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Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh speaks during an interview with PTI, in Imphal, Thursday, Aug 29, 2024.
Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has taken a firm stand against pro-Meitei militant groups, specifically the Arambai Tenggol, which has been accused of inciting violence against the Kuki community.
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In a recent interview with PTI Videos, the chief minister said, “I told them (Arambai Tenggol) you will not do any anti-national or communal act. You have to support the government.” “There should be no communal word from you. I gave a clear warning ‘You will not say anything’,” Singh said.
He noted that the group has remained silent for five months, affirming his commitment to prevent any extremist or anti-national activities.
The Arambai Tenggol has been a focal point of controversy, with Kuki representatives blaming the organisation for exacerbating violence.
The chief minister characterised the group as a cultural outfit that resorted to arms in response to an initial lack of police presence during the outbreaks of violence.
He also emphasised his resolve not to resign from his position, recalling a dramatic incident last year when Arambai Tenggol members thwarted his attempt to step down by seizing and tearing his resignation letter in public.
Kuki groups have alleged that the group conducted surveys to profile their community and marked the homes of Kuki-Zo tribals, leading to targeted violence after May 3 last year.
The Kuki groups, including the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), an umbrella organisation of tribal groups, have alleged that the Manipur government ignored all evidence linking the Arambai Tenggol to the incidents of violence.
The cadre of the group have been accused of being involved in incidents like the brutal killing of a seven-year-old boy of mixed Kuki-Meitei parentage who was burnt alive alongside his mother and his aunt in an ambulance in June last year.
In a police complaint, Joshua Hangsing, the father of the child, accused a mob comprising members from the Meitei Leepun, Arambai Tenggol and Kangleipak Kanba Lup of attacking the ambulance and setting it ablaze with people inside.
Manipur’s demographic landscape reveals that Meiteis constitute approximately 53 per cent of the population, primarily residing in the Imphal valley, while tribal communities, including Nagas and Kukis, make up around 40 per cent and predominantly inhabit the hill districts.