The town of Churachandpur, in southern Manipur has the knack of being in the News for all the time for all the wrong reaons. The town and the district as a whole is inhabited by the Kuki-Chin-Mizo tribes who are quite close and related to each other socially, culturally and linguistically, and who are followers of the same faith. But ironically, at the same time it is also the only town and district in Manipur where '3 Independent Parallel Governments are running their own shows, and collecting their own taxes, and having their own sphere of influence and are of control. In their own area of control the Dikats issued by the Respective Parallel Governments is the last word and 'the law' on everything.

Churachandpur – The town and the District is a like a little World in itself, as it now comprised of different 'Sovereign and Independent Home-Lands'. In the Churachandpur district we have

1. The Kuki Homeland - Where the KNA & the KNF reigns supreme
2. Zogam - Where the ZRA Held sway
3. Hmar Ram - Where the HPC (D) calls the shots.

It may be apt to mention here that, these Homelands' or area of control of the different Parallel Governmets operating in the district, overlaps with one another. Hence the peaceful equation or situation in Churachandpur town and district could always go out of hand. Peace in this town is always held ' a hostage' by the numerous armed outfits

(Parallel Governments) which are operating in the region.

This was proved true on the 28th of March 2004, at Rengkai under Churachandpur Police Station. When a fierce gun-battle took place between the cadres of the Hmar People Convention (Democratic) and the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), which left 3 ZRA Cadres and 1 HPC (D) Cadre dead. Soon after this unforunate Incident, tensions starting running high, as Fear and Uncertainty casts its shadows over the residents of the Churachandpur town. And people stayed off the roads and the market places, shopkeepers down their shutters, and every activity in Churachandpur came to a standstill. People locked themselves up in their houses anticipating a bigger and bloodier confrontation between the HPC (D) and the ZRA.

The next day, on the 29th of March 2004, the ZRA proclaimed 'its side of the story' to the world and laid the whole blame on the HPC (D). The HPC (D) on their part did not react right away to the ZRA allegations, but instead maintained a dignified and a composed silence.

In the Statement issued by the ZRA on the 29 of March 2004. The ZRA claimed that the Individual, the Person one named David Lalsapmawi detained by them (ZRA) was an HPC (D) Cadre. And the reasons given by the ZRA for detaining him (David) in their custody was the charge that David had been extorting money in the name of PREPAK and the ZRA. The Statement went on to say that David was due to be handed over to the PREPAK that day 28 of March, but the detainee somehow managed to escape and fled for his life towards the Hmar Inhabited Village of Rengkai. The Press release made by the ZRA stated that a Group of ZRA Cadres, who went after David, were waylaid by the HPC (D) Cadres and that 3 of the ZRA Cadres at Rengkai were killed by the HPC (D) cadres in a true cold-blooded murder.

But Truth is always stranger than Fiction.

On that fateful day of March 28 2004, David Lalsapmawi who was in the custody of the ZRA managed to outsmart his captors and escaped from their cluthches, and rushed towards the Hmar Village of Rengkai. In a bid to recapture him or shoot him dead whatever was the better option, a search party of the ZRA cadres ran after David, indiscriminately firing their weapons all along. When the HPC (D) cadres who were on duty at Rengkai Village heard the gunshots, they ran towards direction of the 'indiscriminate firing' dutifully, as it was their duty to protect any Hmar Village from unlawful intrusion by other Armed Groups. The HPC (D) Cadres soon came upon armed ZRA Cades who were going after David Lalsapmawi.

When one of the HPC (D) Cadre Solomon Zohmingthang protested verbally against the presence of the armed ZRA cadres in a Hmar Village for reasons whatsoever, as it violated of the understanding' signed between the two outfits. The ZRA cadres shot Solomon dead right on the spot. The other HPC (D) cadres were shocked, surprised and angered by the ZRA cadres' 'barbaric reaction', turned their guns on the ZRA Cadres and fell three of them right away. The HPC (D) Cadres then snacted the arms from the three slained ZRA men. At the end of the shoot out 4 bodies lay in a pool of blood, 3 ZRA Cadres and one HPC (D). And Ironically March 28 2004, happens to be SUNDAY. Sunday Bloody Sunday it was!

