While police and government officials are actively working to secure the release of two young Meitei men abducted by suspected Kuki militants on September 27 in Kangpokpi, reports suggest that one of the demands from the abductors is the release of Mark T. Haokip. However, no official source has confirmed this as a condition. The only known demand from the militants is the transfer of Kuki-Zomi inmates currently held at Sajiwa Jail in Imphal to a hill area of the state.

On Wednesday, life in five districts of the Imphal Valley was disrupted due to a shutdown called by the Meitei group Joint Action Committee in response to the kidnapping. The Manipur Congress has criticized the ongoing crisis as a total failure of law and order, with state Congress chief K. Meghachandra urging Chief Minister N. Biren Singh to seek assistance from Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the rescue of the two youths.

Mark T. Haokip, who was arrested in 2022, is currently in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). His name has surfaced in the context of the ongoing crisis, raising its significance.

Who is Mark T. Haokip?

Mark T. Haokip, a 39-year-old human rights activist from Churachandpur, serves as the state president of the International Human Rights Association (IHRA), which operates in Manipur and Myanmar. He has been an outspoken critic of the N. Biren Singh-led government, accusing it of implementing anti-Kuki policies.

Haokip was arrested on May 24, 2022, by a Manipur Police team in Delhi on charges of “promoting communal disharmony through social media posts.” One particularly controversial post claimed that the territory of the former kingdom of Manipur consisted of just over 700 square miles, while the remaining land belonged to the hill people and could not be considered part of the state. The total area of Manipur is approximately 8,620 square miles.

After his arrest, Haokip was taken to Imphal, where the police alleged that he was involved in a conspiracy to “secede from India” and “wage war against the Government of India,” also accusing him of raising funds for terrorist activities under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was labeled the self-styled president of the ‘Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Kukiland,’ a group aiming to establish a Kuki nation.

The Aftermath of Haokip’s Arrest

Haokip’s arrest in May 2022 marked one of the first significant flashpoints in the escalating tensions between Manipur’s Meitei community and the Kuki-Zomi community. Protests erupted in Churachandpur, fueled further by Chief Minister Biren Singh’s comments referring to Haokip as a “Myanmarese,” a claim his family denied. The protests led to violent clashes between demonstrators and police, resulting in injuries on both sides. The IHRA condemned the arrest, highlighting perceived bias against the Kuki community in the government’s actions.

Current Status of the Case Against Haokip

In August, the Manipur High Court set aside a special court’s order granting Haokip ‘default bail’ on the grounds that the NIA did not obtain the prosecution’s sanction when filing the chargesheet. The High Court ruled that a chargesheet filed without the prosecution’s sanction was not necessarily incomplete, contrary to the special court’s finding.

The Kidnappers’ Stance on Haokip

While Haokip remains in judicial custody, his family has distanced themselves from claims that the Kuki group is demanding his release in exchange for the two abductees. In a statement, his father clarified, “We, the family of Dr. Mark T. Haokip, have no knowledge of the alleged proposal and state that the case is sub judice. We urge all communities not to sensationalize the issue and to respect the rule of law.”

Thangtinlen Haokip, a member of the Committee on Tribal Unity, a civil society organization based in Kangpokpi, stated that the primary demand of the kidnappers is the relocation of inmates from Imphal jail.

A senior police official indicated that the focus of negotiations with the abductors is to ensure the unconditional release of the inmates without engaging in discussions about additional demands.