From cosmopolitan hub to fractured community: The fight for Moreh's soul

Yenning *

Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Moreh on India-Myanmar border in January 2019 :: Pix - Lamdamba Oinam

Since the day 4860 Meiteis were forcefully evicted and displaced by Kuki narco-terrorists and their supporters in May 2023, three demands have emerged regarding the embattled Moreh Town. The All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO) made the first demand, followed by the Hon'ble Union Minister of State, Dr RK Ranjan Singh, and the Meetei Council Moreh (MCM). Though raised from different perspectives, the running thread of the three demands is the restoration of the multi-ethnic character of Moreh Town, which is the soul of Moreh.

In its memorandum to the Indian Prime Minister, submitted on September 7, 2023, through the Manipur Governor, AMUCO urged keeping the town under a Special Administrative Zone. According to the memorandum, Moreh holds immense strategic significance as a critical centre of India's Act East Policy. This region is a vital hub for major Asian connectivity infrastructure projects like the Trans-Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway and significant commercial initiatives like the Special Economic Zone.

AMUCO added that fostering Moreh's plurality and cosmopolitan nature is crucial to enhancing its strategic importance. The organisation lamented that this strategically and economically important border town, currently a sub-division of Tengnoupal District, has undergone several challenging transitions, ultimately eroding its age-old cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic character.

It emphasised that the continuous influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar and the Kuki-Naga clashes of the early 1990s serve as examples of these challenges. The memorandum noted that before the settlement of the Kuki-Zo community, Moreh was inhabited by Tangkhul, Meetei, Tamils, and other groups.

Therefore, given the heightened importance of Moreh due to India's Act East Policy, not only for national security but also for the socio-economic development and well-being of the people of Moreh and the entire state of Manipur, AMUCO appealed for the establishment of Moreh as a Special Administrative Zone, including Kwatha village.

Noting administrative irregularities and manipulation of power, AMUCO also decried how the multi-ethnic character of Moreh had been endangered. It illustrated how, due to the unqualified transfer of Moreh town to the Autonomous District Council (ADC) in 2008, Moreh's multi-ethnic character had been destroyed. Further, AMUCO highlighted that Moreh was part of the Thoubal Sub-Division after 1949, governed under the broad provisions of the Assam Municipality Act, 1956. Moreover, Moreh was placed under the Moreh Small Town Committee, MAHUD, until it was placed under the ADC in 2008 without any official (de)notification.

Given the sorry administrative history of Moreh, AMUCO prayed to place the town under the purview of the Department of Home, Government of Manipur, for administrative efficiency. Therefore, AMUCO requested that the Prime Minister provide Moreh with Special Administrative Zone status. Granting this status in the borderlands of the India-Myanmar region would align with India's Act East Policy and the region's strategic objectives. Finally, such an administrative mechanism would restore the plural and multi-ethnic character of the area.

In the second instance, on November 10, 2023, Dr RK Ranjan Singh urged the Prime Minister to convert Moreh Town into a cantonment cum commercial town under the Cantonment Act, 2006.

Dr. Ranjan underscored the prevailing "fragile law and order situation" at Moreh in his letter. Therefore, he reasoned that the town could be converted into a cantonment town as it has all the inherent cosmopolitan commercial characteristics.

Giving a historical account, Dr. Ranjan wrote that during 1948–49, there were no settlements except for some Meitei settlers from Kabaw Valley and Tamils, Punjabis, and Biharis who had come to Moreh after the separation of Burma from British India in 1937. These people worked in government establishments and private companies in Mandalay and Rangoon before 1937.

He recalled that the first Chief Minister of Manipur, Maharaja Kumar Priyabrata Singh (Captain PB Singh), asked one trader, Murali, to establish a business centre with the assurance of Rs. 1 lakh for the establishment. But the trader declined the offer.

Dr. Ranjan drew the Prime Minister's attention toward making Moreh a cantonment cum commercial town on the model of the Delhi Cantonment Board. He added, "A more flexible hybrid management model involving military and civil authorities, including local representatives, may be worked out for flawlessly running the proposed commercial cantonment town.". This mechanism can restore peace and prosperity, he added.

In the third instance, MCM, in its memorandum submitted to the Indian Prime Minister on January 5, 2024, raised the core issue of settlement and rehabilitation of the Meiteis and other communities driven out of Morch by Kuki militants and their supporters since 1991. Furthermore, it declared that no Kuki must be allowed to stay and settle in Morch without such a rehabilitation arrangement.

MCM provided a historical narrative about the people of Moreh and reiterated that the Meiteis, Tangkhuls, Tamils, Punjabis, and Meitei Pangals established the border town. According to the Council, the influx of Kukis occurred later, with a significant portion being illegal immigrants from Burma (Myanmar). It added, "The ethnic cleansing of the various communities from Moreh by the Kuki militants and their supporters happened in the post-1991 period.".

Taking a firm stance, the Council maintains that all individuals forced to leave Moreh should be resettled and rehabilitated in their rightful place at Moreh. The displaced people include Meiteis, Tangkhuls, Marings, Anals, Mayons, Lamkang, Tamils, and others. It stressed, "Pending the implementation of such resettlements, it is the Council's position that no Kuki family should be permitted to continue their stay.".

