Arambai Tenggol, a Meitei extremist group accused of mass killings and forced displacements, has been given a seat at the table while Kuki-Zo voices are silenced. The community demands action against this blatant state-backed ethnic persecution. #EthnicCleansing #HumanRightsViolation
By PC bureau
In a scathing open letter addressed to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla,”Young Kuki”, an organisation representing the Kuki youth, the Kuki-Zo community has condemned the government’s decision to engage with Arambai Tenggol, a militant group accused of orchestrating large-scale violence against their people. The letter, issued by Lun Kuki, Advocacy Coordinator of Young Kuki, expresses deep outrage over what it calls the state’s blatant endorsement of a “fascist outfit pushing Meitei supremacist ideologies.”
The letter accuses the government of not only tolerating but actively legitimizing the role of a violent extremist group in state policymaking while ignoring the victims of their brutality. “A group that should be condemned and dismantled has instead been given a platform to dictate policy,” it states. “Meanwhile, the Kuki-Zo people, who have suffered unimaginable horrors at their hands, are denied even the basic right to be heard.”
Since May 3, 2023, Arambai Tenggol has been accused of carrying out a systematic campaign of ethnic violence, leading to the forced displacement of thousands of Kuki-Zo people. The letter details the atrocities committed by the group, alleging that it has openly attacked villages, mutilated bodies, and dragged victims through the streets while sharing their brutality on social media. “They have burned our churches, held public officials hostage, and carried out mass killings—all with impunity,” the letter states. “Yet instead of facing justice, they are now dictating policies through their memorandum.”
“Why Are Victims Silenced While Perpetrators Are Heard?”
One of the most serious concerns raised in the letter is the exclusion of Kuki-Zo representatives from government discussions while Arambai Tenggol is granted influence over policymaking. The letter highlights the removal of Pu Seilen Haokip, spokesperson for the Kuki National Organization (KNO), from a recent panel discussion simply because he is part of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, a legally recognized peace accord with the Indian government. “How is it that an insurgent group that has agreed to peace negotiations is barred from discussions, while a private, radicalized militia is treated as a policy influencer?” the letter questions. “This is not governance. This is state-sponsored ethnic persecution.”
The letter also condemns Arambai Tenggol’s demands, which it describes as a direct attack on the Kuki-Zo people’s rights and existence.
Opposition to Border Fencing and NRC
Arambai Tenggol’s demand for border fencing is dismissed as a thinly veiled attempt to criminalize the Kuki-Zo people under the guise of immigration control. The letter argues that such a policy ignores the historical, cultural, and familial ties that exist across borders and unfairly targets Kuki-Zo communities.
“If this is truly about immigration, then why is there no scrutiny of Meiteis with Burmese and Bangladeshi ancestry?” the letter asks. “If this policy is applied selectively, it is nothing more than an attempt to strip us of our legitimacy.”
The demand for a National Register of Citizens (NRC) with 1951 as the base year is also called out as a deliberate effort to disenfranchise the Kuki-Zo people. The letter points out that Manipur only became a full-fledged state in 1972 and had no proper demographic records before then. “If this policy were truly about identifying illegal immigrants, it should apply equally to all communities,” the letter states. “Instead, it is being used as a political tool for discrimination.”
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“A Call for War” – The Push to Scrap the Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement
Perhaps the most dangerous demand made by Arambai Tenggol, according to the letter, is the abrogation of the SoO agreement with Kuki political groups. The letter argues that this is an explicit call for war, as it would allow state forces—particularly the Manipur Police Commandos—to escalate their military operations against Kuki-Zo communities under the false pretense of law enforcement.
“They want to use the Manipur police to attack us while demanding immunity for their own crimes,” the letter states. “This proves they want to continue their terror campaign unchecked.”
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“War on Drugs” or Ethnic Propaganda?
The letter also attacks Arambai Tenggol’s call for the destruction of poppy plantations, dismissing it as mere propaganda designed to vilify the Kuki-Zo people while ignoring the extensive drug networks operating in the Meitei-dominated valley.
“If this is really about drugs, why is there no large-scale crackdown in Imphal?” the letter asks. “Why are the biggest drug lords still walking free?”
It accuses the state’s so-called “war on drugs” of being an excuse for land grabs and the militarization of tribal areas.
The Hypocrisy of the ST Demand
One of the most glaring contradictions in Arambai Tenggol’s demands, the letter states, is their push to remove Scheduled Tribe (ST) status from Kuki-Zo people while simultaneously demanding the reinstatement of ST status for Meiteis.
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“How can the most dominant, politically powerful group in Manipur claim to be ‘backward’ while trying to strip actual tribals of their rights?” the letter asks. “Meiteis control the government, the economy, and the administration—yet they want ST status? If this isn’t a blatant power grab, then what is?”
Land Grab Through Law Amendments
The letter warns that Arambai Tenggol’s demand to amend the MLR & LR Act, 1960 is nothing but a strategic move to seize tribal lands. This would be a direct violation of Article 371C, which protects the autonomy of the hill areas.
“Arambai Tenggol does not want equality. They want total control,” the letter states.
A Demand for Immediate Action
The Kuki-Zo community has demanded urgent intervention from the Government of Manipur and Governor Bhalla:
- Sever all ties with Arambai Tenggol and other extremist Meitei militant groups.
- Arrest and prosecute the leadership of Arambai Tenggol for mass murder, rape, and arson.
- Ensure the Government of India steps in to stop the legitimization of militancy in Manipur.
The letter warns that failure to act will lead to Manipur being remembered as a state that enabled ethnic cleansing and state-sponsored terrorism.
“We Will Not Be Silenced”
In a powerful conclusion, the letter declares that the Kuki-Zo people will not stand down.
“We will not be erased. We will not be silenced. The fascist dreams of Arambai Tenggol will never become reality,” it states. “We call upon the Hon’ble Governor to uphold constitutional responsibility and refuse to be complicit in the genocide unfolding in Manipur. History will remember those who stood by and allowed this to happen.”
The letter ends with a biblical verse:
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” – Amos 5:24
