In a latest development in Manipur, 37 MLAs belonging to the majority Meitei community, including Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and two Parliament members including Union MoS Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, reportedly assured the ‘Arambai Tenggol’, a powerful radical Meitei organisation in the state, to take “appropriate action” to resolve their demands, which include abrogation of Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Kuki militant outfits.
Amid the deployment of huge contingent of state and central paramilitary forces, the leaders of the ‘Arambai Tenggol’ met the Chief Minister, ministers, MLAs and MPs belonging to majority Meitei community during a crucial meeting at the famous Kangla Fort in Imphal City on Wednesday.
A source close to the Chief Minister said late on Wednesday night that N. Biren Singh did not physically attend the Kangla Fort meeting but he signed the resolution paper.
After the decisive meeting, ‘Arambai Tenggol’ leaders said that the Chief Minister, ministers, MLAs and MPs have assured them that they would take up their demands with the Central government and to act on these demands within 15 days.
The demands include abrogation of the SoO signed between the Central and state governments and 23 Kuki militant outfits in 2008, implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC), replacement of Assam Rifles and removal of illegal Kuki immigrants from the Scheduled Tribes list.
“If the Centre does not resolve our demands, the ministers, legislators along with the other organisations would launch a massive movement to protect Manipur’s territorial integrity and the lives and properties of the people,” a leader of the ‘Arambai Tenggol’ told a gathering after the Kangla Fort meeting.
Five opposition Congress MLAs, including former three-time Manipur Chief Minister (2002-2017) and veteran party leader Okram Ibobi Singh, also participated in Wednesday’s meeting.
The Kangla Fort served as the royal seat of the Manipur kingdom till 1891. The erstwhile princely ruled state Manipur merged into the Indian Union in October 1949.
The ‘Arambai Tenggol’ called the vital meeting after the militants, in their stepped-up attacks in the last couple of days, killed many persons, including two Manipur Police commandos, four villagers and a village defence volunteer.
Meanwhile, a three-member Central team led by Advisor to the Home Ministry, A.K. Mishra, who arrived in Manipur on Monday evening, continued holding meetings with government officials, leaders of various organisations, and elected representatives on Wednesday.
Officials said that Mishra, accompanied by two Joint Directors in the Intelligence Bureau, Mandeep Singh Tuli and Rajesh Kumble, also held a meeting with the leaders of the ‘Arambai Tenggol’.
The MHA team is likely to visit some tribal areas during their stay in Manipur to hold meetings with the tribal bodies and civil society organisations, among others.
Meanwhile, earlier in the week, 34 MLAs, mostly from the ruling BJP, along with seven Naga legislators urged the Central government to abrogate the SoO with the Kuki militant outfits, otherwise the legislators would take “appropriate action” in consultation with the people.
“If the Government of India is unable to take any positive action as per the resolution, we the legislators will take appropriate action in consultation with the public,” said the resolution, accessed by IANS.
On Sunday, 10 like-minded parties’ bloc in Manipur led by the Congress urged the Chief Minister to arrange for an all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss ways and means to resolve the nine-month-long ethnic violence in the northeastern state.
(The story has been published via a syndicated feed with a modified headline.)
