BJP's Refuge for Scoundrels in Manipur - From Biren's Dramas to Michael Lamjathang's Staged Deflections

If nationalism is a last refuge for other scoundrels, BJP is a refuge for scoundrels in Manipur. Biren was the first to take refuge and Michael is the latest to do so. Until yesterday Mr. Haokip was touring news channels for interviews to defame and spew hatred towards the Kukis proclaiming himself as a person belonging to Thadou tribe but somehow he became the BJP spokesperson when his house got attacked today. Thus, the national leaders of BJP in Delhi and RSS in Nagpur need to put their house in order if they wish to remain relevant in Manipur politics in general and amongst the Kukis in particular. They must keep in mind the sentiments of tribal voters in upcoming elections in various state assembly as well.

As the saying goes “A man is known by the company he keeps,” Biren and Michael are friends who love spreading hate and staging dramas. They don’t shy away from displaying their high maintenance friendships. If Biren provided Michael a helicopter service for an election campaign, Michael stood tall as a sentinel for Biren to shield him from being persecuted for his crimes towards the Kukis on many occasions. The friendship is based on the foundation of their hatred towards the Kukis, their friendship history is telling of their all-weather ally or friendship.

If today Michael is considered as the rotten apple or Judas by 99% of his tribesmen, it is telling of his character. His continual betrayal of Kukis and his being a hand puppet of Biren is a well established fact in Manipur. With the behind-the-curtains dirty politics by Biren to stop today’s rally at all costs, the attack on Mr. Haokip’s house stinks of dirty politics too. It is only natural to question as to if it was a staged attack to cover up and manage the news headlines to cover up his friend’s crimes? Mr. Haokip has no one to blame if one raises an eyebrow on the authenticity of the attacks. He can only blame old weather friendship with Biren even today after the ethnic cleansing pogrom towards his tribesman. A person who stills maintain friendship crossing the bloods and lives of innocent victims of his tribe can do anything. Thus a staged attack of his own house if done isn’t surprising either.

His bad blood with his tribesmen is already a decade-old long, so why should his tribesmen choose today of all days to launch an attack, when they are aware he is given a VIP service to propagate and defame Kukis by radicals Meitei occupying important positions in various national and regional media houses? When they know that he himself is not in his home (a person who does not feel safe in his own home amIf nationalism is a last refuge for other scoundrels, BJP is a refuge for scoundrels in Manipur. Biren was the first to take refuge and Michael is the latest to do so. Until yesterday Mr. Haokip was touring news channels for interviews to defame and spew hatred towards the Kukis proclaiming himself as a person belonging to Thadou tribe but somehow he became the BJP spokesperson when his house got attacked today. Thus, the national leaders of BJP in Delhi and RSS in Nagpur need to put their house in order if they wish to remain relevant in Manipur politics in general and amongst the Kukis in particular. They must keep in mind the sentiments of tribal voters in upcoming elections in various state assembly as well.

As the saying goes “A man is known by the company he keeps,” Biren and Michael are friends who love spreading hate and staging dramas. They don’t shy away from displaying their high maintenance friendships. If Biren provided Michael a helicopter service for an election campaign, Michael stood tall as a sentinel for Biren to shield him from being persecuted for his crimes towards the Kukis on many occasions. The friendship is based on the foundation of their hatred towards the Kukis, their friendship history is telling of their all-weather ally or friendship.

If today Michael is considered as the rotten apple or Judas by 99% of his tribesmen, it is telling of his character. His continual betrayal of Kukis and his being a hand puppet of Biren is a well established fact in Manipur. With the behind-the-curtains dirty politics by Biren to stop today’s rally at all costs, the attack on Mr. Haokip’s house stinks of dirty politics too. It is only natural to question as to if it was a staged attack to cover up and manage the news headlines to cover up his friend’s crimes? Mr. Haokip has no one to blame if one raises an eyebrow on the authenticity of the attacks. He can only blame old weather friendship with Biren even today after the ethnic cleansing pogrom towards his tribesman. A person who stills maintain friendship crossing the bloods and lives of innocent victims of his tribe can do anything. Thus a staged attack of his own house if done isn’t surprising either.

His bad blood with his tribesmen is already a decade-old long, so why should his tribesmen choose today of all days to launch an attack, when they are aware he is given a VIP service to propagate and defame Kukis by radicals Meitei occupying important positions in various national and regional media houses? When they know that he himself is not in his home (a person who does not feel safe in his own home among his own people showsong his own people shows that he has gone against his own people), that he has the backing of the most powerful person of the state, why would they risk their luck? When exposing Biren for his crimes is the bigger objective they have on the day, will they want the national attention to be taken away from their main cause? Because that is exactly what this is - an attempt to divert attention from Biren’s crimes for which the rally was organised and portray the rally-goers in a bad light. So which side do you think benefits from this alleged staged-attack?

The answer is clear. But the bigger question is will they find a scapegoat to make their drama a reality? Anything is possible from them as long as it can defame Kukis and make their movement weaker.

Biren gave a plate full of problems for the Kukis. So, when they have a bigger objective and enemy to tackle, the rotten apple whose antics they are adapted to is an issue they don’t have a problem living with for a few more years. Or else Mr. Haokip can re-settle himself at any Kuki house left behind in Imphal under the full protection of his CM, if he does not trust the Kukis.

Thus, the news headlines addressing Mr. Haokip as the BJP spokesperson is a disadvantage in itself for the BJP unless Mr. Haokip defames Kukis on behalf of the state BJP. It will do no good for the BJP to target a minority tribal community against whom their CM in the state has done enough injustice. Unless media outlets believe that the BJP spokesperson is interfering in the internal matters of the Kukis, the correct way to address Mr. Haokip would have been “A hand puppet of Biren”. With elections underway in 4 states, will BJP give refuge to this scoundrel and risk themselves to be portrayed as anti-tribal? Their reaction and actions will say so.