Tracing the origin of the Naga movement and what is now?

Wangkhemcha Chingtamlen *

Building the concept of the 'Naga'—
Before entering to the tricky problem of the Naga movement, let us know what is the root of the concept of the 'Naga' and which we generally take as a group of fine people without knowing its historical roots.

"The tribal name of the Angami Naga is 'Tengima'. Naga is a name given by the inhabitants of the plains, and in the Assamese language means 'naked'. "– Page 33 of the 'Manipur and the Naga hills' by Sir James Johnstone.

"1. Nanga (Hindustani) meaning: Naked... 5. Nagalogoi (Greek) meaning: The realm of the naked... 9. Nangta (Bengali) meaning: Naked."
–Page 5, 'The Naga Rapport' by Richard Haleng, Dimapur

"List of villages, Eastern Naga, and population:
Tablungs - Namsang, Tablungs Nangta , ...... , Ching Phoee or Chongir
Jaktungs - Jaktung ..... Seyong
Poilung - Molungs ... Naogaon
Total–25000
–Page 207, 208 of the 'North East Frontier of India' by St. John F. Michell.

There are 25 villages inhabited by 25,000 Nagas in the North East Frontier of India as enumerated by the writer, Mr. Michell. These books written by the Englishmen are of 19th Century, except the book of Mr. Richard Haleng of Dimapur. From these Tribes, their status of civilization, their ways of lives, etc, these peoples got name of 'Naga' originally. There may be other tribes also seen by the plains peoples.

In the Kumbha Mela, many naked male persons who are said to be Devotees of God came out for 'Ganga Snan' etc. They are also called by the plains peoples as 'Naga Sadhu', 'Naga baba'. In 'The Naga Rapport', Mr. Richard Haleng claims 50 tribes in the contiguous areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland including 23 tribes in the western part of present Myanmar country as Nagas (Please see page 3,4 of 'The Naga Rapport' by Richard Haleng) to whom the name 'Naga' has ben extended. The 50 tribes of the Nagas include Kabui, Kharam, Koireng, Tangkhul etc etc of Kangleipak (Manipur).

"Linguistically, they have mutually unintelligible dialects from tribe to tribe" (page 1 of the Naga Rapport) These 50 tribes, having no common dialect, no common origin etc, the present Naga Peoples of the Nagaland claims to be one Naga race. The error, of the thinking process and the conclusion, is apparent from the fact that no unitary origin, no unitary tradition of having a common area of governance, so to say, no common history of these so called Naga peoples, are discovered and discerned upto this day. As there is no unity of origin, tradition etc, there is no common feeling of oneness at the time of any crisis.

The people of India including the Naga peoples saw the Meetei Race in action, an essential element of a Race in the recent Muivah Crisis, from the fact that the Meetei peoples of the of west of Manipur and North of Nagaland's automatic unity and response to the SoS of the Imphal valley Meeties. But for the so called Naga peoples, the NSCN (K), one of the strong groups of the Naga outfits stood firmly against Muivah, everybody saw it.

These so called Nagas of Manipur in the surrounding hills of Manipur are not Nagas, but nearest kins of the Present Meetei Race. "All tribes have also traditions amongst themselves that Munniporees are offshoots from them" – Page 6, 'The Meitheis' by T.C. Hodson. "Should it be a correct view that the valley of Munnipore was at no distant period almost covered entirely by water, the origin of the munniporees from the surrounding hill tribes is the proper and only conclusion to be arrived at." – Page 7 of the same book of TC Hodson. "The surrounding hill tribes assert that they are the Progenitors of the Manipuri Race."–Page 20, Linguistic Survery of India, Vol III part III. Further, amongst the tribes of Mr Michell, no tribe of the Past and Present Manipur are seen and no village of the Past and Present Manipur are seen too.

The following quotations from the book "People of Manipur, Anthropogenetic Study of Four Manipur Population Groups" by Dr. Rama Chakravartti (1986) may please be seen:
1. Palm Prints – "The three Manipuri Nagas (both sexes) follow the same model type like that of the Meitei males."–Page 79, 80. Please take the three Manipuri Nagas are Kabui, Tangkhul and the Mao Nagas.

2.Blood group– "R1" gene appears to occur in the highest frequencies in all the four studied groups, 'R2' gene occur in second highest frequency. Among the Kabuis the gene `Rz' is absent while among the Tangkhuls and Meiteis, this gene occur in equal frequencies."– page 95

3."The Kabui follow the valley population while the Tangkhuls present A>O>B. This pattern is however, not observed with any other Naga groups from Nagaland. All Naga groups follow the pattern of the Meiteis." – Page 96

4."The close similarity in ABO blood group between the Tangkhul Nagas and the Meitei is gain confirmed indicating the ethnic homogeneity between these two groups" – Page 99.

