MANIPUR — Dylan, a young activist, was driving through the peripheries of Imphal, when he spotted his 18-year-old cousin dressed in black attire, holding a gun. The 18-year-old had joined the forces of Arambai Tenggol. Dylan was shocked even as his young cousin walked up to him to seek blessings.
The term Arambai refers to "poisoned darts" used by warriors, and Tenggol refers to a troop or platoon in Meitei language. Arambai Tenggol incites various reactions among the locals in Manipur’s capital city: fear, enthusiasm, hatred, and anger. However, through visuals of guns combined with peppy music on social media - the militant group has captured the minds of the youth.
“They portray a sense of bravado and hypermasculinity. The young people who join the militant group feel that they are defending their motherland,” a local leader said.
Rising From A Conflict
For nearly a year since May 3, 2023, the state has been witnessing violence between the Meitei community in the valley, and the Kuki-Zo community in the hills. According to the government, the conflict has claimed 219 lives, and displaced 60,000 people. Many would term it a civil war.
During this time, not much is known of what transpires in the state, as it only makes headlines in cases of escalation of violence. Simultaneously, graphic videos, purporting to show violence from the conflict, have sporadically circulated on the internet without any verification or reporting.
Amid this violence has risen a group of radicalised armed militants - the Arambai Tenggol - which started off as a Meitei “socio-cultural organisation” just a few years before. “This (Arambai Tenggol) group had been raised with the blessings of the chief minister. The group was allowed to loot arms from the state armouries,” a paramilitary force officer was quoted by The Telegraph in its July 2023 report.
Immediately after the violence struck on May 3, the internet was completely shut down in Manipur. From May to December the state saw the year’s longest internet ban. Decode had reported on how the internet blockade led to misinformation, which resulted in sustained violence in the coming months.
During this time, the Arambai Tenggol grew increasingly powerful and influential.
They have been accused of threatening and attacking not just the Kuki-Zo community, but also noted personalities of the Meitei community. Lawyer Victor Khaba was threatened a few months ago for defending Dr Kham Khan Suan Hausing, a political science professor who belongs to the Kuki-Zo community for an interview on Manipur that led to charges against him. Khaba had to withdraw from the case eventually.
In December, renowned Manipuri singer and lyricist, Akhu Chingangbam was allegedly abducted by the group from his home in east of Imphal to an undisclosed location; he was released a couple of hours later.
In January, at Kangla Fort in Imphal, the armed group administered oaths to 37 MLAs and two MPs from Manipur to unite and protect the state.
As the internet ban was lifted, the radicalised militant group was quick to use social media to spread its influence, and radicalise more young Meiteis in the process.
Flexing With Guns On Social Media
“You would find videos of Arambai Tenggol militants flashing their guns on videos that would then be made viral on social media and messaging apps. This would send a message to these Meitei youths that they too can have a gun and become protectors,” a resident of Imphal, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Decode.
As we took a dive into social media using a range of keywords, we found platforms like Facebook and YouTube riddled with content promoting the militant group through a blend of videos of flashy guns, and cool military outfits.
A video posted on Facebook on November 4, 2023, showed children training with homemade ‘gas guns’ to prepare to fight alongside the Arambai Tenggol. The caption of the video stated, “Children themselves identified as children of Arambai Tenggol. Even 8 to 9-year-old children want to fight against the Kukis by making gas guns themselves. The strength of Arambai Tenggol is so strong that children are mad about them.”
Prominent members of Arambai Tenggol, like Mapari Mangang, would post images with guns and in flashy looking military outfits, drawing admiration from the militant group’s supporters in comments.
They also found clever ways to hide the presence of firearms in public posts.
Arambai Tenggol members Mangang and Salam Nongban Kongyanba, an MMA fighter and another prominent member, were found editing out firearms in images and replacing them with objects like pens and text art, while posting on Facebook. We also found Mangang using generative AI to create an ‘anime art’ version of a photo of him in the woods holding a gun.
Not knowing the local language also made it impossible for fact-checkers outside the state, and for platforms, to even figure out what's going in these Facebook groups. Decode reached out to Meta to enquire about its guidelines on images with guns on its platforms, and the article will be updated upon receiving a response.
Radical Lyrics And Lively Music
Long before the conflict began, Manipur had seen the rise of a vibrant rock and folk-rock music culture, which had been often used as an expression of dissent.
