NSCN (I-M) and Manipur

By H Bhuban Singh *

1. When mankind started life in this world, they lived in caves, since they did not know how to make houses, as shelters from rain and wild animals. They wore skins of animals to protect their shame. Still, they felt insecure as they were afraid of attacks by fellow human beings, who liked to steal girls and women, or even indulge in head-hunting. Thus, they lived in groups of families of uncles, aunties, cousins, nephews etc.

2. These groups of families became clans. Several clans got merged into sub-tribes. Then, sub-tribes got enlarged into tribes. Many tribes together became a sub-Nation. These sub-Nations together make a Nation. Indian Nation is a conglomerate of many sub-Nations.

3. The British Nation is also a union of English, Welsh, Scots, and Irish sub-Nations. The United States of America consisted of the English, Scots, Irish, Germans, Black , Native Indians, Eskimos, Spanish infiltrators from Mexico etc. All the Nations of the world are mixed.

4. Since human beings had to communicate, languages got developed. The English language has about a thousand words or more, as against Chiru language which has about two hundred words, only and also without a script. On the other hand, Meiteis have a script and a recorded history since 33 AD in the form of Cheitharol Kumbaba (Royal Chronicles). But, Meitei script and language cannot express everything due to lack of vocabulary. Often, we have to use English or Hindi words or Sanskrit to express ourselves. This is a fact of life, which we must agree.

5. The erstwhile Naga Hills District of Assam was inhabited by tribes known as Aos, Lothas, Semas etc and all of them spoke different dialects. Since Naga Hills was a district of Assam, the Babus were Assamese and Hindi-speaking peoples. Thus, a lingua franca in the then Naga Hills District got developed and this language was known as Nagamese. Nagamese is a strange mix of Assamese and Hindi.

6. Development of a script, existence of a written history and size and extent of influence (or area of conquest) determine the might of the nation. Viewed from the above points of view, there is no nation called Naga Nation. It was invented by the then Deputy Commissioner of Naga Hills District, Mr James Hutton in 1929 when Simon Commission came to Kohima and this Naga nation became a rebellious nation where Charles Pawsey, again another British DC at Kohima instigated AZ Phizo to declare Naga Independence on 14 August 1947. Thus, the Kohima Club of Simon Commission (1929) got transformed itself into a nation on 14 August 1947.

7. The simple and innocent Nagas were cajoled by Foreign Missionaries to spill over the Naga revolution to neigbouring Tuensang Forntier Tract of the erstwhile NEFA (North East Frontier Agency). So, a new district of Assam, known as Naga Hills and Tuensang district came into usage with blessings by GoI. So, when Naga Hills ultimately became a full-fledged state of India on 1st December 1963, Tuensang became a part of Nagaland. Here, please mark the choice of the Naga-homeland, which sounds like England, Scotland etc. A name like Nagapur, or Nagasthan, or Nagabad like Moradabad should have sounded Indian. Clearly, a foreign hand is discernible.

8. About three years ago, when Ex-M.P Mani Charanamei, NSCN (I-M)'s Man-Friday, in the Indian Parliament went to Ukhrul town and addressed a public meeting, he spoke in English, because he did not like to speak in Manipuri. The general public of Ukhrul, (Mr. Muivah's district) particularly old men and women, and the illiterate peoples, became restive since they did not understand English.

Mani Charanamei MP, who was a Conservator of Forest in Imphal, had perfect knowledge of Manipuri language, and he was thus compelled by circumstances to speak in Manipuri, that is Meiteilon, which became the official language in the Manipur State Assembly and in all Government offices of Manipur State as resolved by the State Assembly, when Yangmaso Shaiza, a Tangkhul was Chief Minister. So, I am wondering if Mr Thuingaleng Muivah will speak in Tangkhul language or in English or in Manipuri when he visits Tamenelong District or Churachandpur District or Sadar Hills District or even Senapati District, where the majority of the public are illiterate.

9. Incidentally, India is not a nation from the linguistic point of view. It is not even a Hindu nation, either. India is bound together by her culture and ethos and history. That way, no nation in the world is homogeneous, as stated earlier in para 3.

10. So, the State of Manipur is for Meiteis, for Tangkhuls, for Kabuis, for Muslims, for Kukis, for Mizos of Churachandpur District etc. The State belongs to all of us. Queen Nungselchaibi, the mother of Maharaja Garibniwas was a tribal Queen from a village near Maram. Haobam Meiteis belong to Kom tribal origin. General Kangabam Thangal Singh of 1891 Khongjom war fame was a tribal from Kangpokpi area, where his statue now stands.

Every year on 13 August, the hill tribal peoples observe Remembrance Day function with floral tributes, at that village near Kangpokpi. You can't stop it. But, you can say that Kangabams are now Meiteis just like Haobams are from their Kom tribal origin. Thangal's origin is also claimed by Chiru tribes of Thangal Surung village on the Bishnupur—Jiri road, known as Tongjei Maril about thirty kilometers from Bishenpur.

11. In whatever way we look at the history of Manipur, it is a fact that the erstwhile independent State of Manipur extended her domain upto Dhansari river in Nagaland and also upto Mandalay in Myanmar and up to Cachar District of Assam.

