International Meitei Forum states stand : A Rejoinder

5th June, 2015

( This is a Rejoinder to Kuki Research Forum - webcasted on 21 May 2015 )

D/Descendants of immigrants,

1. I.M.F. is pleased to reply to the three gentlemen representing New Kukis according to your own division on the basis of your arrival in Manipur, namely Prof. T.T. Haokip (NEHU) President, Dr. Jangkhongam Dongel (MZU) Vice President, Dr. Thangkholal Haokip (JNU) Gen. Secretary. Hope no one of you are enjoying double citizenship of both Manipur and Myanmar and triple or quadruple voting rights of Hill and valley of Manipur, Assam, Tripura, etc. as many other Kukis are enjoying. Particularly IMF is also glad to reply to Dr. Thathang Vaipei (MU) Jt. Secretary who belongs to old Kuki clan who’s forefathers migrated in Manipur during the reign of Maharaj Gambhir Singh (1825-1835 AD) at least 15 to 20 years earlier to other immigrants thus deserving them to be called old Kuki. Your grand celebration in memory of your migration and settle in Manipur during the reign of Gambhir Singh as published by the Vaipies in the local News papers were read with delight by the people of Manipur. Earlier many Meiteis did not know that Vaipies are also Kukis.

Meiteis and Nagas are indigenous people of Manipur

2. Many historians did not agree that Anal, Chiru, Chothe, Koirao, Koireng, Kom, Lamsang etc. are Kukis. They were never known as Kukis and also they themselves never agree to be Kuki. Anal and Chiru are furious if they are called Kuki. It is sinister aim of Kuki Nation in the making, that they wanted to amalgamate many non-Kuki tribes as Kukis imitating the Naga Nation in the making, whereas the Nagas are indigenous people of Manipur and surrounding areas like the Meiteis. More than 80% of these two are of the same blood. Before I write further details about this historical recorded facts, let us see about the immigrant Kukis. The name Kuki was first heard of in Manipur between 1830 to 1840 A.D. The reign of Maharaj Nara Singh 1844-185 AD may be remembered for the arrival and settlement of Kukis in Manipur. They fled and arrieved in Manipur as they were driven northwards by related but more powerful tribes and also the enemies in Mayanmar.

3. Settling down of Immigrant Kukis (Foreigners)

Colonel Me. Cullock was then political Agent in Manipur. The reigning King Nara Singh entrusted to him the work of settling the Kuki immigrants in Manipur. Historian RK Jhalajit Singh Padmashri also gave the same information as written by Maj-General Sir James Johnstone in his book “Manipur and Naga Hills” Page 45. He wrote “The new immigrants began to cause anxiety about the year 1845 and soon poured into the hill tract of Manipur in such members, as to drive away many older inhabitants” However under the British protection Me. Cullock settled them down allotting to them lands in different places with the permission and blessings of the Maharaj. Me. Cullock felt that the Kuki presence in the exposed front of Manipur will be useful when the Kukis have become enemy of Burma and when the French and Portuguese influence in Burma was strong against the British interest in Burma and for Manipur also, Manipur was extremely weak after 7 years devastation, the effect of which is still lingering as renewed danger. Some Kukis were made irregular troop, others were told off to carry loads according to the custom of the state. The Maharaj also gave them permission to settle and later three (3) SADAR (Selected Area Development Administrative Regions) circles were established particularly for Kuki population.

Churachandpur was SADAR Circle No. 3 Not only for Kuki Settlement, SADAR Bazar (Now Paona Bazar) and Maxual Bazar (Now Thangal Bazar) were established for the people.

SADAR HILL

3.1 However, regarding SADAR Hill, this epithet Hill added on Sadar had been a suspicious matter to accommodate more and more Kuki immigrants in future for their homeland plan. Whenever suspicion on SADAR Hills comes up people always talk of Thangkhopao Kipgen one time Secretary during British rule.

4. Maharaja Churachand and Churachandpur.

When Nara Singh become king he wanted to rebuilt Meiteis Nation and populate the country with people. This was the main reason that the Kukis were given land to become loyal subject of Manipur and repulse any attack by the common enemy Burmese. Even after 50 to 70 years his grand son Sir, Churachand Maharaj KCSI, CBE continued the process of populating the State and established the biggest District of Manipur, namely Churachandpur in his name. There were hardly 20 to 30 small villages scattered in remote places. When the king put his all out efforts to populate the district with people there was a great cholera epidemic in Churachandpur and most of the people deserted their villages for far off places. One chief-Zelhang did not leave his village and promised the Maharaj that he would never leave the village established by the Maharaj even if the died. King Churachand was so happy that Zelhang was honoured with (KHAMENCHATPA) dress and he was given the privilege to meet anybody including the king at any time and at any place. When we were small boys we saw Ipu (grand-uncle) Zelhang coming at Yaiskul very often in his Khamenchatpa dress to meet his Meitei friends, Th Vaskar and Yendrembam Angou etc.

4.1 During the rule of Bodhachandra Maharaj son of Churachand the number of villages of in Churachandpur was 174 under 173 Chiefs when Churachandpur was SADAR circle No. 3. The king Bodhachandra and the people were jubilant The king declared it on 18 Oct 1948 in Kangla Darbar and signed by the Chiefs of the villages. The list of the villages in New Churachandpur and names of the Chiefs are also available with president IMF.

IMF is Pro-Tribal

4.2 Reference Para 1 and 2 of your rejoinder, International Meitei Forum and the President RK Rajendra are never Anti-Tribal rather they have been pro-Tribals of Manipur right from the beginning. Kukis are tribals of other countries like Mayanmar (Burma) Arakan, Bangla Desh etc. They settle in Assam, Tripura, Meghalay and other areas of North East as they did in Manipur. They have been nomadic and immigrants who have been creating problems at the place where they have taken shelter. I.M.F. had been pioneer declaring the whole of Manipur as Hill State and Tribal state under uniform law and adviser of Tribal (States) Demand Committee of Meiteis to be tribe along with their same blood brothers and so how we can be Anti-Tribal.