The Arambai Tenggol liberally used the region's repertoire of music to make their videos appealing, and strengthen their online presence. Many of their short videos and WhatsApp status updates were images and clips of its cadres marching, or posing with guns, coupled with rock music, or Lo-Fi beats.
“They started co-opting many folk, folk-fusion Meitei songs about camaraderie and brotherhood into their videos. Certain lesser known songs would become popular because they were featured in Arambai Tenggol videos,” Dylan, whose name has been changed on request for anonymity, added. "Songs, monologue and visuals have been used to evoke fighting spirit."
Some anthems of the group would turn into music videos of high production value - with diverse range of shots, tight editing, and vibrant costumes.
In the backdrop of a partition-led deadlock between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo, as radicalism spread through the Meitei youth, award-winning Meitei singer Jayenta Loukrakpam, known by his stage name Tapta, resorted to vitriolic lyrics, attacking the Kuki-Zo community with songs containing strong elements of hate.
Kukiland - a series of songs by Tapta - not only put the onus entirely on the Kuki-Zo for the conflict in Manipur, but also suggested ethnic cleansing as the only way to achieve peace. “We will never have peace until every Kuki is killed,” the lyrics of one of their songs titled Immigrants (chin-Kuki) stated. The song was later taken down by YouTube, but Tapta’s songs became a hit among supporters of Arambai Tenggol.
The group was also propped up by child environmental activist Licypriya Kangujam, who had addressed world leaders at the 25th UN Climate Conference in 2019. She posted a photo on Facebook, where she could be seen posing with members of the Arambai Tenggol.
“I take all the love. I will come back stronger. Long live Arambai Tenggol, long live Kangleipak, long live Meitei,” the caption of the post read.
Many young Meiteis, especially young boys between 18-25, started joining the group, taking the number of cadres to around 65,000 by the time the general elections began. Only a portion of them, however, would be part of its armed operations.
Polling Day Fiasco
On the eve of election, a voice recording of Robin Mangang Khwairakpam, one of the top leaders of Arambai Tenggol, got leaked on WhatsApp. In the audio, he is heard urging people to vote for the BJP. As the clip got viral, Robin put out a Facebook post stating, “I wouldn't spare the one who is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to defame me and cast a bad picture of the Arambai Tenggol.”
However, following a backlash, he deleted the post. “Robin is from Sekmai and his voice has a Sekmai accent and hence people trolled him saying that this must be a very advanced AI,” Dylan remarked.
Robin claimed the voice wasn’t his. However, his gun wielding group members were deployed across polling booths in the valley on 19 April, the first phase of voting in the conflict ridden state.
In one of the polling booths in Kyamgei, a group of armed men prevented the locals from voting. When asked why they are there, they responded, “you have to talk to our leader.” In Khongman Zone 5, locals alleged that the Arambai Tenggol members had casted over 200 votes on their behalf. In retaliation, the angry locals broke the EVM machine.
“The Arambai Tenggol is voting for the BJP and taking away our fundamental right,” one of the residents of Khongman said.
From local residents to activists to even police officials - everyone allege that the Arambai Tenggol is backed by the Manipur chief minister Biren Singh. Back in 2022, Leishemba Sanajaoba, Rajya Sabha MP and Manipur's titular king had shared a Facebook live of Arambai Tenggol members taking oath at his residence.
“We used to feed them, give them money and shelter because they portrayed themselves as defenders of our land,” said a local resident who identified himself as a RSS worker. “But now they are not even letting us vote,” he added.
The Election Commission later ordered repolling in 11 constituencies, many of them after Arambai Tenggol themselves demanded it.
"Our Hands Are Cut, So We Can't Vote"
About 10 days ago, a graphic video went viral on social media. It showed two dead bodies being chopped up. Some of these videos were viral with the caption ‘Kuki saa’ which translates to “Kuki meat”. It was added with a laughing emoji.
The videos reached Somi, a 34-year-old teacher who lives in Churachandpur, also known as Lamka. She didn’t realise that one of the men in the video was her own cousin Kamlensat Lunkim, till at least 24 hours later.
“The police have still not found the bodies. No one has been arrested even though we know who killed my brother,” she said.
The two men whose bodies were desecrated by the Arambai Tenggol were 25-year-old Lunkim and 23-year-old Kamminlal Lupheng. In Kangpokpi, their hometown, the locals abstained from voting as a sign of protest. They pasted photos of hands on the walls with the caption, “our hands are cut, so we can’t vote”.
