BJP Government Remains Silent as Arambai Tenggol Enforces Campaigning Restrictions

The Manipur state government and the Union government – both ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party – have stayed silent as Meitei militia group Arambai Tenggol publicly issued restrictions on traditional campaign methods during the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Arambai Tenggol’s Laishram Robason, popularly known as the ‘Control Room Operator’, issued a press release prohibiting public gatherings, feasts, the use of loudspeakers, flag raising and spreading election messages through loudspeakers during the campaign.

Manipur has been engulfed by violence since May 2023 and the role of Arambai Tenggol, including its sudden rise and political domination, has particularly come under greater scrutiny.

Formed in September 2022, the militia was a little- known shadowy group but it now boasts of a cadre strength of over 60,000, with more than five dozen spread over Imphal. On social media, the Arambai Tenggol appears to be dressed like state and central forces and moves around with heavy weaponry, without any overt action by the BJP state government or the state police.

The militia was recently caught up in a major controversy when it organised a meeting with the Meitei legislators and MPs at the Kangla Fort. It was attended by two MPs from the region along with many ministers in the state government. At the meeting, the militia reportedly beat up and abused three legislators, two from the BJP and one from the Congress, when they refused to agree to the demands. No first-information report appears to have been registered in the matter.

On the final day of nomination filing for the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, six candidates entered the fray, taking the total number of candidates to seven. These include Maheshwar Thounaojam of RPI-A, Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh of the BJP, Dr. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam of the Congress, Moirangthem Totomshana Nongshaba of RJSP, Ngasepam Nilakanta Singh of UFP, Rajkumar Somendro Singh of MPP and Haorungbam Sarat Singh as an Independent.