IMPHAL, Feb 27: In a significant step toward restoring peace in Manipur, members of the Meitei group Arambai Tenggol voluntarily surrendered their arms at the 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles in Imphal on Thursday. This move follows a meeting held two days earlier between the group’s leadership and Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Raj Bhavan on February 25, where the group submitted a memorandum.
As of now, a large number of weapons have been handed over by the group, although the exact number remains subject to verification. Media personnel were not allowed to enter the 1st Manipur Rifles campus. However, select leaders and members from both Arambai Tenggol and Meira Paibis were granted access to witness and participate in the event. Arambai Tenggol’s decision to deposit their weapons at the 1st Manipur Rifles comes as part of the Governor’s request to surrender all illegal arms and ammunition in the region.
During the meeting on February 25, Arambai Tenggol leaders submitted a memorandum to Governor Bhalla, demanding several key actions, including the fencing of the border with Myanmar, the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with 1951 as the cutoff date, the deportation of “illegal immigrants,” the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki outfits, and the grant of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to Meiteis.
