In Imphal, the state’s surrender to an armed Meitei militia with ‘Taliban-like’ grip

As day broke in Imphal on January 24, tension hung as heavy as the piercing morning chill. The previous evening, heavy weaponry had been stationed outside the gates to Kangla, the fort on the banks of the Imphal river that was once the seat of power of the ancient Meitei kingdom.

In a move rife with symbolism, all the Meitei legislators from Manipur – 37 MLAs and two Members of Parliament, across party lines – had been “summoned” there by the Arambai Tenggol, an armed militia alleged to be at the forefront of the violence against the Kuki-Zo community in the ethnic conflict in the state.

Twenty five MLAs were from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, five from the Congress, four from the National People’s Party, two from the Janata Dal (United), while one was an independent.

Attempts by the state police and central officials to talk the group out of the seemingly audacious exercise had failed – and everyone seemed to fear a bloody confrontation, given the hulking security deployment all over the city.

As the morning progressed, WhatsApp groups were flush with pictures of members of the group – which claims to have a strength of 60,000 – taking over Imphal’s streets as...

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