Each Peace Rally Is Violence Day For Kukis, Manipur BJP Spokesperson And Thadou Chief T Michael Lamjathang Haokip Home Set On Hearth For third Time

Manipur Thadou tribe chief T Michael Lamjathang Haokip’s home was set on hearth as we speak

Imphal/New Delhi:

Manipur BJP spokesperson and Thadou tribe chief T Michael Lamjathang Haokip’s home was vandalised and set on hearth in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district as we speak. This was the third assault at his home because the Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence started in Might 2023.

The most recent assault comes on a day the Kuki tribes are holding protests towards Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who they are saying is accountable for the disaster. They’ve cited a leaked audio tape – which the state authorities has known as “doctored” – to strengthen their allegations towards Mr Singh, who belongs to the BJP. They held the rallies in Churachandpur’s Leishang, Kangpokpi’s Keithelmanbi, and Tengnoupal’s Moreh.

Many different recognised tribes in Manipur didn’t take part within the Kuki-led protests as we speak, and communicated their choices by way of public statements — in contrast to on Might 3, 2023 when beneath the banner of the All Tribal College students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) some non-Kuki tribes participated.

“Each peace rally is a violence day for Kukis. Down with extremely Kuki extremists and supremacists,” Mr Haokip stated in a put up on X, alluding to the Kuki-led protest on Might 3, 2023 – the day large-scale ethnic clashes started in Manipur.

“Phatthei In (Blessed Residence) – mother and pop’s residence in Peniel village, Manipur by extremely Kuki supremacists and extremist teams. Any of my actions should not have been mixed with my mother and father and households. I can’t cease to face for justice, fact and non-violence,” Mr Haokip stated in one other put up.

Each peace rally is a violence day for Kukis!

Down with Extremely Kuki extremists and supremacists!

— T. Michael Lamjathang Haokip (Thadou) (@TMLH4BJP) August 31, 2024

Six days in the past, over two dozen folks, a few of them armed, had vandalised Mr Haokip’s home, the place his mother and father and 4 households displaced by the violence reside. The attackers additionally fired pictures within the air.

Mr Haokip advised NDTV the brazen daylight assault as we speak – regardless of the police having filed a primary data report (FIR) naming a number of people as suspects within the earlier assault on Sunday – exhibits the “Kuki supremacists take India’s legal guidelines as jokes.”

“The supremacists run the present in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur. They suppose they are going to get away with something now. They instigate and assault, after which play the sufferer card in entrance of the world,” Mr Haokip advised NDTV.

Different Thadou tribe leaders who’re near Mr Haokip stated the “Kuki supremacists” are attacking him to attract a response from the federal government, after which current themselves in entrance of the world as victims of motion by state forces. 

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, condemning the assault on Mr Haokip’s home, stated other than punishing the perpetrators, the federal government will take motion towards officers who didn’t guarantee safety regardless of warning of threats.

“I strongly condemn the arson assault at Shri Michael Lamjathang Haokip’s mother and father’ residence for the third time as we speak. The repeated focusing on of our folks (Thadou on this case), typically beneath the guise of peace rallies, is a deeply troubling pattern,” Mr Singh stated in a put up on X.

“Such acts of provocation is not going to be tolerated. We’ll be sure that these accountable are held accountable. Furthermore, motion will probably be taken towards the involved officers who failed to offer enough safety, regardless of prior warnings of potential threats,” the Chief Minister stated.

I strongly condemn the arson assault at Shri Micheal Lamjathang Haokip’s mother and father’ residence for the third time as we speak. The repeated focusing on of our folks (Thadou on this case), typically beneath the guise of peace rallies, is a deeply troubling pattern.

Such acts of provocation will… pic.twitter.com/BPEqteo5sc

— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) August 31, 2024

Mr Haokip has stated he has been elevating consciousness about his tribe, Thadou, being inaccurately known as a Kuki tribe amid the ethnic stress in Manipur. This has angered “Kuki supremacists” as they don’t wish to settle for the Thadou tribe’s distinct id, Mr Haokip stated.

Final week, three MLAs from among the many 10 who’ve been demanding a separate administration carved out of Manipur had clarified they need their very own tribes to be known as by their right names, as a substitute of being related solely with the time period “Kuki-Zo”.

On social media, the three MLAs acquired threats of boycott and different “penalties” for allegedly weakening the Kuki tribes’ resolve to influence the Centre to create a separate administration. One of many BJP MLAs had advised NDTV everybody ought to be happy to state information concerning the tribe they belong to. “I fail to know why threats are coming my method for merely saying to which tribe I and the folks I characterize belong,” the chief advised NDTV on Monday, requesting anonymity.

Proper after the assault at Mr Haokip’s home on Sunday evening, a video appeared on social media of a person exhibiting a gun and a bullet and threatening to kill Mr Haokip. One other video, which appeared on Monday, exhibits a person in black tactical put on surrounded by three in camouflage battle costume carrying AK sequence assault rifles – all of them masked – saying they are going to kill Mr Haokip wherever he’s, whether or not “Delhi or Guwahati”.

The 4 males can’t be village defence volunteers who normally carry licenced single-barrelled and small-calibre handguns, a retired police officer in Churachandpur had stated, requesting anonymity.

On August 5, the Chief Minister had met representatives of a number of small tribes and heard their issues about greater tribes attempting to suppress their identities.

The clashes between the valley-dominant Meitei neighborhood and the practically two dozen tribes beneath the Kukis nomenclature – a time period given by the British in colonial occasions – who’re dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 folks and internally displaced practically 50,000.

The final class Meiteis wish to be included beneath the Scheduled Tribes class, whereas the Kukis who share ethnic ties with folks in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram desire a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of sources and energy with the Meiteis.