4.3 Surely, RK Rajendra Singh is anti-immigrant foreigners who are now demanding more than 70% area of Kangleipak (Manipur) by way of Area Domination, harbouring and inviting Kukis from Myanmar and surrounding areas of Manipur with the sinister aim of Population Domination by big Demographic change.

4.4 The memory is still fresh in my mind, that sometimes in the middle of 1970-80 a map with Imphal Penetration Plan (IPP) Valley Penetration Plan (VPP) Hill Domination Plan (HDP) were made by few of the Kukis having surnames similar to your surnames. The plan was leaked out from Imphal Central Jail when it was in the 1st MR area. It was then followed by Kuki settlement, even in Palace areas, spreading upto Minuthong and beyond, Chingmeirong area War Cemetery areas, now Lamphel, Langol and all over Manipur, thus increasing much more than thousand (1000) Kuki villages in Manipur.

4.5 The new kingdom of Manipur after Yandabu Treaty Feb. 24, 1826 and even after 50 years of 7 years Devastation, according to the census in the year 1881, Manipur had only total population of 2,21,070. The Kuki population was only 8,180, less than Kabui population of 8476. But during and after 7 years devastation 17,204 Kukis migrated in Manipur, and they were named as New Kukis.

In spite of the large influx of migrated New Kuki-Chin people, even during the rule of Maharaja Charachand Singh there were hardly 400 small and big Kuki villages in Manipur including 20 to 30 villages in Churachandpur. Factual Figure -HuyenNews Service 14th Aug. 2012.

District Villages increased from 1961 to 2011.

5. Reference Para 1 of your rejoinder you said Meitei UG planted landmines in Kuki Territory. There is no Kuki territory or Kuki Homeland as such in Manipur. At the most you can say civilian area, Kuki area or Meitei Leikai or Bazar area. You should know that it was KRF who invited Patsoi Meitei to kill Kuki due to the cold blooded killing of two innocent teen aged Meitei boys of Patsoi. Do you think that you condemned the KRA and it should be end of the matter and the parents and relatives of the boys should remain calm appreciating the Kukis who condemned the KRF. Wonderful idea! You all will be very successful in your Research Work.

5.1 You mean to say that area domination by Kukis, demographic change by influx of Kukis, harbouring and inviting Kukis to dominate by Kuki population, threatening and killing indigenous Meiteis are separate issues forcibly connected by the president IMF. Is marriage of men and women and child birth by these couples are unconnected and totally different issues. That is the reason that you published this map of Kuki Homeland as if “Manipur is your world and History of Manipur begins with Kuki”. Are you like Ying Cheng who said “history of China begins with me”.

5.2 Why you changed the name of Kangpokpi, by beating the Meitei drivers, burning the vehicle and threaten to kill if Kangpokpi is written on the vehicles? When Kuki/Mizo burnt houses and school of Meitei Lengdaba Khul and driven out all the Meiteis from Kangpokpi. How dare you demand the change of the name of Thangjing of Moirang as Thangting. Why you constructed road on the Patta Paddy field of M. Mohendra Singh of Tera Khongsangbi, Moirang. These are only from instances out of thousands. Why you tried to stop cremation, threaten to kill and severely bashed up one S. Kula Singh for not vacating the crematorium.

6. Reference Para 2 of rejoinder, am I the only person who call the Kukis foreigner in Manipur? Let us have a glance at what others wrote who directly dealt with the administration of these areas, the migration and settling of Kukis in many places, their nomadic nature, customs and tradition. Please see if anybody said that Kukis are indigenous settlers of Manipur except your own funny concocted and fake fables.

(a) Captain Leneen (1870 : 130) said that on the Chittagong side the Kukis were described as : -

... men who live far in the interior parts of the hills, and have not the use of fire arms, and whose bodies go unclothed.

(b) Col Dalton (1872 : 44) Commissioner - said that the Kukis were first known from an article which appeared in the Asiatic Researcher’s journal, Volume VII, 1799.

(c) Hutton (1928 : 24) - said that the origin of the word Kuki is not known “but it first appeared in ‘Bengal’ in the Asiatic Researcher journal, Vol. II, 1872.

(d) Maj. Gen. Sir Johnstone the then Political Agent, Manipur observed -

Kukis are wandering race consisting of several tribes who have long been walking up from the south. They were first heard of as Kukis in Manipur between 1830 to 1840.

(e) Maj. Gen Johnstone (1871 : 25) said

The Kukis were now immigrants, were believed to have caused a great deal of anxiety about the year 1845, and soon poured into the hill tracts in such number as to drive away many of the older inhabitants.

(f) If you are intellectuals you are requested to be honest and agree that you are immigrants. All the right thinking persons, Meiteis and Naga Intellectuals have been supporting me.

7. Kuki Research Forum

I am pleased to learn that you are writing on behalf of the Kuki Research Forum, so I as an experienced person with all practical knowledge and action on the ground would like to advise you that don’t do research to justify all concocted stories by concealing material facts and true stories. I further advise you to brush up your knowledge about the History of Manipur with honesty where you have been given shelter, instead of illegal attempts to distort the History of this ancient country which was once a powerful country in South East Asia.

7.1 Your concocted history of Pakhangba and Taothingmang distorting the history of the longest Royal linage of more than 2000 years in Manipur, will take you to supreme court. You may eagerly wait for that. In the mean time you try to find out who are Sendreng and Yaibirok, and who are Khuyoi Tompok and Nongmoi Ahongbi?