The Kukis in Manipur
- Part 2 -

Lt Col M Ranjit Singh (Retd) *

During the reign of Maharaj Narsing (1843-1849) and Maharaj Chandrakirti (1850-1886), one of the old and formidable foes of Manipur was Sukhte tribes. In most Manipuri writings, this tribe was called as Akamhao simply because their Chief's name was Kamhow. They are from across the south of Manipur and to the east of Imphal/Manipur River. They use to make several raids upon Manipuri villages and even took possession of Mombi.

In 1877, around 2000 Sukhtes migrated en mass to Manipur. They were settled down in the lands assigned to them by Maharaj Chandrakirti in the neighbourhood of Moirang. The Maharaj of Manipur gave arms to the Kukis and settled them in Churachandpur to stop the raid of these Sukhtes before their subjugation.

The Kukis in the border of Manipur and Cachar but settled inside Manipur were under the suzerainty of the King of Manipur in 1850s. Two Kuki Chiefs from Manipur namely Kodungkai and Thoohell were apprehended and handed over by Manipur in 1852 to DC Cachar for attacking Koomlui, a Kuki village in Cachar.

The Kukis in Chassad area started migration to Manipur only after 1878. Colonel Johnstone, another ex-Political Agent in 1879 said that the Chassad Kukis mostly Haokips originally from southern Burma are one of the numerous Kuki tribes that was gradually pushing on towards the north-east from the country south of the Kabo Valley.

Once settled in large numbers, the Chassad Kukis started attacking the Tangkhuls and carrying off the people as slaves. One of the biggest helps given by the Manipur to the British Government was the relief of Kohima in 1879.

During the relief of Kohima by Manipuris, the army of Manipur as per the narrative of Sir James Johnstone included many Kuki soldiers. The presence of Kukis in Manipur, it shows, has been for sometime. The Meitei kings used the Kukis as irregular levies in their punitive measures against other tribes.

The former Meitei Kings used to arm the Kukis as a first line of defense against marauding outsiders, such as Burmese, Chins and Angamis. The Meitei Kings earlier on many occasions used to arm the Kukis and let them enter a recalcitrant village and find their reward in heads, loot and arson—the retribution of massacre and destruction.

The administration of hill areas of Manipur during the reign of kings and after annexation of Manipur by the British and just before the World War 1 was not very close, and the Kukis, ruled as they were by their own well-recognised Chiefs, and treated, as they had been in the past at any rate, by the Manipur State as allies almost as much as subjects, managed their own affairs in their own way and had recourse to the courts only in exceptional cases.

In conflict situations, the Kukis carry out massacre on a fairly large scale from deliberate 'frightfulness' adopting that method of cowing down the other side. The best example of such types of massacre had happened during the Kuki Rebellion in 1917-18 at Kashom, a Tangkhul village. They murdered 40 persons from that Village on the plea that the villagers had refused to give rice when demanded by them.

The Khullakpa's wife was presented with the severed head of her husband. The Kukis in large numbers use to settle at Lushai Hills, the present Mizoram State. They were driven out from there during the beginning of nineteenth century and settled at North Cachar Hills. They were known as the Old Kukis. Fifty years later another group known as the New Kuki also migrated from Lushai Hills to Cachar and North Cachar Hills.

The Lushais butchered 20 Kuki Chiefs then living with them in Lushai Hills (Mizoram), in revenge for the loss caused by the exodus of the new Kukis. The British armed some of the new Kukis and settled them in Cachar to fight against the Lushais. The British even raised a Kuki Levy of 40 Kukis.

The Levy under Mangjahu Kuki killed many mutineers from 34 Bengal Native Infantry at Cachar during the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857-58. Later this Kuki Levy was absorbed to 2nd Assam Rifles. In the book "Gazetteer of Manipur" written by Captain EW Dun and published in 1886, he mentioned the names of around thirty new Kuki villages in Churachandpur which was found by him during his survey.

The emigrants of these new Kuki villages mostly Simtes were all from Mizoram. Chengjapao Dongel, a Kuki Chief and a leader during the Kuki Rebellion was from Aishan in Naga Hills. He was thrown out from Naga Hills by Captain Wood, DC of Naga Hills in 1909 and settled in Manipur. After his release from detention after the Kuki Rebellion he was not allowed to settle in Naga Hills. Maharaj Churachand allowed him to settle in the Saikhul area.

The present Kuki invested areas of Saikhul was expanded during his lifetime. In a resolution passed by Manipur State Darbar on May 13, 1917, William Pettigrew was given a temporary permission to start a school and a Church in the present Kangpokpi area. Since the Kangpokpi village did not exist then, the allotment letter says the allotment was in general area of Lam No. 5.

A Survey of India map of general areas of Kangpokpi area published in 1930s had only Songyangjang as the existing village in that area. The name of Kangpokpi does not exist in that map. The Census Report of Manipur of 1951 records the existence of 13 houses and a population of 64 in Kangpokpi area.

One can imagine the numbers of migrants both legal and illegal who must have settled in that area since 1950s. A post in the social media regarding influx of large numbers of Kuki refugees from Burma to Kongan area in Ukhrul during 1968 went viral just at the start of present crisis in Manipur. No further research could be done on this viral message due to ongoing uncertainties in Manipur.

It can be seen from the above account that large numbers of Kukis have settled in Manipur since long time. They are Manipuri Kukis. But there are many more illegal Kuki settlers in Manipur who have never applied for permission to settle in Manipur.

They must apply for permission and obtain from the competent authorities and should settle on sites specially assigned to them for the purpose. Those persons not having permission should be sent back to their original country.

Before I conclude my article, I must add a point concerning the present conflict going on in Manipur. The present conflict created by the Kukis in Manipur are similar to the Kuki Rebellion of 1918-19. The rebellion then started with much bravado and high hope had fizzled out in short time.

All the leading Kuki leaders were either killed or apprehended. Failed in their mission, they then put the entire blame for the start of their so called rebellion on Chingakham Sanajaoba, a Meitei.

Likewise when the present chaos created by them cannot sustain for a long time as they wanted, they would point finger to someone and blame him for the start of present conflict. The most likely candidate for their blame game will be the present Chief Minister of Mizoram.

Concluded ..