Who are the Indigenous People of Manipur ?
- Part 6 -
Dr. Khomdon Lisam *
The Standing Order of the by Captain Harvey and TA Sharp
Captain Harvey , President of the Manipur State Darbar issued a Standing order
No, 9th September 1933 declaring that " Kuki village having 20 household shall pay house taxof Rs. 6 per annum".
T.A Sharp, President of the Manipur State Darbar issued a Standing order declaring that " Kukis in the Naga areas in Manipur are Aliens and Refugees".
Standing Order of President of the Manipur State Darbar No. 2 of 23rd July, 1941 declared that " the Kukis shall obtain prior permission from the Chief of the Naga Village for settlement and pay house tax to the Naga Chief."
The Government of India vide Memo no. P3/9/66 of Finance Ministry of Home Affaires (GOI) had agreed to the requisition of R. Suisa to grant the Kuki relieve fund or refugee fund under Memo and payment was made to the Kukis by the State Government of Manipur vide Memo No. 01/R/RFL in three instalment
Part-I
Order No. 11 of 18th August, 1931-Read " The Kukis shall not be issued fire arms because of savagery nature against the Nagas".
Part-II
Declared that " they shall be granted firearms on loan for protection against wild animals."
Order No, 9th September 1933 declare that " Kuki village having 20 household shall pay house taxof Rs. 6 per annum"
Standing Order of the President of the Manipur State Darbar issued by T.A.Sharp in his order reads " Kukis in the Naga areas in Manipur are Aliens and Refugees"
Standing Order of of the PMSD (President of the Manipur State Darbar ) No. 2 of 23 th July, 1941 declared that " the Kukis shall obtain prior permission from the Chief of the Naga Village for settlement and pay house tax to the Naga Chief."
Note: The GOI ( Government of India agreed to the requisition of R. Suisa ( an eminent Naga leader) to grant the Kuki relieve fund or refugee fund under Memo P3/9/66 of Finance Ministry of Home Affaires (GOI) and payment made to the Kukis by the State Government of Manipur vide Memo No. 01/R/RFL
First Payment : 22/4/1957
2nd payment : 7/7/1959
3rd payment : 28/2/1966
On 22 January, 2013, Shri N, Biren Singh said " Kuki State Demand is legitimate or not ? Who are they? From where they come ? Are the Kukis the indigenous people of Manipur like Meiteis and Haos? Where was this tribe before British came to Manipur For me no no ---at any cost."
The Secretary Information & Publicity , Thadou Students Association issued a press note vide TSA/GMQ/2018/MR/03 dated 21 October , 2018 saying that the construction and the plan to establish a colony of valley people in the said hill tribal land to stop immediately and the land be handed back to the rightfultraditional land owners as such activity hurting the sentiment of tribal land owner community is potential of causing a communal flare up
It is also mentioned in the previous chapters that a large sections of Asem and nonthonbam families are Anals. A pretty large groups of Meetei Mangsatabam, Leitanthem, Soibam, Sanasam and Nontholbam families are Tangkhuls. Many of Khwairakpam, Nameirakpam and Seram families are Tingsang, A big number of Soibam, Akoijam, Puyam Nongtholbam and Wahengbam families in the Meetei Salais are Marings.
Many of Moirangthem and Haobam Families in different Meetei Salais are Kubuis. Different groups and sections of Meinam, Thongram, Chanambam and Khumijam Meetei families are Chingsang Haos. A large percentage of Waribam, Sagoltabam, yumkhaibam, Soibam families of Meetei Salais are coming from Hao-Chong, Nongchup, Nungkot and Mongyam tribals. A large section of Singkam meetei familiesn are taraos. A large section of Meetei Nongtholbam Yumnak are coming from Purum tribe.
On the other hand, hundreds of the Kha- Ngamba Salai went to North eastern Hills and inhabited there as Tangkhul. In the same way, a number of Khuman Salai Meeteis became Marings and Chingtais. Many others of Luwang Salai went to Thangal Hills, Phunal hills became Thangals, Lokhus and Marings. A Section of Sarang Leisangthem Salai had been converted to Kabui group. Therefore Meeteis are originally tribes and should remain as tribes among these indigenous tribes. As mentioned in the previous chapters, different section of Luwang Salai had been converted to different tribes of Kangleipak like Lampui, Kasom, and Leisan.
The loyal Kukis should be very careful so that they may not be trapped in such instigation which may lead to bloodshed.
The immigrant Kukis will suffer maximum without any friends to give their blood relations Tangkhul, Kabui and many other Hill people for the integration of Manipur. We need to read and study books like Puya of " LeihouLaifamloi" which clearly wrote the blood relationship among Meitei and Chingmis ( Hill people ), And thus during the seven years Devastation 1819-1826- three lakhs Meiteis were killed in 1820 and another three lakhs were killed in 1821 (Cheitharoikumpaba pages 216 and 217 - 2005 publication).
Another about two lakhs fled and migrated to other countries. As mentioned above out of total population of 2,21,070 the number of Meitei and Meitei Pangans were 1,35,782. The Kukis whose population was only 8,180 just before the 7 years devastation is now more than 7,50,000. This means 91.7 times increase of population whereas the combined population of Meiteis, Meitei Pangans and all other tribals have been increased only by 10.2 times till date.
Even if the migrated kukis in 1881 were taken together with the old kukis, the Kuki population increase is 30 times till date. Question is the what the government is doing and the so called underground groups are thinking! Are the Meiteis big brothers, big fools, big cowards or big clowns?
Now the government should openly publish the census report showing the tribe wise population of the 2011 census where the population of Manipur has reached 27,21,756. People need to know the population of Non-Manipuri. The Meiteis, Meitei Pangans, Kukis and all other tribals. The people should be aware of such dangerous demographic change particularly due to the influx of Kukis from Myanmar. The land holding of Meiteis is only 4.5% of the whole motherland of indigenous Meiteis.
Is Meitei Leibak (Manipur) reserve landed properly of immigrants, homelands and greater lands and for all immigrants who demanded lands? We are targeting on the Kuki problems, for the valid reason that the solving of this migration problem endangering the indigenous people should be solved as an exemplary lesson. The census report of few years are reproduced hereunder for your mental analysis and logical deduction:-
To be continued .....
* Dr. Khomdon Lisam wrote this article for e-pao.net
The writer is MBBS, MHA(AIIMS), M.A (Leeds/UK), HSMC( IHF/London), CCAE( Chula/Bangkok) PDCE (UCLA/USA)
Former Medical Superintendent , JNIMS, Ex-Consultant, NACO, Ex-Project Director (MACS)
The writer can be reached at khomdon(DOT)lisam(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
This article was webcasted on January 13, 2020
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