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{{Short description|Civil society organisation in Manipur, India}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Federation of Haomee
| region_served = [[Imphal Valley]], [[Manipur]], India
| logo =
| type = Civil society organisation
| headquarters = [[Imphal]]
| native_name =
| method =
| revenue =
| num_volunteers =
| owner =
| leader_title = President
| leader_name = Sapamcha Jadumani<ref name="IFP 2018">
Federation of Haomee rejects Manipur People's Bill 2018 / Non indigenous tribal groups should be excluded: Jadumani, Imphal Free Press, 8 November 2018. {{ProQuest|2130604267}}
</ref>
| leader_title2 = Vice-President
| leader_name2 = Kh. Kabui<ref name="CNS 2023">
[http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=Snipp3..100823.aug23 'Manipur after the coming of Kukis' released], Chronicle News Service, 9 August 2023.
</ref>
| leader_title3 = Convenor of core committee
| leader_name3 = R. K. Rajendra Singh (till May 2023)
| founders =
| key_people =
| founded = 12 October 2017<ref>
[https://www.thesangaiexpress.com/Encyc/2021/10/13/By-Our-Staff-ReporterIMPHAL-Oct-12-Federation-of-Haomee-has-observed-its-fourth-foundation-day.html FoH observes 4th foundation day], The Sangai Express, 13 October 2021.</ref>
| dissolved =
| focus = Campaigning for "indigenous communities" of Manipur
| footnotes =
}}
The '''Federation of Haomee''' is a [[Meitei people|Meitei]]-led civil society organisation based in the Imphal Valley of [[Manipur]], India. In addition to Meiteis, it has participation from some [[Naga people|Naga]] groups.<ref>
Rokibuz Zaman, [https://scroll.in/article/1054519/why-a-battle-of-narratives-has-broken-out-in-manipur-over-the-1917-1919-anglo-kuki-war Why a battle of narratives has broken out in Manipur over the 1917-1919 Anglo-Kuki War], Scroll.in, 20 August 2023. "A Meitei group filed FIRs against authors of two books, claiming it was only a rebellion."
</ref><ref>
{{citation |first=Paul Lelen |last=Haokip |date=23 Feb 2024 |title=Shooting the Sun: why Manipur was engulfed by violence and the government remained silent (book review) |journal=Asian Ethnicity |doi=10.1080/14631369.2024.2322656 |quote=The Federation of Haomee (FoH) is composed of Meiteis and Nagas, although it does not represent the collective voice of all the Nagas.}}
</ref>
The organisation claims to campaign for the rights of the "indigenous communities" of Manipur,<ref>
[https://morungexpress.com/open-letter-to-wc-nnpgs Open letter to WC, NNPGs], The Morung Express, 26 June 2023. "Federation of Haomee is an apex civil society organisation of indigenous communities of Manipur."
</ref> including the [[Meitei people|Meitei]] and [[Naga people|Naga]] people among them, but excluding the [[Kuki people]].<ref>
Vangamla Salle K. S., [https://www.eastmojo.com/news/2019/08/26/centre-must-abrogate-peace-talks-with-foreign-based-kuki-outfits/ ‘Centre must abrogate peace talks with foreign-based Kuki outfits’], EastMojo, 26 August 2019. "The federation alleged that the Kukis are not the [original] settlers of Manipur but were once illegal refugees who infiltrated from neighbouring Myanmar."
</ref> It has published a book titled ''Manipur after the Coming of Kukis'' authored by one of its functionaries R. K. Rajendra Singh, arguing that Kukis "arrived" in Manipur a century ago and transformed Manipur in some way.<ref name="book summary">
Salam Rupachandra Singh, [http://www.e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=reviews.books.RK_Rajendra_Manipur_after_the_coming_of_Kukis_By_Salam_Rupachandra RK Rajendra's ''Manipur after the coming of Kukis''], e-pao.net, 11 July 2023.
</ref>
Scholars have called it a "vigilante organisation" that has generated a "free flow" of hate speech against the Kukis of Manipur.<ref>
{{citation |title=Territoriality, Conflict and Citizenship in the India–Myanmar Borderlands |first=Thongkholal |last=Haokip |journal=The Journal of Indian and Asian Studies |volume=4 |number=1 |date=January 2023 |doi=10.1142/S2717541323500018 |s2cid=257370090 |quote=In more recent times, a vigilante groups, such as Federation of Haomee, have been frequently engaged on such matters [issues that involve Kuki and Naga of Manipur] and specialized in pitting against minorities in Manipur including the Kukis. However, such questioning of indigenousness has no basis at all as 'the question is charged by the new zeal of nationalism having no real ground at the base'|doi-access=free }}
</ref><ref>
{{citation |first=Seilienmang |last=Haokip |title=Memory and kinship across the Indo–Myanmar border: A study of the lived experiences of displaced Kuki families|journal=Memory Studies |year=2023 |doi=10.1177/17506980231188484 |s2cid=260526732 |quote=An example of the latter can be found in Manipur, where hate speech and slogans are directed against the Kuki population, described as a ‘refugee’ and ‘immigrant’ community. The irony lies in the fact that these rampant insults and questions of indigeneity against the Kuki population have been orchestrated by civil society groups such as the Federation of Haomee and the International Meitei Forum.}}
</ref><ref>
Haoginlen Chongloi, [https://thewire.in/rights/free-flowing-hate-speech-rampant-racial-profiling-how-manipur-grew-intolerant Free-Flowing Hate Speech, Rampant Racial Profiling: How Manipur Grew Intolerant], The Wire, 18 June 2022. "Additionally, Colonel R.K. Rajendro, leader of a civil society group International Meitei Forum (IMF), and Sapamacha Jadumani, president of another civil society group Federation of Haomee (FOH), have been instrumental in spreading venomous hate speech directed at the Kukis since the past few years. Highlighting a few instances of involving the Kukis in the recent past, these leaders from the majority community are habituated to generalising the entire Kuki population as refugees and migrants."
</ref>