The HPC (D) on the request of the Hmar Inpui (Hmar Supreme House) President

Mr. H.K. Joute and the HYA General Headquarters President Mr. Joseph D.Hmar returned the arms it had snatched from the deceased ZRA Cadres to the ZRA Leadership and not on the 'orders of the ZRA' as claimed by the ZRA in one of their press release. The Arms included one A.K Rifle, one US Carbine, and one 9mm Pistol. The Leaders of the two communities held frantic parleys, in order to work out an amicable solution and not to let the tension escalate between the two warring outfits and the 2 concerned communities as well.

But then the Unexpected Happened!

On the 31st of March 2004, at around 8:00 p.m. the Paite dominated ZRA attacked the Hmar inhabited Village of Rengkai. The ZRA cadres were armed with guns and bombs. And not only that in this attack on Rengkai Hmar Village, the ZRA had the full support of the Indian Reserved Battalion (the IRB). The IRB working in cahoot with the ZRA, launched a joint attack on the Rengkai Village. The HPC (D) and the Hmars Community were needless to say taken aback, as they have full faith in the ongoing talks between the two communities.

The HPC (D) on their part did not think that their old ally ZRA would go in for a full scale 'war' just because of the 28 March Incident which both outfits had acceppted was due to communication gaps between the two outfits. Only around 10 HPC (D) cadres were on duty at Rengkai Village when the combined force of ZRA & IRB launched its attack. The 10 HPC (D) cadres fought back bravely against the combined force of the ZRA & the IRB. The 2 HPC (D) cadres who lost their lives on the night ZRA & IRB joint assualt on Rengkai were shot dead not by the ZRA cadres as claimed, but by the IRB personnel. Even the Civilian who lost his life in the shoot out that fateful night of March 31st 2004, was one unlucky individual who was forced by the IRB to be their guide, to lead them to the HPC (D) hide out.

It's a real shame that the IRB personnel sided with one militant outfit against the other. The IRB personnel sided with the ZRA and worked in tandem with them, against the HPC (D). Maybe we cannot put the blame on the IRB Personnel, who knows they might have received 'direct orders' from their superiors to side with the ZRA. The 'Joint Attack' launched on Rengkai by the ZRA & IRB, angered the HPC (D) to no end. As the ZRA had shown by this attack, that it has no respect for the on going peace talks and parleys, being held by the leaders of the 2 communities. The ZRA attack on Rengkai rendered the whole peace process redudant and useless.

Whatever may be the case the HPC (D) patience had been tested no doubt. It was also at the risk of losing it's credibility in the eyes of it's own people – The Hmars. It had no choice but to redeem it's pride. It was only on the intervention and on the request of the Hmar Christian Leaders Forum (HCLF). And in the interest of the all the communities of the Churachandpur District and the town, that the HPC (D) decided not to apply Newton's Third Law of Motion " For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" against the ZRA.

The HPC (D)'s decision not to retaliate and avenge the ZRA attack on Rengkai Village, should not led one to interprete the HPC (D) as the weaker of the two outfits. Instead the HPC (D)'s decision and reaction to the ZRA attack and bloody assault on Rengkai, is more of a matured approach. The HPC (D) know too well that ' An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' approach will not adhere well to the two outfits and for the people of Churachandpur town and the district as a whole. The HPC (D) is no rookie in the art of guerilla warfare and tactics. As a matter of fact, the HPC (D) is a more senior player, a more experienced outfit when compared to the ZRA. But we are drawing no comparision here.

The HPC (D)'s town Commande - Guru Hmar, released a Press Statement on the 31st of March 2004 that the HPC (D) has no connection whatsoever with David Lalsapmawi as charged by the ZRA. The HPC (D) Town Commander stated in the strongest term's possible that David Lalsapmawi is not a cadre of the HPC (D) as claimed by the ZRA.

The Hmars are the most tolerant of all the Communities inhabiting the Churachandpur District. Even during the Paite/Kuki ethnic clash of 1997/98, the Paites have on a few occassions have over stepped their line and killed and slaughter members of the Hmar Community on the pretext of 'mistaken identity'. Even way back then, the Hmars Community never retaliated, and never raised their fingers against their Paite brethren. But instead forgave them for all the wrongs they have done in a true spirit of tolerance, mutual non-agression and brotherhood.

But unfortunately, the Hmar's tolerance has always been taken for granted, and interpreted as a sign of weakness and cowardness by other communities. The Dimasas in Assam N.C. Hills paid a real heavy price for fiddling and tampering with the Hmar's patience and toleranc last year. The Hmar's unleashed the floodgates of Hell on the Dimasas last year in Assam N.C. Hills.