While activists and locals allege that the police doesn’t take any action against the militant group because they are hand in gloves with the security forces, a top police official denied the claims. “We have been arresting them, but we also realise they have a lot of support from the people. So we have to be careful,” a police officer told Decode.
The Trolling Of Arambai Tenggol
Arambai Tenggol had garnered massive support among the Meitei community during the conflict, by positioning themselves as protectors. However, as the same group stood outside polling booths with guns on April 19, preventing their very supporters from voting, a feeling of betrayal swept the Meiteis in Imphal valley.
The anger and resentment they generated turned the tides of support against them, that was equally visible on social media.
“It would be impossible to imagine the Meitei people speaking against the Arambai Tenggol on social media, but after what they did during the first phase of polling you will see frequent trolling,” Dylan pointed out.
In the evening of April 19, following the vote booth capturing fiasco, Laishram Robason, Arambai Tenggol’s control room operator, put out a notice stating Arambai Tenggol is asking the ECI for repolling at Bamom Kampu, Iroisemba, and Khongman Zone 4, where “unfortunate incidents” occurred. On the day of polling Decode had witnessed the polling booth at Khongman Zone 4 being shut down after locals complained of Arambai Tenggol members denying them entry.
The notice drew flak from many, with the majority of users reacting with the laughing emoji.
“It's to late...AT doesn't have gut's that they aren't gonna involved in any political party in this election. Now AT are playing around with the people of Manipur..(sic)’ read one of the top comments. Another user trolled the group, saying,“Is it an application? Or a notice? Or an order? Please let the people know in public interest.”
Cartoonist Laishram Bipin Singh started posting cartoons mocking the Arambai Tenggol for their activities on April 19.
One of the cartoons showed two armed men dressed in AT uniform holding a family hostage. One of the men is shown as saying, “Woi.. Even if we were the ones yesterday you have to clarify that it was not us. Don’t you see whatever we are doing is for our motherland!!!” The other is then shown as saying, “Do you have proof? Do you wanna eat a bullet?”
Yet another cartoon showed Arambai Tenggol militants intimidating voters. In this cartoon, a woman voter is shown as thinking, “Aren’t you the ones we donated to by collecting from every nook and cranny?” The cartoon also showed a militant calling Manipur’s CM Biren Singh, saying, “Father (biren) don’t worry we are rocking it.”
These cartoons drew wide response and comments from people, mocking the militant group, the ruling party BJP, and its CM Biren Singh.
Some of the comments used BJP’s lotus symbol along with AT’s, and called it BJP Tenggol (BJP Platoon).
Desperation In The Relief Camps
While the militant group has left the residents of Manipur with a sense of disappointment and anger, in some quarters Arambai Tenggol is still seen as the “last hope” in the state that has been in turmoil for far too long.
Thanzom Hemanta, 33, hailing from the border town of Moreh, now resides in a relief camp. Hemanta moved out of Moreh 11 months ago, in May 2024, when violence engulfed the state. Like many others, Hemanta’s house was burnt down.
“I have gotten calls to join militant groups. They usually share a WhatsApp link to join, where the details of meetings are provided,” he said. “Several of my friends have gone to AT meetings, but aren’t permanent members.”
He cast his vote at the special polling booth set up for displaced people at the YK College. Like many others Decode interviewed, Hemanta was looking for a political change.
Another displaced local, 23-year-old Rojesh from Moreh, currently living in a relief camp in Lamding Senior High School, believes otherwise. Rojesh states that electing Bimol Akoijam of the Congress might improve their situation. “We lost our homes when the BJP was in power. People are sick here now, but we don’t get enough food and medication.”
In an interview to Decode, JNU professor and Congress leader Bimol Akoijam said if he wins the election, he will ensure the youth who have been misguided into picking up arms find their way back. “My job is to awaken people,” he said. “Why is the Indian state unable to control the violence in Manipur? This is complete bullshit,” he said. “The head of the country hasn’t uttered a single word after a whole year of violence,” Akoijam added.
At the nearby Mekola relief camp, 52-year-old Naocha Oinam recalls leaving his home and belongings in Churachandpur, with his family.
“I brushed my teeth only three times in seven days,” Oinam recalls. “We were each given spoonfuls of dal and rice three times a day, and we did not even have plates to eat out of. We would use jackfruit leaves as plates.”
“If I was young, I would pick up arms to fight for us. It hurts us too much to live like this,” he said. Oinam was sceptical of any changes in their situation with regards to the elections. “I don’t think the elections will change anything.”