Facing mounting public pressure, Meitei pressure group Arambai Tenggol on Tuesday announced immediate suspension of its 10-day total shutdown, which was launched on June 7 following the arrest of its senior leader Asem Kanan Singh.

The group, however, made it clear that it will continue democratic forms of protest until Singh is released unconditionally.

Advertisement

The announcement was made by Robin Mangang, the public relations officer of the group, during a press conference in Imphal.

“Understanding and accepting the various inconveniences caused by the ongoing total shutdown, we have decided to call off the bandh,” Mangang said, emphasising that the decision was taken in response to appeals from the public and civil society groups.

The now-suspended bandh had entered its third day and was beginning to severely affect daily life across several valley districts of Manipur.

The situation has remained tense since June 7, when violent protests broke out overnight after the arrest of Singh, prompting the group to enforce the shutdown.

Arambai Tenggol, which describes itself as a socio-cultural organisation working to preserve the indigenous traditions and identity of the Meitei community, has been accused of playing a militarised role in the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur.

The group has repeatedly been linked to armed confrontations with Kuki groups in the hills and has drawn scrutiny from national agencies like the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Mangang reiterated that Arambai Tenggol is “essentially unarmed” but claimed that it was compelled to take up arms to “defend the state from illegal immigrant Kuki terrorists.”

He criticised the government for what he called the “targeted arrests” of their members.

“We are being persecuted despite standing up for the integrity of Manipur,” he added.

The arrest of Asem Kanan Singh has added fuel to the volatile atmosphere in Manipur, which has seen periodic eruptions of ethnic clashes between the majority Meitei community in the valley and the tribal Kukis in the hill districts.