Arms loot: Manipur may go soft on Arambai Tenggol members

The Manipur government may be lenient toward members of Arambai Tenggol while going hard at those who looted arms from police facilities soon after the ethnic conflict erupted in May 2023, the State’s Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam indicated on Tuesday (June 23, 2026).

Speaking on the sidelines of an event in Imphal, he said the government was trying to avoid arresting members of Arambai Tenggol, a radical group at the forefront of the ethnic conflict in the State before the imposition of President’s Rule in February 2025. He, however, asserted that there would be no let-up in the drive to recover illegally held arms and restore normality in Manipur.

More than 5,600 firearms, including INSAS and AK-series rifles, and 500,000 rounds of ammunition were looted from State armouries and police stations in the State in 2023. The groups accused of looting them included the Arambai Tenggol, which means “dart-wielding cavalry”.

“Discussions have been held with the Director General of Police regarding the ongoing operations linked to the group. We have appealed to individuals and armed groups still holding such weapons to surrender them voluntarily so that further arrests and enforcement actions can be avoided,” Mr. Konthoujam said.

Insisting that de-weaponisation was necessary for lasting peace to return to Manipur, he said the primary objective of the ongoing operations to recover the looted arms and ensure the free movement of people across the State.

Three major communities — Meitei, Naga, and Kuki-Zo, inhabit Manipur. The State has virtually been partitioned among these communities since the ethnic conflict began three years ago.

Mr. Konthoujam further appealed to the people of Imphal Valley to refrain from activities that could stoke unrest. His appeal followed protests by women across the valley, demanding the release of three Arambai Tenggol members arrested by the National Investigation Agency during the intervening night of June 19 and 20.

Members of Meira Paibi, an all-women civil society organisation, claimed that members of Arambai Tenggol undertook self-defence measures during a critical period when the government was unable to provide security to civilians.

On Monday (June 22, 2026), a group of women activists submitted a memorandum to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, demanding the “immediate and unconditional release” of the arrested members of Arambai Tenggol.

“The Arambai Tenggol is not an armed group but a socio-cultural organisation formed to preserve and protect the identity of the Meitei community,” Thokchom Chandrasakhi Devi, one of the activists, said later.