AZSU shares thoughts on Mt Koubru
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 04 2021: The All Zeliangrong Students' Union (Assam, Manipur & Nagaland) has appealed to the State Government to take timely action to prevent further escalation of the volatile situation in and around Mount Koubru.

A press release issued by AZSU said that every responsible citizen knows the significance of Mount Koubru and its deep rooted historical, cultural and religious connection with the indigenous people of Manipur.

Saying that comments of a group of people who migrated to the foothills of Mount Koubru just some few decades ago on this issue is not important, but the historical truth which cannot be tampered with, the AZSU reiterated that the sacred Mountain belongs to the indigenous people of Manipur.

Mount Koubru was originally called "Kabuilua", which means the habitat of Mithuns and it is an abode of Tingpurengsonang, the Earthly King-God, according to Zeliangrong dialect and legend, it narrated.

Continuing that the immigrant community is attempting to rename historical places, persons, etc.

to suit their ulterior agenda of presenting themselves as an indigenous people, the students union maintained that their futile attempt is nothing but a crime against human history.

For instance, they have been trying to give new names to the historic Mount Koubru as Simtongbung and to Thangjing as Thangting among others.

Such efforts of the immigrant community is very much unflattering, it added.

Maintaining that the epic story of Khamba-Thoibi and Kabui Salang Maiba having close association with the God of Thangjing is known by all, the AZSU stated that this classic story happened centuries before the arrival of this particular community.

According to Meitei mythology, Mount Koubru is the abode of Lord Lainingthou Koubru.

All these and more are established historical evidences to show that Mount Koubru, Thangjing peak, etc.

occupy a unique place in the history of the indigenous people of Manipur.

Therefore, nobody should try to tamper with such historical truth at any point of time, the student union reminded.

Ridiculing the claim that there is no Zeliangrong or any other indigenous people near Mount Koubru, the statement said that the Zeliangrongs, had since ancient time, guarded and preserved the abode of the Gods and spirits by preventing human habitation and foraging for livelihood through jhum cultivation and other economic activities in Zeliangrong inhabited areas in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.

Moreover, the State Government had also declared Mt Koubru as Reserved Forest, AZSU said and added that the Zeliangrongs have never ventured into the Reserved Forest area for habitation, deforestation or any economic pursuits to preserve the sanctity of the holy site.

Alleging that the recent 'illegal' settlers are destroying the pristine ecology of the sacred mountain by felling trees for habitation, poppy plantation and other illegal activities, the AZSU also blamed the successive State Governments for the sorry state of affairs at Mount Koubru and the surrounding foothills.

Despite declaring Mt Koubru as a Reserved Forest, the State Government had not taken any concrete measure to preserve and protect this area, it charged and maintained that the present Government, however, is taking up some sincere efforts to restore the pristine glory and sanctity of Mt Koubru.

Urging the Government to take up more stringent measures to save the historically and traditionally important natural heritage of Manipur, the AZSU asserted that illegal settlements, jhum cultivation, poppy plantation and any other activities that will disturb the flora and fauna of Mount Koubru should be stopped immediately.

If the authority concerned does not take adequate measures, it can prompt non-State actors to step in and this has the potential to snowball into a big ethnic conflict in Manipur, it cautioned.

Recalling that the then Zeliangrong National Liberation Front (ZNLF) cadres went to Mount Koubru and surrounding areas for operation to stop illegal activities and flush out the unwanted elements from this historic site, the AZSU claimed that immigrant community, on seeing the threat, conspired with the security forces and killed five ZNLF cadres in separate incidents in 2006.It cannot be ruled out that such things would not happen again in future.

If the authority concerned does not take adequate measures, more young people may be prompted to take up extreme measures to safeguard this historical site of the Zeliangrongs and other indigenous people, it said and appealed to the State Government to do the needful at the earliest.

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