University of Hyderabad professor summoned by Manipur court for comments on conflict; students express solidarity

A criminal complaint filed by Moirangthem Manihar Singh, a social worker from Imphal, mentioned Hausing as the respondent and accused him of making derogatory remarks about religious sites associated with the Meitei community, such as Koubru and Thangjing.

The complainant further alleged that Hausing made false statements, defaming the Meitei community and exacerbating communal enmity in the state.

The complainant submitted a USB pen drive containing the interview and a certificate from the director of Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Manipur.

After examining the petition and the statements of the complainant and the witness, the court found prima facie evidence of offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) committed by the accused.

CJM Ashem Tarunakumari Devi concluded that there were sufficient grounds to proceed against Hausing under Sections 153A (promoting enmity on religious grounds), 200 (knowingly making false statements), 295(A) (outraging religious feelings), 298 (verbal insult to religious feelings), 505(1), and 120B of the IPC.

The same court recently took cognizance of similar charges against two Kuki leaders for an interview they had given to The Wire, where they alleged the involvement of radical Meitei outfits like the Arambai Tenggol and the Meetiei Leepun in the violence, with alleged support from the state government.

“If a majoritarian state and its regime chose to use its coercive monopoly of power to silence truth and violate human rights with impunity, we have to remain united, reclaim and fight for these #ManipurViolence [sic],” tweeted Prof Hausing.

If a majoritarian state and its regime chose to use its coercive monopoly of power to silence truth and violate human rights with impunity, we have to remain united, reclaim and fight for these #ManipurViolence @UNCHRSS @ABC @CNN @BBCWorld

— Kham Khan Suan Hausing (@kksuanh) July 7, 2023

Also read: Right wing groups on the rise, Gajwel fears communal fissures

‘Threat to his physical security’

Meanwhile, students at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) said Hausing was a notable scholar on Northeast India and had been writing on issues pertaining to the region for a long time and with great nuance.

“Similarly, he has written and spoken in great detail regarding the ongoing violence in Manipur and its historical roots. Various scholars have engaged with his commentary both in agreement and otherwise, as is the norm in academia,” said a group of Department of Political Science students in a statement.

“However, charging him under various sections accusing him of promoting enmity, defaming religious sentiments and engaging in criminal conspiracy is not only a serious threat to his academic freedom but also a threat to his physical security considering the volatile situation,” they added.

They also said that they stood in solidarity with Prof Hausing and demanded a withdrawal of the charges against him, ensuring his safety and the protection of his academic freedom.

Meanwhile, the UoH unit of the Students Federation of India (SFI) also said that universities were meant for academic freedom and to be a space for critical ideas.

“Academic freedom and dissent should not be considered a crime. Such cases highly discourage critical and innovative ideas in higher-education spaces,” said an SFI statement.

“Hausing is a prominent scholar on North-East politics and federalism. Attacking such a prominent scholar is nothing but an attack on academic freedom. We stand in solidarity with the professor. We strongly believe that peace and harmony must be the utmost priority in Manipur at the moment,” it added.

Also read: Telangana to withdraw UAPA cases against Haragopal, 5 others