Thingpui (Laimanai) Kabui, blessed and flagship conservation village of Manipur

R.K. Birjit SIngh *

The Planning Commission recommended the formulation of a Short Term Action Plan (STAP) which focused on priority activities to be undertaken for catchment conservation, water management, biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource development, livelihood improvement and institutional development. This was done to achieve restoration of Loktak Lake forming the basis for long term ecosystem rehabilitation of the other wetlands of the basin.

Central to success of STAP is an integrated monitoring and evaluation system that is able to inform project management of the status of implementation and provide evidence of why certain objectives were achieved or not / under achieved. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) exercises are undertaken to ensure that project is following the correct path in order to meet its goal.

A New Delhi based NGO, Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA) and Centre for Conservation of Nature and Cultivation of Science (CCNCS) has been approached and appointed by LDA for external monitoring and evaluation on environment, Socio – economic, result based management and institutional arrangement aspects. An agreement has been made in this regard and that facilitated CCNCS and IBCN, Manipur to visit at least 12 hilly riverhead villages of Loktak catchment areas adjacent to the western valley side of Manipur.

In fact, the field biologist of the Manipur Association for Science and Society (MASS), Centre for Conservation of Nature and Cultivation of Science (CCNCS) and Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) had already visited and tracked at least a dozen times in the remote interiors of almost all the districts of Manipur bordering Myanmar, Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam for biodiversity assessment projects and research programs.

During our evaluation and survey programme, we come across a Rongmei Kabui village which is just 1.5 kilometres away from the Thinungei village at Teddim road, Thingpui ( Laimanai) Kabui village in the district of Churachandpur. In Rongmei language, "Thingpui", means a village under a big tree. Interestingly, the tree was the flagship species and state tree of Manipur, "Uningthou"(Phoebe hainesiana) grown and axed during the period of Maharaj Chandra Kriti under the regency of Yubaraj Nar Singh.

On 26th September, 1840 a tiger was killed in Ningthoukhong and another during October in the same year at Moirang. During those days the report of killing tiger or being killed by tiger was a regular occurrence round the year. By the time people are haunted by cholera epidemic and ethereal acts of tiger. Yubraj Nar Singh ordered and deputed Yumnam Leishang Subedar and his men to check the menace of tiger in these areas of Ningthoukhong and Moirang.

On the 10th May of 1843, Yumnam Leishang Subedar reported growing of one of the biggest trees in Manipur while searching and hunting for tiger at Khujairok (a stream in Thingpui Laimanai Kabui village) feeding in Loktak Lake flowing in between Thinungei village and Ningthoukhong. The legendary tree was measured about 150 ft. in length and 16 ft. in diameter. Yubraj Nar Singh immediately sent a party of Huidrom Dewan, Foukei Sangba Dewan and Shoibam Poila to cut the tree for making " Hiyang Hirel", the royal racing boat. Because of the tree the village was known as Thingpui village. This is a recorded history in the British version of the Royal Chronicle of Manipur (Cheitharol Kumbaba).

The other elucidation, myth and beliefs of the villagers regarding the name of the village was that the name "Thingpui" or the big tree was basically a small shrub and woody plant locally known as "Uhan", (Sida rhombifolia) belonging to the family of Malvaceae which had been turned into a big gigantic tree by the magical power of a fairy witch who was harbouring in the tree. The fairy wizard, partner of the witch cut the tree and processed into a wide wooden plank and made resting bed of the witch.

In the valley, the village is popularly known as "Laimanai"- meaning, the disciples or parishioners of Lord Sanamahi. There is a plot of sacred groves of Lord Sanamahi in the middle of the forest being cared by the Thingpui villagers with great respect but unknown to the kingdom of Manipur of the time. When the king (Probably during the period of Nar Singh Maharaj) came to know that the Thingpui villagers were taking care of it as a sacred shrine of Ibudhou Sanamahi since time immemorial, the king personally visited the village and named it "Laimanai" and blessed the village with a lot of gifts. There after the village is better known as "Lamanai Kabui".