== Background ==
The Federation of Haomee appears to have been created by the joining of forces of two movements: the '''International Meitei Forum''', founded by R. K. Rajendra Singh in 2012,<ref name="Telegraph 2012">
Meiteis demand say in accord, The Telegraph (India), 8 December 2012. {{ProQuest|2286665405}}
</ref> and the '''Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System''', headed by Sapamcha Jadumani, which was reportedly in existence in various forms since 1997.<ref name="IFP 2017">
JCILPS observes '2nd Decade Celebration of ILP Movement', Imphal Free Press, 20 November 2017. {{ProQuest|1966053049}}
</ref>

The International Meitei Forum (IMF) was formed around the time the Union Government had reached peace agreements with the Naga and Kuki militant groups. The Naga groups were fighting for a 'Greater Nagaland', while the Kuki groups were demanding a Kuki state. Under the circumstances, IMF demanded representation of Meiteis in the dialogues. It also claimed the preservation of the "integrity of Manipur" as one of its objectives.<ref name="Telegraph 2012"/> By 2013, it was declaring an intention to launch a signature campaign against the Kuki tribes claiming to be one of the indigenous communities of Manipur.<ref>{{citation |first=Thongkholal |last=Haokip |title=Spurn Thy Neighbour: The Politics of Indigeneity in Manipur |journal=Studies in Indian Politics |volume=4 |number=2 |year=2016 |pages=178–190 |doi=10.1177/2321023016665526}}</ref>{{rp|p=178}} By 2015, its chief R. K. Rajendra Singh{{efn|His name is also often mentioned as "R. K. Rajendro".}} was asserting that Kukis were "foreigners", and was making, in the words of the Kuki Research Forum (of scholars), "incendiary, communal and exclusivist statements".<ref name="Kuki Research Forum 2015">
[http://e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=news_section.Press_Release.Press_Release_2015.Rejoinder_to_RK_Rajendro_President_International_Meitei_Forum_20150522 Rejoinder to R.K. Rajendro, President, International Meitei Forum], E-Pao.net, 21 May 2015.
</ref>

In 2006, it was reported that Sapamcha Jadumani, acting as the president of '''Federation of Regional Indigenous Societies''' (FREINDS), met the Manipur chief minister [[Okram Ibobi Singh]] to impress upon him the need for the introduction of [[Inner Line Permit]] in the state. It was claimed that 704,000 migrants had settled in the state of Manipur and they were able to play a decisive role in 15 assembly constituencies.<ref name="HT 2006">
NGO demands introduction of ILP in Manipur, The Hindustan Times, 6 July 2006. {{ProQuest|470973741}}
</ref>
“Outsiders are welcome for business. But they must not try to enter electoral politics by acquiring permanent residency,” he commented.<ref name="Statesman 2006">
Friends against migrants, The Statesman (India), 16 November 2006. {{ProQuest|284342994}}
</ref>
In 2012, his organisation was called Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit (JCILP), which is said to have launched a "relentless campaign" to force the state assembly to pass a resolution in favour of instituting the Inner Line Permit system. However, the Union Home Ministry is reported to have opposed the demand and asked the Manipur government to take effective steps to defuse the crisis.<ref name="IFP 2012">
MHA objects to ILP resolution, Imphal Free Press. 17 July 2012. {{ProQuest|1026551113}}
</ref>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:2017 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Meitei organisations]]

Federation of Haomee - Revision history

Serzohe at 15:56, 25 April 2026