Meitei group sets peace terms for Manipur Chief Minister, MLAs

All Imphal Valley-based MLAs, including Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, pledge to convey the concerns of the people to the Centre

Security personnel block a road leading to the Kangla Fort, the venue of a meeting between MLAs and members of Arambai Tenggol, a Meitei group, in Imphal, Manipur, on January 24, 2024. | Photo Credit: Reuters

The Arambai Tenggol (AT), a Meitei radical group allegedly at the forefront of the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, on Wednesday extracted a pledge from MLAs across the State’s Imphal Valley to “convey the concerns of the people” to the Centre.

The AT had a week ago summoned all the Valley-based MLAs, including Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh and his Congress predecessor Okram Ibobi Singh to the historic Kangla Fort in the State’s capital Imphal to discuss a six-point demand.

The Imphal Valley, dominated by the non-tribal Meitei community, has a total of 39 MLAs, while the surrounding hills have 20 MLAs divided between the Naga and the Kuki-Zo tribes. Jiribam, a largely plain area adjoining southern Assam beyond the hills, yields the 60th legislator.

“The MLAs assured us that they will convey the concerns of our people to the Centre within 15 days to ensure peace in Manipur,” AT chief Korounganga Khuman said after an oath was administered to the MLAs for protecting the integrity of Manipur.

Apart from the MLAs, the oath was administered to Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, and Rajya Sabha member Leishemba Sanajaoba.

Set of demands

“Our demands include the removal of the Suspension of Operations (SoO), the implementation of the National Register of Citizens, fencing of the border with Myanmar, the replacement of the Assam Rifles by another force, and the removal of Kuki illegal immigrants from the Scheduled Tribe list,” Mr. Khuman said.

The SoO agreement was signed between the Centre, the Manipur government, and two conglomerates of Kuki-Zo militant outfits — the Kuki National Organisations and the United Peoples Front — in 2008. These armed groups are accused of carrying out attacks on Meiteis.

Mr. Khuman said the idea behind summoning the MLAs to Kangla Fort was to demonstrate that they were answerable to the people. “They agreed not to fight among themselves and carry on the movement to protect Manipur along with the people if the Centre does not listen to our concerns,” he added.

The oath-taking event, held amid tight security, followed a meeting between a three-member team of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the AT leaders at the residence of Mr. Sanajaoba on Monday.

The seat of power of the Manipur royals till 1891, the Kangla Fort is in a high security area comprising the Raj Bhavan, the Chief Minister’s residence, the Manipur Police Headquarters, and the 1st Manipur Rifles complex.

‘Reimpose AFSPA’

Ten Manipur MLAs belonging to the Kuki-Zomi group, who fled Imphal after the ethnic conflict broke out on May 3, 2023, on Wednesday asked Home Minister Amit Shah to reimpose the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 in the Imphal Valley.

Citing the improvement in the law-and-order situation in Manipur, the Centre in March 2023 had facilitated the removal of the AFSPA from areas under four police stations across the Imphal Valley. The AFSPA was removed from areas under 15 other Valley police stations about two decades ago.

The 10 MLAs said that the reimposition of the AFSPA would help the Army and the paramilitary Assam Rifles have full powers to recover the arms looted from the State security establishments across Imphal Valley by “Meitei militias”.