Manipur: CoTU urges Centre to declare Arambai Tengol a banned outfit

Imphal: The Kuki-Zo top tribal body, the Committee on Tribal Unity, (CoTU), Sadar Hills, Kagpokpi district of Manipur on Wednesday urged the Government of India to declare the Arambai Tengol, (AT) a Meitei socio-cultural organisation as a “banned outfit”.

Drawing the attention of the Centre, the CoTU in a statement stated that peace and normalcy in this strife state could only be achieved if the Government of India bans the Arambai Tenggol as an outlawed and illegal arms outfit.

It also questioned the rationality of the visit of the three-member panel from the Ministry of Home Affairs and their meeting of the alleged warmongering radicalized militias, the Arambai Tengol.

Stating that the visiting team was stopping short of meeting the minority Kuki-Zo community who are facing untold hardships owing to the ongoing communal violence, the Committee also considered the MHA visit as a one-sided appeasement policy.

The Ministry of Home Affairs team was led by AK Mishra, Advisor to the MHA and Interlocutor for talks with Kuki Insurgent Groups.

The other members of the envoy are Rajesh Kumble, Joint Director of SIB Manipur, and Mandeep Singh, Joint Director of SIB New Delhi.

During their two-day visits to Imphal, they had held discussions with the Arambai Tengol.

Officials said that other central teams are also likely to meet the representatives of the Kuki-Zo community in the coming days for meaningful peace restoration in this strife state.