The above recent scientific findings of Dr Rama Chakravartti categorically prove the Ethnic Homogeniety of the Meetei (Meitei) Race with all Naga groups, including those of the Nagaland, while showing a little difference from the Naga groups of the Nagaland.

Lastly, please see what the Meetei Puya, Scripture says:
"Talang Paopu Pinapa,
Epungloiki Yathangna Oikhipa Malemna Laiyamsingna Halaole,
Eepungloina Halaole;
Yaiphapaki Matikpu Laiyamsingna Penchale;
Asum Touna Loipi Chingki
Chingtonta Mapham Mapham Yengtuna
Tuka Waka Patuna Nungai Thoina Pankhale."

The Meetei Puya further says that a group of Salai peoples (Sons and daughters of Ipu Athoupa Konchin Tukthapa Pakhangpa) went up the high hills surrounding the Imphal valley making Hou Hou sounds in the later history of Meetei Race. This Meetei group who went up the high hills are amongst the Naga groups of Kangleipak and most possible indications are that they may be amongst the Kabui and Tangkhul groups.

These are clear statements of the Puya scripture telling you that a group of peoples called 'Lai' inhabited the Koubru mountain ranges of Kangleipak, and the so called Nagas of present time and the Meetei race are the descedants of these 'Lai' peoples. In later history, a group of the Lai peoples, coming down to the Imphal valley some times in 180 centuries B.C., became the Meetei Race, and a group of the Meetei race peoples also went up the surrounding high hills of Kangleipak in the later history of Kangleipak.

Birth of the Naga movement:
"... The Naga had no religion; that they were highly intelligent and capable of receiving civilization; that with it they would want a religion, and that we might just as well give them our own, make them in that way a source of strength, by thus mutually attaching them to us"–Page 43, 'Manipur and the Naga Hills' by Sir James Johnstone. "... a large population of Christian hillmen between Assam and Burma, would be a valuable prop to the state. Properly taught and judiciously handled, the Angamis would have made a fine manly set of Christians, of a type superior to most Indian native converts, and probably devoted to our rule." –Page 44 of the same book of Johnstone.

This is the beginning and birth of the present Naga movement. This conspiracy of the British Colonial Power, for a permanent base in the Asiatic continent between two sleeping giants, for destablization of the continent, was born in the 19th century. The words "between Assam and Burma" may be changed to "between India and China" now in the present global context. Following this conspiracy and birth of the Naga movement, the British colonial power in India tried seriously to develop a Naga entity which was entirely non-existant that time.

From the introduction of 'Inner Line Regulations' for checking influx of businessmen into the Naga areas in 1873, to the Declaration of the 'Naga Hills Excluded Area' administered in dicretion by the Governor of the British-India Empire as a political Agent of the British Crown in 1937, the Colonialist British had done enough to help this conglomeration of "Linguistically, they have mutually unintelligible dialects" tribal peoples of very different origins to develop a separate 'Naga Entity' entirely different from the surrounding peoples of common origin.

But this mission of the Europeans is a complete failure. The writer has given an example of complete failure above to the fact that of the Mr Muivah's last attempt to have a 'South Nagaland' in Manipur in his hand, the NSCN (K), one of the very strong outfits of Naga underground organisations in the North East of India, comes openly against Mr Muivah and his group NSCN (IM). Further, the Naga Hoho expresses the organisation's total disapproval of Mr. Muivah's move for a 'South Nagaland' in Manipur.

The Naga Hoho's president Mr Kevileto Kebiho expressed at Kohima that the economic blockade at NH 39 and 53 in Manipur will not be withdrawn, along with it the President 'appealed' to Mr Muivah 'to withdraw from Viswema village, a present Nagaland village, along with his armed cadres. The 'appeal' is a soft word, but in the present juncture of a 'South Nagaland' of Mr Muivah, it is a 'complete disapproval' of Mr Muivah in his move to impress him 'what Mr Muivah has done more harm to the Naga peoples than to bring unity amongst the Naga peoples'. This 'appeal' should be noted seriously by the 'Kacha Naga' of Manipur for future guidance. This is a warning to Mr Muivah to vacate Nagaland.

These are not all. When the NSCN (IM) began a War Cry against the plain people of Kangleipak (Manipur), the NSCN (K) openly warns against it. The NSCN (K) says that there is no any question of waging war by the Naga peoples against the plain peoples of Kangleipak (Manipur). The NSCN (K) says that Mr Muivah is a Terrorist. In the mind of everybody, it is still very fresh that in recent past many Tangkhul homes were brunt in Nagaland and the Nagaland Nagas attempted seriously to drive out Tangkhuls from Nagaland. According to newspaper report on 21/6/2010 Mr Muivah wanted to go to Fukoboto in the Sema area. The Sema peoples asked why Mr Muivah wanted to go to Sema area wanting to know the motive of Mr Muivah.

