn sharp criticism from the Kuki community, who accuse Arambai Tenggol of killings and destruction during the ongoing ethnic violence in the state.

On Thursday, two major Kuki organisations — the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) — issued a joint statement condemning the meeting.

“The submission of 300 looted arms by Arambai Tenggol members today is merely symbolic. This move is a calculated attempt to improve their public image, especially following their meeting with the Governor. It is a tactical move to garner sympathy and legitimacy. The timing of this surrender raises questions about its true motivations,” the statement said.

The groups also accused the Governor of legitimising violence by engaging with Arambai Tenggol.

“The Governor’s meeting with this radical armed militia sends a disturbing message — that the state is willing to negotiate with perpetrators of violence while ignoring the pleas of their victims. This is a betrayal of justice and an insult to survivors of ethnic violence,” the statement added.

During its meeting with the Governor, Arambai Tenggol submitted a memorandum demanding border fencing with Myanmar, implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with 1951 as the cutoff, deportation of “illegal immigrants”, abrogation of the suspension of operations agreement with Kuki groups, assurances that no arrests or legal action would be taken against volunteers or armed civilians, including Arambai Tenggol members, and Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the majority Meitei community.