BJP Kuki MLA from Saikot, Paolienlal Haokip in a recently-penned op-ed went all out against his own party and government at the state and Centre over the violence in Manipur. Titled “Manipur violence could not be contained because of the complicity of Biren Singh government”, Haokip in his article directly holds the N Biren Singh government responsible for the violence. Notably, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh is a Meitei himself.
“Proof of state complicity can clearly be discerned from the fact that what started out as a purely ethnic-communal violence was, later on, attempted to be portrayed by the Chief Minister as the state’s war on ‘narco terrorists’. The narrative seemed to be aimed at justifying the use of state forces to aid the radicalised Meitei militia in attacking and burning down Kuki Zo settlements in the foothills surrounding the Imphal valley, beyond which it doesn’t seem to hold much water”, the BJP MLA wrote.
Haokip also accused CM Biren Singh of being “hands in glove” with radical organisations namely Meitei Leepun and Arambai Tenggol. The Kuki leader concludes the article by demanding that AFSPA be reimposed in the state.
This is not the first time that the BJP Kuki leader has spoken out against his government. In an interview with the propaganda website Newslaundry, Haokip while on one hand criticised PM Modi’s message on Manipur, on the other hand, he said that the community (Kuki) is pleading with the Centre. “Central government is holding all the cards and that’s why we are still pleading with the Central government. We have no hope of justice from the state government whatsoever”, he said.
“There is no security of life for me even as an elected MLA”, said Paolienlal Haokip, who has openly demanded a separate administration which is in line with the demand for a separate state for Kukis called “Kukiland”. Haokip was amongst the ten Kuki MLAs to raise the demand accusing the state government of supporting “unabated violence by the majority Meitei community”. However, the HAC Chairperson Dinganglung Gangmei, a BJP MLA had distanced himself and other Naga MLAs from the demand.
A day after violence broke out in Manipur on 3rd May, the Kuki MLA took to Twitter criticising the Biren Singh government as he tagged PM Modi, HM Shah, and other BJP leaders. On 13th May, Haokip tweeted, “Peace is separation from people who hate you. You may not hate them, but it’s better to be apart than quarrel and get killed”.
Peace is separation from people who hate you. You may not hate them, but it’s better to be apart than quarrel and get killed.
— Paolienlal Haokip (@paolienlal) May 13, 2023
Haokip also seemed to have criticised the Chief Minister’s eviction drive against illegal immigrants who have occupied reserved and protected forest land in the hill areas in Manipur. In an interesting twist, he writes, “Tribal lands were constituted as reserved forests and protected forests without following the norms that require the tribals to claim pre-existing rights, if any.”
Further into the article, the Kuki leader writes that the ethnic violence is “perceived as a war of liberation by Kuki Zo people” and the same is perceived as “war to claim tribal land”. In both cases, it appears that the BJP Kuki leader has admitted to ethnic violence by both communities but seems to appear critical only of the Meiteis.
In June this year, BJP Kuki leaders sought Biren Singh’s resignation days after the resignation of four MLAs.
Currently, the Biren Singh-led Manipur cabinet includes two Kuki ministers namely Nemcha Kipgen of Kangpokpi constituency, and Letpao Haokip of Tengnoupal constituency. Besides Paolienlal Haokip, other BJP Kuki MLAs are Ngursanglur Sanate from Tipaimukh constituency, LM Khaute from Churachandpur constituency, Letzamang Haokip from Henglep constituency, and Vungjagin Valte from Thanlon constituency.
