Koren's (Koireng) affinity with tribes inside and outside India

Pr Kungsong Wanbe *

Koireng :: An Ethnic Doll display at Mutua Museum Cultural Heritage Complex, Andro

First of all let me trace the origin of the name of Koireng tribe. British writer, John Shakespeare in 1913 referred to the Koirengs as Kolhen; even in the present time the Thadou/Kuki call the Koirengs Kolhen. G.A. Grierson referred to them as Kolren. Kolren, actually, is the original name of the tribe and Koren is the shortened form of Kolren.

In Koireng language, Kolren literally means men or people of the East. Kol means East and Ren means men or people. To the Koirengs Kol people may be taken to mean the Mongolian people of the South East Asia as the Koirengs frequently use terms like Kolmi = people of the East, Kolbu = food of the East, Kolsa = animal of the East. It is contended by the Koireng leaders that they are to be identified with the Karens of the upper Burma, now Myanmar. The Koms refer to the Koirengs as Karen.

Secondly, let me say something about the linguistic and cultural affinity that the Koirengs have with other tribes of Manipur and outside Manipur. There are many tribal communities in Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Mizoram which have linguistic and cultural affinity with the Koirengs.

Some of the tribes which have linguistic affinity with the Koirengs include Aimol, Chiru, Kom, Kharam, Purum, Puimei and some among Tangkhul villages such as Nambasi, Kumram, Ningchou, Kasom, Khampat Khullen, Nongman, Meiring, Khampi, Sorde, Sorathang etc in Manipur; the Chir tribe and the people of Khelma village in Nagaland; Churei, Biate, Sakechep and there are also some who are already absorbed in the tribal communities of Assam, the Pois/Pawis and Marah in Mizoram, the Hrangkhol, Ranglong, Darlong, Molsom etc in Tripura.

Thirdly, let me say something about some tribes outside India who have close linguistic and cultural affinity with the Koirengs. Dr. Donyaishel Hongsha, a research scholar of the department of History at Manipur University in a seminar paper entitled, Indigenous Customary and Traditional Dress Code and Ornaments of Uipo (Khoibu) Tribe on page 83 of 'A Short History of the Indigenous Communities of Kangleipak' Vol. X (Ten) mentions the Koirengs as a populous frontier tribe of Burma that are divided into Red Koren (Koreni) and Black Koren (Korennet) and White Koren. The classification into red, black and white is not based on the complexion or color of the bodily skin but this denote the use/wear of red, black and white colour of cloth/ shawl.

Another mention of the Korens of Myanmar was made in the journal Competition Success Review of April, 1993 on page 27, I quote, "We are here to let you know you are not forgotten." This was said by the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Costa Rican President, Mr. Oscar Arios, to members of the Koren minority during his group's visit to Mia Hla (on Thailand-Myanmar border) on February 18, 1987.

Fourthly, it is interesting to note that when some people from a tribe/community of Manipur presented a Shaipikhup and Khamtang dresses to Pr and Mrs Dennis Tidwell of U.S.A. Director and Co-ordinator respectively of Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) of the Seventh-Day Adventist mission who came to Manipur and visited Churachandpur on January 27, 1999, they declared Shaipikhup and Khamtang are dresses of Koren tribe of Burma and Thailand.

Pr Tidwell asked as to how some other tribes of Manipur in India were using the dresses? One retired IPS officer belonging to the particular community who presented the dresses to Pr and Mrs Tidwell answered and said, "Shaipikhup and Khamtang are traditional dresses that originally belong to the Koren (Koireng) tribe of Manipur in India. Pr Wanbe belongs to that tribe." I stood up and said, "Whether borrowed or original, whoever uses these dresses are my brothers and sisters."

Fifthly, although linguistically different, the Koirengs have close cultural affinity with Kabuis/Rongmeis and Meiteis. The eleven yearly festivals of Koirengs are ceremonies of paddy plantation and harvest. Rongmei festivals and ceremonies are also connected with the same farming occasions.

The Koireng's Keidun-kei and Rongmei's Lui-yai are festivals of tug-of-war of both tribes, sprinkling of wine (Yupan thaba in Meitei), chanting of sacrificial charms such as calling upon the spirit of paddy and sacrifice of a goat to pay obeisance to god Sorarel in a special occasion is practised by both tribes. To make fire rubbing together of ropes (Meiba Chingba in Meitei) etc and many other similarities exist which I do not mention in this article.

The history of the Koirengs points to their close cultural and traditional similarity with the Meiteis particularly their worship style. Like Sanamahi, a household god of the Meitei, Koirengs worship Inpathien, a household god (In means house, Pathien means God) who is worshipped for protection from sickness and for good harvest.

The worship of Inpathien can be done daily either by kneeling or bowing to the Chapikung post (Chapikung post is one main post of the house) inside the house without any offering. Koirengs have a belief in village presiding deities. Every village has a presiding deity who is the protector of the village. The village of Longa Koireng worship Pakhangba as their village presiding deity.

Thus, it is found that the Koireng villages worship a Meitei deity. For example, the Koireng villages in the eastern face of Koubru Mountain worship Koubru as their presiding deity. While the Koirengs were settled at Thangching (Thangjing) the Koirengs worshipped Eputhou Thangjing Koireng (Koren) lai.

In Koireng Eputhou Thangjing is called Nipu Thangching Koren Pathien. That is how it is claimed that god Thangjing, presiding deity of Moirang was originally a Koireng god.

Even today god Thangjing is referred to as Koireng lai, the god of Koireng (Koren). Koirengs have Kuthi (horoscope) which they use for predicting destiny. These are how Koirengs have affinity with people inside and outside India.