We are Indian freedom fighter's family: Father to CM
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kangpokpi, May 27 2022: Reacting to Chief Minister N Biren Singh's statements, branding the IHRA Manipur Chapter president as a Myanmarese national, Dr Mark Phangmang Haokip's father has slammed the Chief Minister for his alleged "blind and irresponsible" statement.

76-year-old Limkhosei Haokip further declared that his father, Ondou Haokip, was a member of Indian National Army (INA), and that "we belong to an Indian freedom fighter's family" .

Challenging CM Biren to provide any proof that his son is a Myanmarese national; Limkhosei Haokip said, "We have been living in Manipur for centuries since the time of 'Landaithangba', where my parents lived at Mombi, and I was born at Haikot after my parents shifted from Mombi to Nungtak village and Nungtak to Haikot village" .

He continued: "My father, Ondou Haokip fought the British as a member of Indian National Army and we also contributed tremendously during the Khongjom War for the state.

The CM's blind statement is not only an insult to our family but to all the freedom fighters' families and the entire nation including the chief minister himself.

"What Chief Minister N Biren Singh has done to us is not about Manipur's integrity, but is purely an enemy's act to annihilate our rights to live as a true citizen of India and Manipur", asserted Mark's father.

"It is not good, this is not a good thought", he remarked, while questioning the Chief Minister why he failed to produce his son to the court till now.

Dr Mark's father also said: "We cannot and we will not become a foreigner by the blind branding of the Chief Minister.

We are Indian and we are Manipuris by birth, and I am proud that we have contributed a lot to the nation and the state" .

Limkhosei Haokip then advised Chief Minister N Biren Singh: "My son, you are the people's Chief Minister, do not speak lies and what you have talked about my son is truly a lie", while requesting the latter to correct his ways of governing the people.

Meanwhile, Paokhothang Haokip, the elder brother of Dr Mark, said that he was shocked after coming across a video clip of Chief Minister N Biren branding his brother as a Myanmarese national.

Paokhothang stated that they have been living in Manipur since time immemorial and his great great-grandfathers and his father have all been here in the state only.

Clarifying about what the Chief Minister had shown on his mobile about his brother's Facebook profile picture; Paokhothang Haokip explained that at the time, his brother Mark had been appointed as the president of International Human Rights Association, Manipur Chapter.

A military coup took place in Myanmar and to oversee the rampant human rights violation in the country, he was given the charge to oversee the situation.

He then said that the Chief Minister does not seem to know properly about the issue just as he does not know about his (Paokhothang) brother and their family's history/origin.

"CM Biren is a confused man who blindly made a judgment through the Facebook profile of Mark, who is just an in-charge of Myanmar as human rights activist," he remarked.

Narrating a bit about the origin of their family, Paokhothang Haokip explained that before the family settled in Churachandpur, they had lived at various places in Chandel district like Tollen, Phoilen near Salungpha Heirok, etc.

He asserted that the genealogy of the family could be traced back to even before the arrival of the British.

"It is unfortunate to have the CM termed Mark as a foreigner merely by dint of the latter's Facebook profile, because Mark, apart from being the president of IHRA Manipur Chapter, was given an additional change of Myanmar so as to monitor the wanton human rights violations in Myanmar, following the coup," Dr Mark's elder brother said.

Paokhothang then commented that there are so many valley-based individuals and organisations who indulged in hate speeches, communal and sensitive posts, which are detrimental to society, on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, etc., but it is perplexing why his brother was the only one to be singled out.

While terming the above as discriminatory', Paokhothang stated that such individuals and organisations deserve to get the same treatment, while pointing out that even some of the Chief Minister's post terming the Kukis as Jungli' is extremely derogatory.

Paokhothang then said that the unlawful arrest of his brother has landed his family into tremendous hardships and as such, urged the state Government to release him without any condition at the earliest.

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