Citizenship Controversy: Meitei and Thadou Leaders Seek Disqualification of Manipur BJP MLA Paolienlal Haokip

BJP MLA Paolienlal Haokip is among the strongest critics of former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

Imphal/Guwahati:

BJP MLA Paolienlal Haokip, a prominent critic of former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and a central figure advocating for separate administration for Kuki tribes, has described recent disqualification efforts against him as "an attempt to silence" his voice.

T Michael Lamjathang Haokip, 33, from the Thadou tribe, and Mayanglambam Bobby Meetei, 42, from the valley-dominant Meitei community, have submitted a sworn affidavit to Manipur Governor AK Bhalla seeking Paolienlal Haokip's disqualification as MLA of Saikot (Scheduled Tribes) constituency in Churachandpur district.

The comprehensive 63-page affidavit alleges that the Saikot MLA is "either a foreigner or otherwise a legal alien/legally non-existent person viz not an Indian citizen." NDTV has reviewed this affidavit. Indian citizenship remains a fundamental requirement for election candidacy and MLA status.

Responding to these allegations, Paolienlal Haokip told NDTV on Saturday, "It's a poor, brazen attempt to silence the voice of the oppressed people."

Paolienlal Haokip belongs to Any Kuki Tribes (AKT), a category that was reinstated to Manipur's ST list in 2003 after being removed in 1956.

The MLA maintains that creating a Union Territory with legislature for his people represents the only solution to Manipur's ongoing crisis. "The government's delay in addressing these legitimate demands is only worsening the situation on the ground," Haokip stated in September 2024.

He stands among 10 Kuki and Zomi MLAs advocating for a separate administration carved from Manipur; seven of these MLAs represent the ruling BJP.

According to the affidavit, Paolienlal Haokip's Election Commission documents indicate his birth date as June 23, 1974, and birthplace as Gangpizang village in Churachandpur district. Though eligible to vote since 1992, he reportedly only registered as a first-time voter in 2021 at age 46, just one year before contesting the Saikot seat election.

The affidavit notes that the MLA's family members and relatives first appeared on electoral rolls in 2021-22.

"Interestingly, while Paolienlal Haokip is recorded as 46 years old, his daughter is listed as 42, which reflects an implausible age gap of only four years between father and purported daughter," states the affidavit.

"This naturally leads to the question: where had he been throughout all this time, and why was his name absent in the voter list until he was 46 years in the year 2021-2022?" the activists question in their submission.

The affidavit clarifies that Paolienlal Haokip's name does not represent a voter transfer from another constituency in states like Assam, where Any Kuki Tribes were included in ST lists before their 2003 reinstatement in Manipur.

In 1956, Parliament specified all sub-tribes belonging to groups previously known as Any Naga Tribes and Any Kuki Tribes. This action prompted then-Outer Manipur MP Rishang Keishing to express concern that identifying Naga and Kuki sub-tribes by distinct names could be "simply considered and treated by the local people as an attempt to disintegrate the entire community."

Addressing these concerns, then-Union Law Minister Hari Vinayak Pataskar explained the different approaches between Assam and Manipur regarding tribal classifications - Assam grouped all Kuki sub-tribes under Any Kuki Tribe, while Manipur listed them separately.

"That is the only difference. There is no ground for suspecting that something unfair is being done to them because of the description of these tribes. It is done according to the recommendation of the state government and the Backward Classes Commission and as such, there is no discrimination," the minister stated, as documented in the affidavit.

"It is therefore clear that when the Amendment Act of 1956 was enacted, no sub-tribe was left out. Each and every sub-tribe in Manipur was carefully and individually enlisted by parliament by the Amendment Act of 1956. Therefore, Mr Paolenlal Haokip who was born on 23rd June, 1974 was not certainly born in India or otherwise he is not an Indian citizen," concludes the affidavit.

Organizations affiliated with Michael Lamjathang Haokip's Thadou tribe and the Meitei community have alleged that Manipur's current crisis stems from the 2003 reinstatement of Any Kuki Tribes in Manipur's ST list. They argue this category lacks proper identification mechanisms, potentially allowing illegal immigrants to claim tribal status and benefits.

In February 2023, former Chief Minister N Biren Singh's government requested the Tribal Affairs Ministry remove Any Kuki Tribes from the ST list, an action requiring parliamentary approval. The ministry responded with inquiries to the state government, which has since provided answers, according to state sources. They indicate the matter could proceed to parliamentary consideration if the ministry requires no further clarification on removing Any Kuki Tribes from the ST list.

Violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023, three months after the state initiated action against the Any Kuki Tribes classification. Meitei leaders have accused Paolienlal Haokip, a member of this category, of inciting unrest through misinformation prior to the violence.