One cannot rule out the involement of the Mizoram Zoramthanga's MNF Government in the widening rift between the HPC (D) and the ZRA. The Mizoram Government knows too well that the HPC (D) is regrouping, re-arming, in order to become a potent force to fight for the rights of the Hmar's in Mizoram who have always been looked down and scornced with contempt by the Mizoram Government irrespective of the party in power.

Zoramthanga's greatest fear is that the HPC (D) movement might succeed in fanning the fire of Hmarism or Hmar Nationalism in Mizoram. Since the Hmars are the majority of the Sub-Clans/Tribes that makes up the Mizo Nation. Hence, Zoramthanga wants to use the ZRA to counter the growing HPC (D) movement and influence. If the 'Fire of Hmarism or Hmar Nationalism' could be ignited especially among the 'Lushaiized Hmars' who forms a bulk of the Mizoram's Population, then Mizoram will be in flames, no doubt about it.

So for the sake of Peace and communal Harmony in Manipur's Southern Churachandpur's District. The ZRA should not fall a prey to the divisive policy of 'divide et impera' (divide and rule) hatched by the Mizoram Government. The architect for this divisive and dirty politcs is Mr. Zoramthanga. Moreoever the HPC (D) and the ZRA ideologies and policies are in no way contradicted to each other.

The Gun Culture of Churachandpur has not done the town and its residents any good. The numerous Churches that dotted the landscape of this town, stands as an institution which could do nothing about the blood letting between the various communities who propogate, practise and profess the same faith. The People of this town and district must come to the realization that by killing and slaughtering each other, they are not buying anyone's sympathies. But they are only inflicting irreparable damage on their own town and their own society, and also on the mindset of the young. The Manipur Government will be the least bothered even if communities in Churachandpur wipe each other out. And the Central Government and the Raw Operatives will be having the time of their life if that ever happens.

Instead of bickering, and killing each other over petty matters. The Communities of Churachandpur who are so close linguistically, socially and culturally should shed their differences, and fight hand in hand for their destiny and their future, and for a better world for their children. Issues that could not be solved right away should be kept in the backburner. Communalism is the greatest enemy and the biggest hurdle in Churachandpur's district. And all must work hard to eradicate this 'Chronic Evil', after all the Communities inhabiting this town close their prayers with 'AMEN'

There is no reason why the Communities in Ccpur district can be united and be one, if they all really try and believe, unity could be achieve, and once unity is achieved then peace will eventually follow.

Since a concret agreement has not been reached between the HPC (D) and the ZRA, the Residents of this town and district are restless and insecure. The Memories of the Kuki/Paite ethnic clash is still too fresh in the minds of the people, and all know too well the futility of meaningless killings and blood confrontation. Let us hope that the HPC (D) and the ZRA will sort and iron out their differences soon, so that a lasting and peaceful solution to this 'bloody and useless skirmish'. Because the people of Churachandpur will not gain even a penny from another ethnic clash or ego clash, whatever you prefer to call it. Even the warring oufits will not gain a thing from another needless confrontation.

The HPC (D), The ZRA, The KNA, The KNF and all the other outfits in the region should stop training their guns on each other. They should instead, pool in their resources, and should work together to strengthen the hands of I.P.R.A the umbrella organization which they all floated in unison. The People of this Town should try earnestly to regain the trust they have lost of each other. The Church Leaders should initiate and take active part in fostering the spirit of oneness between the various communities. And they should engage the people in confidence building measures and break down the narrow domesic walls that divides the people and bridge the widening gap between the various communities of Churachandpur district.

In the end, I would like to appeal to all the Armed Ouftits operating in the region to have a broader view of life, and to take their linguistic, social and cultural affinities into considerationn and to look upon one another as brothers in arms and not as enemies. And as children and worshippers of the same God, and as Soldiers of the Cross, they should forgive each other 70 times seven. And walk hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder to protect the town and all the ' Zo-hna- thlak' communities and inhabited areas from those miscreants and other forces who presented the town and the People of Churachandpur ' A Bloody New Year Gift' at the beginning of the year 2004.

It's high time we rise and rebuild our town and society. Others around us have been mocking and laughing at us and taking full advantage of our differences. I know many many people in Churachandpur cutting across communal lines would say 'AMEN' to that.

Rise Up Lamkaites / Zo –Hna- Thlak!!

Before its too late………