Arambai Tenggol, village volunteers not banned organisations: Manipur CM

Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on September 7 said the state government has not declared village volunteers in the hills and valley or the Meitei group Arambai Tenggol as banned organisations, and police have not registered cases against individuals merely because of their affiliation with these groups.

Participating in a short-duration discussion moved by Opposition MLA K Ranjit Singh in the Assembly, Khemchand said the unprecedented violence that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, had compelled many youths to take up arms.

He said the state government was examining cases involving alleged unlawful and criminal activities by individuals in the aftermath of the violence.

"While some of them had good intentions, there could be others who indulge in criminal activities," the chief minister said.

Khemchand said arrests made by the police were based on alleged individual criminal activities and not simply on a person's association with village volunteer groups or Arambai Tenggol.

He said the Manipur Police had been a strong force in the past, but its morale had declined following the conflict. The government was working to strengthen the force, he added.

The chief minister also said the government could not withdraw criminal cases registered against individuals during the crisis. Each case would have to be examined separately, a process that would take time, he said.

Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam reiterated the government's earlier decision not to prosecute individuals who were not involved in heinous crimes such as attacks, extortion, murder or other criminal activities.

He said it was the government's responsibility to protect youths who had not been involved in such offences.

Konthoujam also rejected Opposition allegations that police were harassing youths allegedly involved in the crisis. He said police were not targeting individuals merely on such allegations.

The home minister informed the Assembly that the chief minister had already instructed the authorities concerned to release, after questioning, individuals named in suo motu cases registered by different investigating agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), as soon as possible.

Arambai Tenggol is a Meitei community-based socio-cultural organisation. Several Kuki organisations, however, have alleged that the group has been significantly involved in the conflict. Members of the organisation have previously been arrested by security forces in connection with alleged unlawful activities.

In 2025, members of the group surrendered more than 100 firearms following an appeal by then Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla for the voluntary surrender of weapons.