Imphal:
Leaders of the Meitei and the Meitei Pangal (Muslim) communities in Manipur held a meeting today to defuse tension following an attack on a Meitei Pangal youth by the Arambai Tenggol (AT).
Rajya Sabha MP Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba in a statement said he met leaders of both the communities, who agreed “the culprits should be punished as per law”.
A Meitei Pangal leader from Kwakta, 50 km from the state capital Imphal, told reporters that some AT members assaulted a Meitei Pangal youth and allegedly hurt religious sentiments.
“Today is January 5. If the Arambai Tenggol does not apologise and clarify by January 7, we will work with all CSOs [civil society organisations] and start a massive agitation and consider taking other steps for justice,” the Meitei Pangal leader told reporters.
The Meitei Pangal community in Kwakta, an area between Churachandpur and Bishnupur, have been caught in the crossfire between the Kuki tribes and the Meitei community.
In a post on X, the Rajya Sabha MP from Manipur said the meeting of leaders from both the communities agreed on three points – maintain peaceful co-existence, punish the culprits, and avoid hate speech aimed at creating communal trouble.
They also decided to ask the cyber crime department to look for troublemakers on social media and catch them.
“In connection with a recent development of misunderstanding and misconception between Meitei and Meitei Pangal communities, I have a fruitful session with leaders of both the communities at Sana Konung today (6th January, 2025),” Mr Leishemba said in the post on X.
“… Resolved that both the communities should continue to maintain age-old peaceful co-existence which have been continuing for the last so many years. We should respect each other’s social ethics and religious practices also,” he said. “As a well-wisher of Manipur I earnestly appeal to one and all Manipuris not to take up any action contrary to the ethics of peaceful co-existence in the state.”
Held a fruitful session today with the leaders of Meitei & Meitei Pangal and earnestly appeal to all not to take up any action contrary to the ethics of Peaceful co- existence in the state. pic.twitter.com/Oiz9qAbd34
— Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba. (@MaharajaManipur) January 6, 2025
Members of the AT call themselves “village defence volunteers”, in response to similar groups of the Kuki tribes with whom the Meiteis have been engaged in clashes since May 2023. Both sides face allegations of atrocities.
The National Investigation Agency is looking into two cases linked to AT chief Korounganba Khuman.
The Manipur Police in March warned the AT after the group attacked the house of a senior police officer. The police had said the AT was “engaged in many anti-social activities such as assaulting civilians, and snatching vehicles from the public and government officials.”
The police have often shared information on X about arrests of AT members for alleged extortion.
In the early days of the ethnic clashes after May 3, 2023, Korounganba Khuman was seen in visuals walking with a bamboo stick, while in the distance smoke was seen rising from a village behind a treeline. AT members say they were compelled to take up arms soon after May 3, 2023 due to attacks allegedly by heavily armed Kuki militants in the foothills and in the absence of effective law-and-order enforcement.
