Meitei flag installation by Arambai Tenggol on Shirui summit causes controversy

• The display of a flag representing seven Meitei clans on Shirui peak in Manipur’s Tangkhul Naga-majority Ukhrul district has sparked controversy.

• A unit of the Arambai Tenggol, a Meitei radical group, allegedly displayed the seven-coloured ‘Salai Taret’ flag during the Manipur Tourism-organised Shirui Lily Festival.

• Tangkhul groups reacted to the display, shouting slogans and a viral video that went viral.

• Tangkhul Naga Long, the apex social body of the community, criticized the act as an attempt to tarnish the spirit and meaning of the Shirui Lily Festival for political gains.

• The Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (I-M) argued that the ‘Salai Taret’ flag has no cultural, historical, or political connection with the Tangkhuls.

• The Arambai Tenggol issued a statement urging the Tangkhul bodies to examine the context of the flag-related video with care, stating that the slogans raised were messages of love and unity and did not disrespect or threaten any community.