12. Recently, in Manipur, our peoples killed a good number of Biharis, who were barbers, cobblers, dhobis, labourers who used to lift 50 kg cement/rice/atta bags. They (the lawless peoples) also served notice to Biharis to leave Manipur by April 2010 end. There was a counter-threat by Naxalites and Maoists of Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand, that they would kill all Manipuris in their area of domain. Therefore, the peoples of Manipur will lose future medical doctors, engineers, lawyers, literature doctors, other bright students who will become pillars of Manipuri society in exchange of normal, uneducated Bihari workers. Please have a heart and consider the losses of Manipur in the exchange-killings if that happens. This type of communal killings must stop.

13. Mr Rishang Keishing, a Tangkhul from Ukhrul, the present M.P. (R.S.), was Chief Minister of Manipur five times, of course, with interruptions by President's Rule. Md. Alimuddin was the first Chief Minister of Manipur, when Statehood arrived on 21st January, 1972. At that time, the Muslim population of Manipur was just a little over 1.5% of the total population of our State. We were and are equal in all respects and we should continue to be so.

Meiteis, being the majority community in Manipur should be magnanimous. Look, India is ruled by a Sikh Prime Minister, though the Sikh community is only about 2.0 p.c. of India's population. Indian democracy is so nice that a Parsi (population about 2 lakhs only now), Sam Manekshaw was awarded the rank of Field Marshal (Five star General) and a Sikh Air Force Officer (still living) is Marshal of the Indian Air Force (five star Marshal) in the person of Arjan Singh.

14. Ethnically, Tangkhuls were elder brother of Meiteis. I had visited the residence of Hundung King of Tangkhuls, at Ukhrul. In his courtyard, I saw stone plaques which bore engravings of dates of visits of Maharaja Sir Churachand Singh, KCSI, CBE, and his son Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh and his grandson, Maharaja Okendra Singh.

15. Leirum, the traditional Tangkhul blanket is a must-item in the dowry of a Meitei bride including Meitei Brahmins, who were originally Mayangs (Indians) before Manipurisation. In the Lai-haraoba function (worship of sylvan deity) of Meiteis, the presence of a Tangkhul dancer or an imitation and also the presence of a Kabui dancer or an imitation are required. The Meiteis of Manipur had cultural, ethnic and traditional relations with tribal. These are historical facts, which have become cultural and historical traditions.

16. Mr Muivah and his NSCN(I-M) cohorts should not entertain thoughts of Greater Nagalim with a land area of 1,20,000 square kilometers, which will disturb peace in the entire NE India.

17. Mr Muivah may recall that tiny Naga Hills and Tuensang District of Assam had common border with Assam separated by Dhansari River with Nichu Ghat on the Naga Hills District side and Nijagarot on the Assam side. At the instigation of foreign Missionaries, the Naga rebels demanded a railhead. So, Dimapur-Manipur Road junction, of Assam was gifted away to provide a railway outlet for Nagaland. These are all British brain, Christian Missionaries.

I would like to suggest that all foreign missionaries must be banned and in their place, we can have Indian clerics for our churches. Manipur was granted Statehood on 21 Jan. 1972 only, after burning of buses, when Indira Gandhi addressed a public meeting at Imphal. The policy of Government of India to appease the obstinate Nagas at the expense of the obedient led to birth of Meitei insurgents from around early 1960. Now, GoI seems to be inching towards chaos and turmoil.

18. Even after grabbing all these land areas from Assam, the illusive peace remained a dream. So a Peace Mission was established in 1964 by GoI with Sarva Neta Jai Prakast Narayan as Chairman, and Bimal Chandra Chaliha, ex-Chief Minister of Assam and Rev Scott a British Missionary as members. Rev Scott was found spying against India. The then Government of India extradited Scott as persona—non-grata. I was a Major posted at Zhakhama and had a grandstand view from the pavilion. Scott should have been tried as a spy and punished. GoI always had psychological fear of hurting Anglo-American sensibilities.

19. Finally and very firmly also, I request Mr Thuingalen Muivah not to dream of an independent Nagalim. The holocaust of partition of India will visit NE India. Please read the book titled "Train to Amritsar" by Sardar Khuswant Singh, to enable you to experience mentally, the likely tragedy which we, the inhabitants of NE India will face because of NSCN(I-M) and Mr Muivah in particular. Another book by Kuldip Nayar and Khuswant Singh titled "The Tragedy of Punjab" relating to Khalistani rebels, is also worth reading by you, Mr Muivah. Human beings will behave like brutes once riot starts. Please remember. Manipur will simply burn.

20. Unnecessarily, you antagonised the Kukis, by killing several thousands of them. Now, the Kukis of Manipur have their own insurgent outfits. Even you, Sir, escaped death by the skin of your teeth from your rivals.

21. Earlier attempt in April or May 1947 by Prof C Campbell of University of Oxford to trifurcate India with a third Dominion called Christian Dominion, failed though his logic was that since India was to be partitioned on the basis of religion why not a Christian Dominion, which is being pursued by NSCN (I-M) now. Mr Muivah, Sir, please give-up violence and come to Manipur and we all, will welcome you, very fervently.