Who really is the Foreigner ?

Sasang Suantak *

Apropos to the International Meitei Forum's allegation and branding of Kuki-Chins as foreigner...., As a result of Kuki state demand being put forward more assertively there has been many hue and cry regarding the history and origin of the Kukis recently. Some unscrupulous social leaders have been to the extent of branding the Kukis as newcomer and foreigner. And, recently one Meetei organisation accused the Kukis of being foreigners who migrated to Manipur only in the middle part of 19th Century A.D. i.e., 1850.

They further claimed that the migration and influx is still happening even today. The body is also alarmed over the allegedly rapid increase of Kuki- Chin population. The International Meetei Forum put the Kuki population of Manipur at 8 lakhs and confidently put Kuki population in 1881 A.D. at 8108.

The Forum put its word skillfully and it would have made ignorant readers believe about their claims on the facts and figures they put forward. When I carefully go through the Forum's words it really confuses me. The Forum talks about the history and origin of Kuki-Chin as a whole when sometime it seems they are referring only to the Thadou-Kukis and Sadar Hills. But when it claims Kuki population of Manipur at 8 lakhs I realise they were referring to all Kuki-Chin nationality.

The writer's intention is only to enlighten people about the concocted figures, facts and history put forward by the said Forum. All Kuki-Chin population of Manipur put together is roughly 5 lakhs. Regarding the origin and migration, the writer ancestors were already in Thanlon Area of South Manipur in 1820 at the time of the young Lushai chief Vannuailiana Sailo. When the writer ancestors arrived here in 1820 there were several Kuki-Chin villages which are a hundred years old.

It is also an undisputed fact that some Kuki-Chin tribes like the Komrem family who originated from Lushai Hills and the Maring- Tarao- Lamkang- Anal etc, who originated from Fallam and Halkha areas of Chin Hills are here for the last 700 years or more years already. Of course, there are a few Lushais who migrated from Mizoram as a result of the 1961 famine and MNF movement; also there are some Kuki-Chin from Chin Hills and Kabow Valley who migrated to their Northern Frontier which areas later came to be known as South Manipur and Sadar Hills.

But this wandering halted in later part of 19th century A.D. And not only does the migration stop it rather continued in anti-clock wise beginning from the early part of 20th century A.D. Many Kuki-Chin of Manipur began migrating and move towards Kabaw Valley, Chin Hills, Mizoram, NC Hills,Kale Valley, Karbi anglong, south Cachar, Meghalaya, Nagaland, etc. Now contrary to what the Forum claimed there are over 3 lakhs Chin-Kuki-Mizo in those areas who have moved out or migrated from areas which we called today as Manipur.

And this exodus or migration from Manipur and not into Manipur is still continuing today. As for instance, keep aside the small and insignificant exoduses, over 2000 Kuki-Chin have already migrated to Israel from Manipur in the last 2 decades and more than 40,000 Kuki-Chins from south Manipur mainly Vaiphei, Paite,Gangte, Simte, Zo, fled the 1997-1998 conflict in Churachandpur and took refuge in Mizoram and Assam more than half have not returned till date. Today, no Kuki-Chin will never ever leave Kabaw Valley or Chin Hills for Manipur because its par with leaving Cannan and heading for Egypt. In fact, it is the other way round.

The Thadou-Kuki population has indeed increased in a faster pace than its cousin tribes since the last 2 Century. This is not because of any influx; this would be understood by Anthropologist who had keenly observed the Thadou culture. All Kuki-Chin especially the Thadou-Kuki culture is to set up a new village starting with only 5-10 households, the new family in the new village will try producing many children as possible and populates the village quickly.

Then within a span of 30-40 years the new born village will give birth to another new hamlet or village. The Thadou-Kuki chooses to create a new hamlet rather than expanding or developing the old village. This is the reason why there are very few Thadou-Kuki village which are a hundred years old. One factor attributing to the rapid population growth of the Thadou-Kuki is that before Christianity came Thadou girls will get married as early as 14-15 years and for boys 16-17 years is the right time for marriage.

