The state of Manipur in Northeast India has been in a civil war-like situation since May 2023 due to violent clashes between the Meitei and Kuki ethnic groups. On January 24, the chief of an armed militia, Arambai Tenggol, administered an “oath” to 37 members of the state legislative assembly and two members of the Indian parliament.
The Indian parliament members involved were R.K. Ranjan Singh and Leishemba Sanajaoba. The event also included ministers in the Manipur state government and former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
The administering of the oath took place after a special team from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) met Arambai Tenggol chief Korounganba Khuman to discuss their demands. The lawmakers were made to sign a six-point pledge during the event, which will be sent to the Union government as a resolution for immediate action.
The Arambai Tenggol had called for the meeting with the legislators, warning that anyone staying away would be considered an enemy of the people. The lawmakers are from different political parties but all belong to the Hindu Meitei ethnic group, the majority in the state.
However, the Arambai Tenggol considers Meiteis to be followers of the Sanamahi religion and claims that they are indigenous people. The Meiteis live in the valley, while the Naga and Kuki-Chin tribes live mostly in the surrounding hills.
The state has experienced a bloody turf war between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Chin groups over the past nine months. The Kuki’s ties with their ethnic kin in Myanmar have contributed to the conflict.
Recently, the Union government imposed Article 355 of the Indian Constitution on Manipur, allowing the Union government to assume control of a state’s law and order enforcement without dismissing the state government. However, the oath-taking ceremony has surpassed everything that has happened over the past nine months.
Videos showing the lawmakers standing in a single line repeating the oath went viral on social media, shocking many. After the oath-taking ceremony, Khuman addressed a public gathering and stated that the people are above ministers and MLAs.
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh did not attend the event, but he signed the resolution. The chief minister’s absence was explained by Khuman, who had faced many personal threats for trying to organize the event without fear for the sake of land and society.
The pledge that the lawmakers were made to sign includes demands such as abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militants, a citizenship screening exercise in Manipur, and removal of Kukis from the Scheduled Tribe list. Additionally, they are demanding the deportation of Myanmar’s Kuki-Chin refugees currently in Mizoram, the neighboring state.