Land of jewel trapped under decades old conspiracies ?
- Part 2 -

Oinam Ajit Singh *

It is about narrating the truth, that has been manipulated by the Kuki intellectuals with fabricated stories which are exaggerated far beyond the truth. Most important ground reality is that, one can still find many abandoned houses, belonging to Kukis, still standing in perfect shape, still untouched, fully protected, in the heart of the city.

Not a single house belonging to innocent Meiteis, who have been residing in the foothills of Churachandpur and Moreh could be seen standing with perfect shape. Stabbing the dagger more deeper, to the wounds of the Meiteis, heavily armed Kuki militants along with large number of Kuki bodies, started attacking the foothill areas of Dolaithabi, Ekou and many adjoining Meitei villages, under Khundrak-pam Assembly Constituencies in Imphal East district, during the wee hours of 4th May.

Here too, the security forces or any paramilitary forces were not actively deployed to push back the attacks of the armed Kukis. The total free way given to the armed Kukis and the unsatisfying measures to save the lives and properties of the unarmed Meitei civilians, residing in the foothill areas has given another serious shape, to the turmoil.

Facing serious attacks after attacks, from the armed Kukis, openly challenging the tolerance of the Meiteis, who have been continuously falling prey to the unhealthy campaigns of the Kuki separatist leaders, to carve out a separate Kuki region. Now Meiteis too have started searching for an alternate arrangement to protect their ancestral land. With no moods to suffer more and started readying themselves to fight the illegal armed Kuki migrants.

Large angry mobs of Meiteis started thronging the nearby police stations, demanding weapons to fight the armed Kukis. Snatching of weapons from different police stations by angry mobs has started. Soon, State Govt started taking its best initiatives to stop the Meitei youths from taking up arms. Combing operations across the valley areas to recover snatched arms, started with full swing.

After many assurance from the state Govt. to let the authority function in proper rule, in bringing peaceful solutions to the issue, many arms have been handed over to the State police and recovering of snatched arms and ammunition from the Meitei public were on.

Armed Kuki militants suddenly started attacking Sugnu and Serou areas, during the late evening of 27th May and this went on till the wee hours of 28th May, just one day ahead of the visit of honourable Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The sudden unexpected attack in the said areas by heavily armed Kuki militants killed more than 7 Meiteis, more than 400 hundred Meitei houses were torched, forcing thousands of innocent Meiteis to leave their homes and run for their lives, leaving all the domestic animals and everything behind .

The attack was a complete shock to everyone in the areas, as leaders of both the communities, representing Meiteis and Kukis had reached an agreement, along with the villagers of both sides of the areas, to maintain peace in their respective areas. The said areas of Sugnu and Serou under Kakching district have never been effected due to the agreement made by both sides, despite the ongoing tension between the two community in different parts of the State.

The attacks of the armed Kukis on the innocent Meiteis in that areas one day before the visit of Union Home Minister, inflicted deep wounds on the Meiteis. It was a time when the situation was returning to some extent of hope for peace in the State, with not much alarming violence in the region for about 15 days.

Reports for involvement of illegal Kuki militants, who were seen wearing Lungis, while attacking Meitei villagers in Sugnu and Serou areas ignited more anger amongst the Meiteis. Timing is very important to avoid any form of manipulations and allegations by the Kuki intellectuals against the Meiteis, as attacking the Kukis. Intellectuals of Kukis, skipping all their attacking parts, sitting in the comfort zone far away from the ground realities started alleging the the very unarmed Meitei victims as attackers.

Mouthpiece of Kuki separatist leaders, Dr T mark Haokip, Dr Mangjahao Kipgen Prof IIT Guwahati, Dr KK Suan, HOD Hyderabad university and many other mouthpiece of the community started narrating one sided stories on different leading news channels of the country.

The Kuki intellectuals, have been blaming the Meiteis, since the outbreak of the communal clash, with serious charges of carrying out merciless attack on the Kukis, shamelessly defending all the proofs against them and normalising all the footages of brutal armed attacks by Kukis in Churachandpur and Moreh. Far away from ground realities, narrating one sided stories, will not change the truth.

