IT News
Imphal, April 4:
Tension escalated at Naoremthong area in Imphal today as a group of women protesters storm the residence of National People’s Party (NPP) Manipur unit president Yumnam Joykumar at Naoremthong. The protest was triggered by Joykumar’s recent remarks on social media regarding the Meitei group Arambai Tenggol, which sparked outrage among sections of the community.
Joykumar, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), had commented on the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, stating, “Biren Ji misjudged the Kuki-Meitei conflict’s roots. The Tribal Students’ rally against the High Court’s ST status order for Meiteis was a law-and-order issue he let spiral into communal strife. Why did his govt allow massive rallies, withdraw commandos from Churachandpur, and let groups like Arambai Tenggol attack Kukis?”
The statement provoked strong reactions, particularly from the women-led group Apunba Manipur Emasing, which demanded an apology from Joykumar.
The protesters marched to his residence in Imphal West district, attempting to force their way in, but were intercepted by security personnel deployed at the site. However, a few representatives were allowed to meet Joykumar inside his residence.
Following the meeting, the president of Apunba Manipur Emasing stated that Joykumar had acknowledged the controversy and made corrections to his tweet by replacing Arambai Tenggol with civilians. However, he reportedly refused to issue a formal apology for his remarks.
Meanwhile, in an effort to ease tensions, the National People’s Youth Front, Manipur State Committee of the NPP addressed the matter in a letter to Arambai Tenggol. The letter clarified that “we have since removed AT from the said post. It is most unfortunate that this misunderstanding occurred, and we share your hurt. Let us work together to avoid misunderstandings in the future.”
Reaffirming the party’s support, the statement further added, “NPP stands with Arambai Tenggol and other village volunteers who have sacrificed for our state.” The party acknowledged that the controversy had led to “unintended tension” between NPP and Arambai Tenggol, describing the situation as unfortunate.
