Decode Politics: Who is Arambai Tenggol, the group at whose beckoning Manipur Meitei MLAs came rushing

On Wednesday, more than 30 MLAs across party lines, a Union minister and a Rajya Sabha MP from Manipur gathered at the Kangla Fort in Imphal upon  “summons” from a radical Meitei organisation. On its request, they took an oath to raise “people’s concern”. The Chief Minister of the state, N Biren Singh, was among those who signed a document containing demands of the group.

The organisation is Arambai Tenggol, which was not very prominent until violence began in Manipur last year.

But these developments on Wednesday underline its growing prominence.

While Biren Singh did not attend the Kangla Fort meeting, those in attendance included Minister of State for External Affairs and Inner Manipur Lok Sabha MP Rajkumar Ranjan Singh and Manipur Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba. Among the signatories on the document was former Manipur chief minister and senior Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh.

As Arambai Tenggol chief Korounganba Khuman walked into the fort with his bodyguards on Wednesday morning, central armed police forces (CAPFs) looked on from the fringes. “It was like the Speaker calling a special session of the Assembly or the CM hosting an all-party meeting,” said a Manipur security official.

These developments underline the growing importance of Arambai Tenggol, a little-known organisation until violence began in Manipur last year.

Formed as a socio-cultural outfit in 2020, Arambai Tenggol has garnered tremendous public support and administrative clout in the Imphal Valley over the past nine months. The group derives its name — which roughly translates to “spear wielders” — from the ancient war tactics of the Meitei warriors.

The group is estimated to have an armed cadre strength of around 2,000 men and is supported by