Tuning in to the biggest reason why the majority Meiteis are not ready to compromise the present structures of the State in any form, is because the present State, has lost its actual ancestral boundaries, of the then kingdom of Manipur in many stages . Counting from during the British colonial period and till the nearest period as a Union Territory in 1952. The first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, gifted Kabaw valley to to the Burmese authority.

Here the loss of this land due to ignorance or due to the lack of well enlightened leaders in the State, during those early phase, has been widely condemned by the people of today. Moreover the demand of separate administration, by a community, which has been notoriously involved in many illegal activities, has made things worse.

Looking at the Kukis, more deeply, the first phase consisted of a few number of Kukis of around 500 to 600 Kukis from Burma. The few population of the so called new Kuki were brought in during the period of then Kingdom of Manipur, by the British after 1826, following their political interference in the Court of the then King of Manipur.

Making things more complex, various colonial writers brought in the terms of new Kukis and old Kukis. The very term New Kukis and old Kukis came late after the colonial intrusion in the region. Colonial writer Lt Col Shakespear, in his book, listed the new Kukis that consist of Chin Kuki Mizo groups. Smaller tribes such as Maring, Kom, Clothe, Aimol, Chiru, Anal, Kolhen, Lamkang, Purum Tikhup and Vaipheis , were listed as old Kukis in his book.

Another British writer, FK Lehman in his book, “The structure of Chin society” mentioned particularly the Thadou migration, who have been pushed out from the Chin hills of Burma by larger tribes, in the middle of 18th century. The records of pushing the tribes belonging to Kuki community from Burma by larger tribes, makes a clear indication of the very community, being displaced from their previous shelters, in Burma. Before the arrival of British the very identity of the so called new Kukis and old Kukis were not found, other than their original community name or tribes name.

Names and identity of any community being recognised in a created umbrella identity, bringing in different community under one name is not at all objected but the visible attempts to disturb and fabricate an entire demography of a region, culturally, traditionally and geographically based on created identity, which do not have any links to the soil since the rising of Manipur civilisations in the region, will always face strong resistance from the indigenous people of the State.

Looking at the current times too, Kuki community is always problematic anywhere they inhabit which is not a surprise. Kukis have problems with the Burmese Govt and they are still on the run in the country. Kukis fight with Dimasas in Assam. Kukis fight with the Government of Bangladesh. Kukis have experienced a bloody clash with the Nagas of Manipur, again now with the Meiteis in Manipur.

As per the existing available records of Myanmar Nationals, taking refuge in Churachandpur and Moreh, with no significant links of their ancestry before 1951, 1961, 1771, till 1995.

Continuing the practice of traditional jhum cultivations in the present hill areas by Kuki community is the biggest proof that the so called created umbrella community, were nomads in the ancient periods, as jhum cultivation requires a minimum gap of 10 to 20 years, for another turn of agricultural activities in the same patch of land in those ancient periods. Today the gap is reduced to 5 to 6 years of gap only due to many reasons of new technology and lack of space.

The aim to form a large population to challenge an entire demography of a region, through mass mobi- lising campaigns, to poison the many innocent youths of the Kuki tribes, against the State, is the main root cause for every problems in the present day. Theories to create confusion in the present boundaries, by Kuki intellectuals will only deteriorate the present situation.

One can always find actual recorded boundaries of the then kingdom of Manipur, through the recorded maps of cartographer, John Wyld, published in 1886 , after the Anglo Burmese war, where Ningthi river (Chindwin river) now in present day Myanmar , is drawn as the ancestral boundary between Kashay or Kathe (Meitei) and Burma. In a book written by Col GE Gerini “Researches on Ptolemy’s Geography of Eastern Asia” in this book too, Yazagyo located at present day Kabaw valley, is ancestral capital of Kashay/Kathe rulers (Meitei ).

To be continued...