A local court in Imphal on July 6 took cognizance of charges filed against Professor Kham Khan Suan Hausing, Head of Department of Political Science of the Hyderabad University, who has been vocal about the role of Meitei outfits and State complicity in the continuing ethnic conflict of the state. Prof. Hausing belongs to a tribal community from Manipur.
The court also directed that a notice be issued to the accused, returnable by the next date of hearing on July 28.
The action by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of the Imphal East district court was initiated on a private criminal complaint filed by Manihar Moirangthem Singh, who claimed to be an Imphal-based social worker, against Mr. Hausing for an interview he had given to a news website. Mr. Singh, however, is also part of the Meitei Tribe Union, the outfit which had secured the contentious March 27 order directing that Meiteis be recommended for inclusion in the ST list.
Prof. Hausing has also written on the ethnic violence for multiple national dailies, including The Hindu.
Mr. Singh’s lawyer, advocate R.K. Milan told The Hindu, “The court has taken cognisance of certain charges and issued summons to the accused. The complainant has filed the complaint in his personal capacity and not as part of the MTU.”
The court of CJM Ashem Tarunakumari Devi concluded that prima facie materials existed against the accused under Sections 153A (promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, or language), 200 (Knowingly declaring something false), 295(A) (Deliberate acts to outrage religious feeling), 298 (Verbally outraging religious feelings), 505(1), and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
The court noted that both the complainant and witness gave statements taking issue with the interview Mr. Hausing had given to a news website. According to both statements, he had made derogatory remarks against holy religious sites associated historically with the Meitei community namely Koubru, Thangjing and others. The statements also alleged that Prof. Hausing made false statements to defame the Meitei community and that it had brought more communal enmity amid the ongoing ethnic conflict.
Professor Hausing told The Hindu that he had no comment on the issue.
The court of CJM, Imphal East had last week taken cognizance of similar charges against two Kuki leaders for an interview they had given to the same news website, alleging the role of radical Meitei outfits like Arambai Tenggol and Meetiei Leepun in the violence and the alleged support they were getting from the State government.