These are simple signs of obvious complete failure of developing Naga Entity and a Naga history among different tribes of different origin among whom there is no any intelligible dialect. The Europe-taught slogan 'Nagaland for Christ' of Mr Muivah will not help.

NSCN (IM) is a Spent Force
So far upto 21/6/2010, the development of the Nagaland expansion to present Manipur, if we watch the situation a bit minutely, it seems very clear that the NSCN (IM) and Mr Muivah are simply a 'Spent Force', so to say, a 'Burnt match stick'. Amongst the areas claimed by the NSCN (IM) and Mr Muivah (pretending to be the representative of all so-called Nagas), the areas of Myanmar is out of their reach. The government of Assam and Arunachal Pradsh are strong and rich enough to be feared by the Nagas.

The Nagas target Manipur which has the weakest political leadership without having a political philosophy, corroded by corruption, for Nagaland's neo-colonialism policy of expansion. The interference of the Nagaland government, to the internal affairs of Manipur and its illegality, is very apparent. The Nagaland government creates law and order problem in Manipur by helping openly the NSCN (IM) and Mr Muivah's claims. The Nagaland Assembly took resolutions to expand Nagaland to Manipur. The policy of interference of the Nagaland government will be proved a boomerang. Soon the importance of Dimapur as a commercial hub will go and the sufferings of the innocent people of southern portions of Nagaland and of northern side Manipur will increase very shortly, if a patriotic government comes to Manipur and develop fully other National Highways except NH 39 with protection forces.

Before leaving this matter to the readers, a factual presentation about the demoralisation and weakening of the Naga movement and Mr Muivah may please be seen:
The cease fire agreement and peace talk between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) started in 1999. During this long period of about 14 years upto 2010, with the kindness of the Government of India and the Government of Manipur under the soft and kind hearted Chief Minister, Mr. Ibobi Singh, the NSCN (IM) cadres became a band of Highway Robbers and Extortionists, some time they kill their selected targets with impunity. They have very big purse full of money. The NSCN (IM) cadres became a band of people without morale and sanctity of the fighters of a good cause. Secondly, the NSCN (K) factor in the demoralising process of the NSCN (IM) and Mr Muivah is great.

The NSCN (K) openly says the Tangkhuls are not Nagas, they are part of the Meetei race. The Nagas should solve the problems of the Naga peoples without Tangkhuls of Kangleipak (Manipur). The Meeteis of the valley know very well that the Tangkhuls are very near kins of the Meetei race from scriptural and modern scientific foundations. When Mr Muivah makes a war cry against the valley people Meeties with a 'Nagaland for Christ' flag, the NSCN (K) openly stand against it.

According to newspapers report, from Viswema the NSCN (IM) leader Mr Muivah was sent-off by 300 NSCN (IM) armed cadres with the IRB of Nagaland Government, but later reports indicate that the leader was with about 50/60 armed NSCN (IM) cadres in Phek district of Nagaland. This indicates the corrosion of the NSCN (IM) fire power.

Further, according to newspaper report on 18/6/10, four IM cadres who followed the IM leader Mr Muivah were captured by the Assam Rifles in Kohima outside the designated camp for violation of Ground Rules. After that capture Mr Muivah speaks nothing and show no muscle. All these facts further show that the source of power and strength of Mr Muivah and NSCN (IM) is the Central government. According to the newspaper report, the NSCN (IM) leader Mr Muivah planned to enter Manipur from Pfutsero village of Nagaland on 9/6/10. He could not do anything upto 11/6/2010. In the mean time, the NSCN (IM) will meet on 14/6/2010 in New Delhi, certainly for a plan of appeasing Mr Muivah and NSCN (IM) by the Centre. Recently the Mr Ibobi's government showed a 'Regret', to the Nagas for making unsucessful to enter Manipur at Mao gate with a victory flag by Mr Muivah.

For the time being, Mr Muivah and the NSCN (IM) is powerless now, at any time Mr Muivah and the NSCN (IM) may be activated. This factor may be very seriously noted by the Indigenous Peoples of Kangleipak (present Manipur). The activation may be some times after next year general election. Closing this article of high political drama of the central government, Mr Muivah and the Manipur government at this stage, the present writer appeals to the Indigenous peoples of the North East states of India for their immediate attention. The writer knows of the Mongoloid peoples of the North East states of India and the vast Asiatic continent are of the same origin and Ancestry, from the original place of origin, the Koubru mountain ranges of Kangleipak, created and cradled at the spot. We should not make bad blood against each other, we should not be led by the ideas of small selfish ends. We should stand side by side at all times. Let the indigenous peoples of the North East and North Hilly Regions of India have a common wisdom of protecting themselves together as they are the nearest kinsmen of the same ancestry.