Arambai Tenggol

Arambai Tenggol (Meitei for "dart wielding cavalry") is a Meitei activist organisation in the Indian state of Manipur, often described as a radical organisation, or as a radicalised armed militia. It is also a revivalist organisation that aims to reestablish the pre-Hindu, native Sanamahi religion among the Meiteis. It enjoys the patronage of Manipur's titular king and parliamentarian Leishemba Sanajaoba as well as the chief minister N. Biren Singh. During the 2023–2024 Manipur violence, members of the  Kuki-Zo community blamed it for having carried out deadly attacks against them. In January 2024, the organisation demonstrated its influence by summoning all the elected Meitei legislators of the state for a meeting to deliberate on the defence of Meiteis in the prevailing conflict.

Etymology
"Arambai Tenggol" is a Meitei language name, which is translated as "dart wielding cavalry". Tenggol means a troop or a platoon in Meitei language. Arambai is a dart-like weapon, that was used by Manipuri kings.

Organisation
Arambai Tenggol is said to have been active since 2020. Starting as a cultural outfit, it soon turned into a radical organisation. It became popular around 2022, with Meitei youth increasingly organising themselves under its banner.

The organisation enjoys political patronage at high levels in the state. Members of the group said that the titular king and Rajya Sabha MP, Leishemba Sanajaoba, was their founder and leader. The oath-taking ceremony of the group in September 2022 was held at Sanajaoba's house. The organisation posted pictures of meetings with the titular king as well as the chief minister N. Biren Singh. According to one of its commanders, the organisation regards itself as the equivalent of the warriors that once served the Meitei kings. It has regularly countered protests against the state government, including the chief minister's "war on drugs" campaign, which targeted the tribal communities.

The members of the organisation wear a uniform with black T-shirts bearing a red insignia of three horsemen charging into battle. They are organised into "units", resembling an organised militia. The organisation quadrupled in size in the course of 2023–2024 Manipur violence, going up from 12 units in June 2023, to 60 units in April 2024. Otherwise frustrated youth were attracted through videos depicting proud displays of weapons with background music and provocative insults targeted at the Kuki people. The organisation is now said to have 60,000 members.

An All India Congress Committee politician in charge of the state mentioned at the beginning of the violence that the members of Arambai Tenggol were seen moving around in groups of hundreds on motor-bikes with guns. He said that the organisation was modelled after RSS and Bajrang Dal in the rest of India. The Kuki Students Organisation said that Arambai Tenggol members used to arrive in hundreds under the guise of conducting health and wellness campaigns, but only to intimidate the tribals. Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum spokesperson said that they took out multiple rallies to the Mizoram border with the intention of intimidating the tribals on the route.

Revivalist activities
Arambai Tenggol flies the "Salai Taret" flag, representing the traditional seven clans that are believed to have merged making up the present-day Meitei community. The use of the flag has prominently grown in the Valley in recent years. The activists of Arambai Tenggol are often seen marching down highways or market areas, chanting slogans on restoring the glory of the old Manipur kingdom.

Promotion of Sanamahism, the traditional faith of the Meitei community, has been a key activity of the group. The growth of Christianity is seen as a threat and the group aims to "bring people back" to Sanamahism. Meitei pastors have alleged forced conversion of Meitei Christians to Sanamahism. In April 2023, Arambai Tenggol activists stormed the house of a pastor for having allegedly made a blasphemous remark about Sanamahism. In December 2023, a pastor in Imphal West found the Christmas decorations in front of his house vandalised, and the next day, an alleged activist of Arambai Tenggol came to disperse the village committee meeting, opened fire, and attacked the pastor, leaving him hospitalised.

2023–2024 Manipur violence
Prior to the eruption of 2023–2024 Manipur violence, Arambai Tenggol was seen organising blockades on the roads leading to hill districts, and then seen leading the mobs in the Imphal city once the violence started. Its activists reportedly entered police stations and police training centres, looting their armouries, setting fire to churches, and then looting villages and causing widespread havoc. According to the Kuki civil-society organisation Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), Arambai Tenggol leaders openly brandished sophisticated weapons, looted from state armouries, and pressed their cadres to attack Kuki-Zo tribals. It complained that no action was being taken against them by the security forces.

On 28 May, militants of surrendered insurgent groups were seen operating under the Arambai Tenggol banner, engaging in a fierce gunfight with 37 Assam Rifles at Serou, in the Sugnu area.

Arambai Tenggol cadres also wore stolen uniforms of Manipur police commandos. Journalists noticed them in this attire during an attack on the town of Pallel in September 2023. These men were also given safe passage by the state police, indicating a nexus between the organisation and the state forces.

Arambai Tenggol was blamed for the killing of a 55 year-old Naga woman on 16 June, blowing her head into bits through continuous fire of gun shots. The militants remarked, "No more head. This way of killing is nice". It is said that the woman was first apprehended by Meira Paibis and then handed over to Arambai Tenggol for execution.

Armed men commando uniforms were again involved in operations in the border town of Moreh in January 2024. They are said to have set fire to eight houses belonging to Kukis, two churches and three schools. The Print has examined CCTV footage to confirm the residents' testimony.

Kangla fort meeting
After the Moreh incidents, Kuki militants staged a series of attacks in the foothill regions of the Imphal Valley, causing the death of seven people in 48 hours, raising a significant alarm in the Meitei community. Arambai Tenggol grew concerned about the "safeguarding the Meitei community", and summoned all the elected Meitei legislators in the state, including ministers, to a meeting at the Kangla Fort on 24 January. It warned that anybody failing to attend the meeting would be labelled an "enemy of Meitei".

Union Home Minsitry sent a team of negotiators from Delhi to hold discussions with Arambai Tenggol. Discussions were held over two days in the house of the titular king Leishemba Sanajaoba under the "royal flag". The group's demands included the construction of a National Register of Citizens for Manipur (in order to identify alleged illegal immigrants) and the abrogation of Suspension of Operations agreements with Kuki militant groups.

On 24 January, the meeting was attended by 37 state legislators (MLAs) and two parliamentarians (MPs). After taking an oath to perserve the integrity of Manipur, the attendees signed a six-point demand and vowed to communicate it to the central government. There were reports that the legislators that did not agree to the programme were beaten up, and others were intimidated with threats. Two legislators belonging to the BJP and one belonging to Indian National Congress, its state president K. Meghachandra, were reportedly assaulted. The Kuki-Zo civil society organisations across the state condemned the exercise, calling it a submission of government authority to an "armed militant group."