By this way as much as 7-8 generations are fitted within a century whereas cousin tribe like the Vaipheis will have only 3-5 generations within a century. Thus, the Thadou-Kukis do better than Malthusian Theory. However, sometimes Malthusian Theory doesn't always apply to every community. For instance, in the first half of 19th Century A.D., ie. before 1850, population of Fallam-Poi in Chin Hills was some 23,000 and the population of Sukte-Teddim was less than 8000 at that time. Owing to certain social and cultural factors, today Teddims population is over One lakhs Fifty thousands and Falam population stood at roughly Forty thousands only.

If we were to really search for the real foreigners in this geographical area of what we called today as Manipur, I am confident we would sure find them but not among the Nagas or Kuki-Chin but in the plain, among the Meetei speaking population. It is a well known fact that there are hundreds of thousands Bengali and Cachari being absorbed in the Meetei community. The more than 3 lakhs Meetei-Pangal too are a recently introduced community.

Further many Kuki-Chin tribes are absorbed within the Meetei society in course of history. In fact, the early Meetei tribe was a fragmented Zo(Kuki-Chin-Mizo) tribe. Whatsoever one thing is very very clear that the Meeteis were always in close proximity with the Kuki-Chin-Mizo. The Puranas also spoke about Manipur Valley that it was not fit for human habitation for a long time. So where is the question of foreigners or original settlers? If the Kuki-Chins are foreigners then the land they inhabited is a foreign land too.

South district of Manipur was sometimes claimed by some Meetei Kings and tried to assert their suzerainty over the area. However, claiming something and having them in actual is two different things. Of course, some Meetei Kings had some influence in the South district of Manipur but so do the Sukte Kings and Lushai Chiefs claimed South Manipur as their too. In fact, no chief from South district had never ever paid tribute to any Meetei King, some chief presented things to Meetei Kings as a token of love and friendship but they were never a tribute. South district never paid tribute to any Lushai chief either.

As a matter of fact some chiefs from South district paid tribute to Kamhau-Sukte(Teddim) king. One Lushai chief by name Vannuailiana Sailo asserted his suzerainty over the whole of South district, he even marched till Loktak Lake occasionally, and he even raided many Meetei villages near Moirang and Kumbi. However, this doesn't mean that Loktak Lake was the boundary of Sailos Chiefdom or kingdom. So, some pseudo-Meetei historians too should stop claiming whatever they pleased to base on some flimsy historical incidents.

In the middle part of 19th century, a full scale war broke out between the Meetei king Chandrakirti and the king of Teddim area Kamhau. Goukhothang Guite was harassing some Meetei subjects in the Southern frontiers of Chandrakirti kingdom. Goukhothang Guite of Hansip village and his predecessors always paid allegiance to the king of Sukte or Teddim-Chin. The cause of the war as mentioned was that Goukhothang Guite of south district harassing a Meetei subject; however the real deal was the suzerainty over this vast south district between Kamhau and Meetei king. Kamhau defeated Chandrakirti easily with the help of Guite-Paite, Sizang-Suantaks, Vaipheis, Zou, Saijang,etc. So Kamhau always claimed the northern districts which are Southern district for Manipur as his tributary. So I again wonder where the question of foreigner arises now here in Southern district of Manipur or Northern district for the Tedim king.

Prior to 1947, there was no political boundary. It was only after the British left that the question of political boundary arises. Before that where was the question of permanent settler or for that matter migration. We are the same people who happened to be divided into two countries. As claimed by the Forum and shown in the map that includes Teddim area where the Kuki-Chin dwelled since the beginning, where is the question of foreigner or illegal migration.

This implies that the Forum based its claim on pseudo-historians and pseudo-social scientists. The writer's main concern is not with the Kuki state demand but branding of foreigners by those half witted pseudo-historians and social scientists. If the Kuki-Chin were really demanding a war as the Forum has said, would not the Kuki-Chins people of Manipur first mobilise support from Chin state, Mizoram, Kale-Kabaw valley,etc. But no, they did not.