Arambai Tenggol Chief’s Summons of Meitei Legislators Raises Alarm Over Constitutional Crisis in Manipur

The preamble of India declares India as a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic and Republic. Today in Manipur, Arambai Tenggol makes a joke of the Indian constitution, forgetting the violation and abuse of citizens’ rights and duties it respectively endowed and prescribed, the state government themselves and the elected representatives can be given an ultimatum. Internal sovereignty, democracy, national security and constitution are threatened in the state of Manipur.

Arambai Tenggol Head summons the democratically elected representatives of Manipur, Ministers and The CM himself, for their presence at Kangla Fort with a warning that non-compliance of which will lead to disastrous consequences. He asked for their presence to discuss the strategy to annihilate the Kuki-Zo community. If the head of government, his minister and the legislators are not safe, then democracy and the citizens especially the minority are critically threatened. Democracy is as good as death and the Constitution is non-functional with the government in the wrong hands.

He and his organization, Arambai Tenggol, are habitual offenders of various laws of India. Possessing and openly flaunting illegal arms, murders, utilizing police vehicles to commit crimes, donning official Police uniforms, etc. are just a few examples of the many violations. The Government’s blind eye towards him and his organization meant either the organization is colluding with the government or the government surrendered itself to the Arambai Tenggol. Both the probability is worrisome for India in general and the minority community within the state.

Arambai Tenggol ticks all the criteria for terrorist organisations under UAPA. Equality before the Law is hung to death just for their sake and they are kept above the Law itself, Supremacy of law which is binding even to the president and the Prime Minister of the country has the Arambai Tenggol as an exception. Otherwise, despite the crimes they committed and the laws they violated, they still walk the streets of Imphal valley. Arambai Tenggol, despite threatening the sovereignty, democracy and national security of India continues to exist.

The Kuki-Zo community has suffered enough from the terror activities of Arambai Tenggol using illicit weapons looted from state armouries including now through the use of drones, the laid back attitude of the government to reclaim these weapons is telling that the terrorist organisation Arambai Tenggol cannot exist without the sponsorship and partnership of the state.

The questions, since the advent of the ethnic clashes, remain unanswered; when will the central government admit there is a constitutional crisis in Manipur? When will Arambai Tenggol be held accountable for the atrocities they committed? Will they be rightly placed where they should be, a terrorist organisation under UAPA or will the State government continue their partnership with Arambai Tenggol and put India at risk?