Another cap in the rich cultural grandeur heritage in the history of the village is the belief of the people as the birth place of the great legendary healer, "Kabui Salang Maiba" of Moirang Kangleirol. The sacred plot of the legendary healer is lying unnoticed to the modern Manipur waiting only to be engulfed in the jaws of time.

Our team returned from the survey with a sweet memoir of the past from Shri Dh. Gachung, headman of the village. He requested us to test the quality of water of the rivulets of the village in his favour as he thought that the complain of stomach pain and inflammation of the villagers is being caused by the water of the streams as they are using it for drinking and other purposes. We promised the headman that we would return on the 5th June, 2013 as part of the celebration of World Environment Day to test the quality of water of the village.

After returning from Laimanai village we planned to conduct water quality survey for both the village of Thingpui( Laimanai) and Thinungei and mapping of the source of water and rivulets and sampling sites has been done by using Survey of India Map, 1974, Google Map and GPS. Water quality monitoring under WHO and EPA standard has been adopted giving due preference to the prevailing condition of Laimanai village. A team of 15 persons and experts of the Centre for Conservation of Nature and Cultivation of Science (CCNCS), Indian Bird Conservation Network(IBCN), Manipur and Pole Star Guardians Association, Thinungei (POSGAT) visited the sampling sites of Thinungei and Laimanai village and conducted water quality testing on physico-chemical and biological parameters.

Later, we entered the village and celebrated the World Environment Day, WED, 2013 on the theme "Eat-Drink and Save". We were able to interpret the result of the test instantly as we were using well calibrated digital equipments. Fortunately, every parameter taken was within the permissible limit of the ranges. The headman never expected of our visit again in the village but ironically he was very happy to see us again and on knowing the result of the test.

After the observation of WED, 2013 as field activity, I used to come back at Laimanai for birding trip and photography frequently in view of the rich avifauna and biodiversity of the village adorned with one of the richest cultural heritages of Manipur. Through our humble activity and association with the villagers, particularly, the headman, Shri Dh. Gachung and their natural instinct of the love of the land and forest of their forefathers slowly evolved the idea for the conservation and protection of wild life in their village and in the process our attachment grows as never before.

My humble request to stop hunting and killing of wild birds has been heartily accepted by the headman and villagers. Later on, I have invited Dr. Raju Kasambe and Neha Sinha of Bombay Natural Society (BNHS) and L. Joykumar Singh, IFS, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Park and Sanctuary along with L. Birmangol Singh, Range Officer, (KLNP), Dept. of Forest, Govt. of Manipur in the village and conducted workshop on wild life conservation and capacity building programme and on the resolution of conflict between wild life conservation and issues of livelihood. The idea of Shri L. Joykumar Singh to include other wild life animals dwelling in the forest in the protection and conservation activities has been flamboyantly accepted by the villagers.

In fact, this was not a mere job for us to convince the villagers and at the same time to accept it simply on the part of the villagers to stop hunting at once which has been their tradition of livelihood and way of life since time immemorial.

Together, we celebrated the "World Environment Day" on the 5th June, 2014 where the villagers organized a rally on wild life conservation and formally took pledged to protect and conserve wild life before a team of media. Perhaps, if I am not mistaken, this is the greatest achievement in the history of environment and wild life conservation in Manipur where a poor tribal village and its people were ready to reserve a huge area of 8.5 square kilometers of forest for the conservation of wild and heritage of Manipur. It is strange and amazing as it is happening in Manipur.

I had participated more than a two dozen number of observations of "World Environment Day" (WED) organized by the govt. agencies and NGO's, sometimes as a resource person and as an activist in other time. Mostly as ceremonial like the observation of "Firoi", "Holy" and "Shradha" rituals far from the objective of the observation of WED which have little or no significance on our land and people. As usual, talk by the resource persons and VIP's, plantation of 2-3 saplings and at end over a cup of tea by hiring big halls and spending a lot of money.

We have to learn a lot of lesson from this remote village and have to remember that the earth was not inherited from our forefathers to do with it what we will. We have borrowed it from our children and we must be careful to use it in their interests as well as our own.