Not Against All Kukis, Says Arambai Tenggol Leader Munindro Mangang

By Rabindra Nath Sinha

There has been a hardening of postures of the two warring sides in Manipur since Union home minister Amit Shah issued certain strongly-worded directives after a security situation review meeting on March 1.This meeting was attended, among others, by Governor Ajay Bhalla, who is in command since the state was brought under President’s rule on February 13 and the Assembly was kept under suspended animation. Perhaps, the toughest of the directives was that people must move freely on all Manipur roads from March 8, Saturday. Recovery of looted arms and ammunition by the extended deadline of March 6 and expeditious fencing of entry points from Myanmar too were part of Shah’s fiat list.

On March 4, the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS), a representative Meitei outfit, announced its decision to launch ‘peace expeditions’ to vulnerable conflict areas (commonly referred to as buffer zones) and hill areas of the state on March 8. [Vulnerable conflict areas are on the periphery of the Imphal valley, between Kuki-Zo and Meitei settlements manned by security forces].The areas selected for ‘peace expeditions’ have for all practical purposes remained out of bounds since widespread ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023. A day after, on March 5, Kuki-Zo village volunteers from Tengnoupal and Chandel districts opposed FOCS’ plan, warning that they would resist any forcible bid to enter the identified areas. The Village Volunteer message was unambiguous: no question of free movement in Kuki-Zo areas before the establishment of a separate administration/Union Territory with a legislature for ‘our people’.

The second instance of hardening of stance on both sides involves the Committee on Tribal Unity (Cotu) and the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi) – the latter represents the majority Meitei community. On March 3,Cotu in a statement came down heavily on the Union Home Minister ruling out free movement in Kuki-Zo land, asserting they would carve out their own path no matter the cost and reiterating that their demand for a separate administration was non-negotiable.

The same day Cocomi reacted to Cotu’s threats and warnings and said “if the Union Home Minister fails once again to keep his words it could be the last time the people who genuinely want peace ….. place their trust in him”. In the context of the ‘peace expedition’, scheduled for March 8, Saturday, and the resistance threatened by the Village Volunteer, IPA asked FOCS president Th Manihar whether they were going ahead. Manihar replied, “It is for the cause of peace. We are only responding to the Union Home Minister’s decision. We are going ahead”.

Against the backdrop of the war of words between the representative organisations of the Meiteis and Kuki-Zos, IPA sought the views of the senior Arambai Tenggol leader Munindro Mangang. Arambai Tenggol, always described by media as the radical outfit of the Meiteis, recently was in news as it complied with the Governor’s appeal to surrender looted arms. The Governor initially allowed one week, from February 21 to 27. Before the deadline expired, it was extended by a week, from February 28 to March 6. Chief Secretary Prashant Singh clarified there would be no further extension and strict action would be taken against those found to have looted weapons in their possession.

IPA posed two points to Munindro: How do you see the situation evolving? Of late, it seems there is hardening of attitude on both sides…..Do you think the initiative to get looted arms surrendered is working well? Or there may still be a large number of sophisticated weapons not surrendered…

Munindro told this correspondent: “Know it for certain that we are not against all Kukis. We are only against those Kukis who are illegal immigrants from across the border (reference obviously is to Myanmar), those involved in narco-terrorism, those engaged in illegal poppy farming to virtually foster a parallel economy of sorts and utilising the income therefrom to fund clandestine activity including smuggling from across the international border. These Kukis, who add up to a fairly large number, are damaging the social fabric of Manipur in so many ways. We certainly are against this section of the Kuki population. Branding us as anti-all Kukis is most unfair, unjust; it’s time people see the realities”, he observed. [There was no reference to Zos in his replies].

The senior Arambai Tenggol leader hailed Governor Ajay Bhalla’s initiative to get back arms and ammunition looted from state armouries described it as one of the visible steps to usher in normalcy in the state scarred by a long drawn out conflict. “See Manipur needs development. The governor’s steps are intended to open up opportunities for the state’s development, which is possible only when there is peace. Gun culture will not solve our problems. That explains why we took the first opportunity to lay down the arms at our disposal, Munindro explained. He laughed away a supplementary question as to whether his outfit was still left with arms. “I told you we did not lose much time after the Governor’s appeal”. Asked if thought the other side may still have weapons in their possession, it appeared to this correspondent his assessment was in the affirmative.

Asked about the media’s description of Arambai Tenggol as a radical Meitei arm, his cryptic reply was: “We want Manipur’s integrity preserved, nurtured; we want development on a scale that lifts the quality of life of all people”. (IPA Service)