The Unsung Heroes: Arambai Tenggol’s Humanitarian Surge in Manipur’s Floods

As a journalist who has long observed the ebb and flow of India’s social and political currents, I’ve been captivated by the duality of organizations that straddle the line between controversy and compassion. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods set a standard for me, showing how disciplined volunteerism can illuminate the darkest of crises. Now, in 2024 and 2025, I find my gaze fixed on Manipur, where Arambai Tenggol (AT), a Meitei organization often branded a radical group, has emerged as a strong force for good amid devastating floods.

A particularly striking moment came on 31 May 2025, when AT volunteers assisted Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel in New Checkon, Imphal East, during the floods. As floodwaters inundated the area, stranding RAF teams deployed for security amid ethnic tensions, AT stepped in and helped  them to navigate flooded streets to reach safer ground.

Arambai’s humanitarian efforts—reaching across ethnic divides to aid Muslims in New Checkon, Tangkhuls in Nagaram, and others—echo the RSS’s selfless service, stirring both admiration and reflection. I believe AT’s contributions, from rescuing babies, the sick and old to supporting state forces, deserve formal recognition from competent authorities.

In June 2013, I watched, heart heavy, as Uttarakhand was battered by catastrophic floods, a deluge sparked by monsoon rains and a glacial lake outburst. Over 5,000 lives were lost, thousands displaced, and pilgrims stranded during the Char Dhaam Yatra. The RSS, a Hindu nationalist volunteer organization, has long been a polarizing entity in Indian society, often debated for its ideological leanings. However, its role in disaster relief, particularly during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, transcends political divides and highlights its capacity for humanitarian service. As soon as the floods struck, RSS volunteers, known as swayam sevaks, mobilized with remarkable speed, setting up relief camps and coordinating aid across the affected areas.

Samvada reported that 5,000 swayamsevaks operated 15 relief centers, delivering food, water, medicines, and clothing to remote villages. I marveled at their resolve—volunteers trekked through treacherous Himalayan paths, carrying supplies where roads had vanished. Their discipline, forged in shakhas, ensured orderly aid distribution, complementing the Indian Army’s heroic rescues.

AT’s efforts closely resemble those of the RSS in impactful ways, demonstrating swift mobilization, discipline, inclusivity, and a need for public recognition. Much like the RSS’s shakhas enabled the rapid deployment of 5,000 volunteers in Uttarakhand, AT’s vast 60,000-strong network was effectively mobilized across 15 districts in 2025, utilizing local knowledge to navigate flooded areas as the RSS had once done through mountainous terrain.

The disciplined and structured relief efforts of the RSS, praised by CNN IBN, found a strong parallel in AT’s methodical camps and collaborations with the NDRF, RAF, and other Meitei organizations, ensuring the efficient delivery of aid. Inclusivity remained a shared principle, as the RSS’s work in Uttarakhand earned goodwill across communities, including a Muslim woman's donation in 2020, while AT’s outreach extended to Tangkhuls and other groups, challenging Manipur’s deep-seated ethnic divides. However, despite the RSS’s disaster relief efforts receiving widespread media recognition in 2013, AT’s similar rescues remain overlooked by the National Media, which often perceives them as Meitei fanatics; the time has come to rechristen Arambai Tenggol as a beacon of hope

Last year, in 2024 and now this year, Manipur’s floods, fueled by Cyclone Remal and relentless rains, have bring miseries to the already suffered State sue to two years of Manipur violence. The 2024 floods impacted 188,143 people, damaged 24,265 homes, and submerged 40,000 hectares. In 2025, renewed flooding in Imphal East and West displaced thousands more, with river breaches flooding communities. Against this backdrop, Arambai Tenggol, accused by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International of alleged attacks on Kuki-Zo villages, AT’s 60,000-strong forces carried a heavy shadow. Yet, their flood relief efforts revealed a side that challenged everyone’s preconceptions.

In May 2024, a video on X stopped me in my tracks: AT volunteers used a cauldron to ferry a baby through Imphal’s floodwaters, reuniting the child with its mother. The ingenuity and care reminded me of the RSS’s treks in Uttarakhand. By 2025, their efforts grew bolder. In Nagaram, a Tangkhul-majority area, AT’s 2024 efforts were particularly poignant. They were seen delivering food, water, and transportation to 150 flood-hit households, per local accounts.

It was reported on May 31, 2025, that AT rescued 120 students from a flooded college in Imphal, ensuring their safe return home. In Khurai Heikru Makhong, Imphal East, they worked with the NDRF and Manipur Police to repair a breached Imphal River embankment. Efforts are still going on to provide control the flood waters entering villages in Khumbong and Moidangpok areas in Imphal West too.

I have borne witness to the turmoil that has defined our state—ethnic strife, economic challenges, and the persistent strain of illegal immigration. Amid this backdrop, the new Meitei activist group Arambai Tenggol has recently drawn attention with actions that suggest a potential shift from their controversial remarks by their haters, be it National media, the Kuki-Zo or some fractions of Meitei, who misjudged Arambai Tenggol.

On February 27, 2025, in response to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s directive, the group surrendered 246 weapons to state authorities. More notably, they have embarked on initiatives such as mushroom, wheat, and sunflower cultivation, wildfire suppression in Manipur’s hills, organizing football tournaments to foster local talent, and aiding in the evacuation of flood-affected communities.

The group’s venture into agriculture and environmental stewardship holds considerable promise. The cultivation of mushrooms and sunflowers in the valley, could bolster economic resilience and foster communal collaboration. Similarly, their efforts to combat wildfires in our ecologically fragile hills address a critical need, safeguarding Manipur’s natural heritage.

The organization of football tournaments, as commended by BJP MP Leishemba Sanajaoba during a closing ceremony on April 13, 2025, offers a constructive outlet for our youth, channeling their energies toward achievement and unity.

Moreover, Arambai Tenggol’s continued involvement in flood relief operations reflects a commitment to humanitarian service, resonating with Manipur’s tradition of collective resilience in times of crisis.

Nevertheless,  some critics are worried  about Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba’s assertion that the group remains prepared to “defend Manipur ” further complicates perceptions, raising questions about whether these activities signify genuine reform or a calculated rebranding.

However, Manipur stands at a pivotal juncture, grappling with internal divisions and the challenges posed by illegal immigration, which threaten our cultural and economic fabric. In this context, Arambai Tenggol’s recent initiatives offer a tentative beacon of hope. Their efforts in farming, environmental protection, and youth empowerment could lay the groundwork for a more unified and prosperous Manipur.

For their role in the floods in 2024 and this year, an NDMA Community Service Award, state commendations, or integration into disaster frameworks could honor their work and inspire unity. Recognition must urge disarmament and dialogue to ensure their service to foster peace in the future.

The RSS showed me in 2013 that service can rise above ideology. AT’s flood relief—saving babies, students, and RAF personnel, and reaching Nagaram—offers a similar lesson. I urge the NDMA and Manipur government to recognize their efforts, not to endorse their past, but to guide them toward a humanitarian future. In Manipur,  Arambai Tenggol’s  compassion is a spark of hope, and I hope they choose unity over conflict, as the RSS chose service over division!