KWOHR censures KAMA's demand
Source: The Sangai Express

Kangpokpi, May 31 2022: Perturbed by the cacophony surrounding the arrest of Mark Thangmang Haokip since the past few days, the Kuki Women's Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) has appealed to all concerned to maintain calm and allow the law of the land to take its own course and contribute to foster brotherhood and harmony.

The KWOHR stated that the hate and provocative speeches associated with the arrest of Dr Mark Thangmang Haokip have shown no signs of abating but are becoming more toxic, thereby posing a threat to the plural ethos of the State.

It stated that some fringe elements, as if trying to find legitimacy through their anti-Kuki stand, have resorted to unrestraint bashing of Kukis and loose branding of Kukis as 'foreigners, refugees, etc not only on social media platforms but also in mainstream media' .

The KWOHR is deeply shocked by the utterance of the Kabui Mothers' Association (KAMA) which went a step further and demanded capital punishment for Mark Haokip, it added.

"As far as we know, Mark Haokip had already tendered an apology as demanded by various CSOs, for his remark against Rani Gaidinliu last year", it said.

As if this was not enough, KAMA jumped the guns to demand 'capital punishment' for Mark Haokip, it asserted while adding that KAMA is perhaps lost on what capital punishment actually means.

The KWOHR also said that there has been contest over many historical events and persona around the world but such contestations are settled with informed debates and narratives, allowing space for academic and reasoned discourse instead of going to the extremity such as capital punishment.

It said that the demand of KAMA smacks of racial prejudice and it reflects their immaturity.

It then stated that the perpetrators of orchestrated genocide against innocent Kukis, the mass rape of Kuki women in present day Pherzawl district in the past decade and human rights violation/abuse of Kukis including planting of landmines by various armed groups deserve capital punishment if at all it should be delivered.

As a responsible mothers' organisation, KAMA should have thought twice before spewing such venomous statements before the public while it is also disturbing to note that sundry Meitei individuals and organisations have resorted to name callings and demonizing the Kuki community with impunity which have now flooded all formats of media, it added.

It further said that the 'foreigner tag' on Kukis is the construct of NSCN (IM) but is now passionately re-enforced by the Manipur valley people.

It continued that cases of illegalising and alienation of Kukis such as branding Mark Haokip as 'Myan-marese' and generalization of Kuki-Zomi-Mizos as migrants have been rising under the present dispensation and it is very unfortunate to observe that an unprecedented level of ethnic polarization has also been witnessed.

It also said that apart from the increasing hate speeches against Kukis with impunity, some even go to the extent of demanding 'deportation' of Mark Haokip despite their miserable attempts to prove his Myanmar origin and these derisive and loose talks do not augur well for the future of Manipur which is home to many ethnic groups.

It is very unfortunate that the majority community of Manipur deliberately spared no efforts to alienate one particular community without even thinking of the consequences instead of trying to strengthen the social fabric that weaves the ties of the multi-ethnic people that adorn Manipur, it added.

Manipur's population has three major ethnic groups - the Meiteis of the valley, the Kukis and Nagas of the surrounding hills and there is no dearth of verbal ammunition and inflammatory rhetoric to target all communities that could only foment inter-communal discord, it further added.

But the KWOHR does not believe in resorting to such hate mongering and name callings which are detrimental to society as a whole, it said.

It then appealed to all concerned to maintain calm and allow the law of the land to take its own course and contribute one's might to foster brotherhood and harmony.

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