MCM provided a historical narrative on the town's origin and Kabaw Valley's significance as a part of Manipur's territory. The 15th-century demarcation agreement between Pong King Khekhomba and Kyamba established Kabaw Valley within Manipur. In 1834, the British leased Kabaw Valley to Burma, compensating Manipur's Maharaja until the state's integration into India. Subsequently, Moreh became an officially sanctioned border post, as documented in the 1888 Gazetteer of Manipur.

Moreover, the road from Pallel to Moreh was constructed during World War II by local overseers and labourers under the supervision of the British. When it was finished, they constructed an inspection bungalow at Moreh. That was the first official building for government officials, and there were no other permanent structures except for some Meitei's houses. Put differently, Meiteis were among the first settlers of the border outpost. They engaged in searching for metal scraps from World War II.

Moreover, Tamu remained a commercial centre inhabited by the Meiteis, Awas, and Chinese traders. After independence, on the advice of Manipur's first Chief Minister, Maharaja Priyobrata Singh, the commercial hub was shifted from Tamu to Moreh. By this time, Tamu was no longer under the jurisdiction of Manipur.

Recalling the habitation pattern, MCM stated that Moreh was originally the land of Meiteis, Meitei Pangals, Tangkhuls, Marings, Lamkangs, and Moyons. After 1950, the first Kuki family to settle in Moreh was Solim Baite's family. When General Ne Win seized power in Burma in 1962, non-Burmese peoples like the Tamils and Punjabis were forced to leave Burma and settle at Moreh.

MCM also gave a profile of Moreh's demography, stating that Meiteis, followed by Tamils, have been the dominant population groups for decades. The total population of Moreh Town was 108 in 1951, increasing to 690 and 3581 in 1961 and 1971, respectively. The population of Moreh was 7,678 in 1981. The statistics reveal the small size of the Moreh population as compared to the post-1991 era.

Out of the nine wards of Moreh Town, Meiteis settled as the dominant population in five wards such as 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Prominent Meitei localities are Heinoumakhong Leikai, Turel Wangma Leikai, Khunou Leikai, Bazar Leikai, and Premnagar Leikai. The Nagas lived alongside the Meiteis. Over and above, up to 1981, only one Zou Leikai and one Baite Leikai existed in the Kuki-Zo group.

Moreh town was a microcosm of India before 1992. It was a multicultural trading town with a mixed population of Meiteis, Nagas, Kuki, Tamils, Meitei Pangals (Muslims), Marwaris, Gurkhas, Punjabis, Bengalis, Bihari, etc. The Tamil festival, Pongal, and the Meitei festival, Lai Haraoba, were more popular in the town than Christmas.

According to MCM, 1990 was a milestone for tilting Moreh's demographic profile. What happened across India's border in Myanmar impacted the town's peace, harmony, and prosperity. Although the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi won the election in Myanmar in 1990, the military Junta refused to transfer power. The Junta also charged crackdowns on protesting masses, including ethnic minorities. As a result, thousands of Kuki migrants sought refuge at Moreh. They illegally settled in places like Chavangphai and Kanan Veng.

Moreover, 1991 was another unfortunate year for the original Moreh denizens. Along came the Myanmar-based Kuki insurgent group KNO/KNA, which operated in Moreh with active support from some powerful Kuki politicians. After the Kuki militants served a "quit notice" to the Nagas, an ethnic clash broke out between Naga and Kuki to control the commercial town. Nagas were the principal victims, forced to flee Moreh and their properties taken over by the Kukis, tacitly supported by the Kuki militants and politicians.

In the present context, MCM stated that after the Tribal Solidarity Rally on May 3, 2023, Kuki militants and their supporters brutally attacked the Meiteis, Tamils, Punjabis, Meitei Pangal, Biharis, and Nepalis by burning down their homes and destroying almost every Meitei property. And every Meitei was driven out of Moreh.

Therefore, MCM pleaded with the Indian Prime Minister and the Government of Manipur to restore the multicultural town of Moreh to its pre-1991 status. It also prayed for taking up appropriate measures for the return and rehabilitation of all those who had been driven out of Moreh by Kuki militants and their supporters since 1991.

Moreover, it requested the identification and deportation of all illegal migrants, not only from Moreh but also from Manipur. Finally, MCM concluded that "in the absence of the return and rehabilitation of all those driven out of Moreh town by the Kuki militants and their supporters, no Kuki should be allowed to settle in Moreh.".

Rekindling the Spirit of Moreh

These are three valid and urgent representations to the Indian Government. How the Union Government would respond remains to be seen. At such a moment, the Government of Manipur and other civil society organisations can join and restore Moreh's age-old cosmopolitan fabric. Call it by any name; there has to be a special administrative arrangement for the border town, and the displaced persons should be resettled there as soon as possible.

Moreh's vibrant history pulsates with the rhythm of diverse communities coexisting in harmony. Its soul rests in the echoes of laughter echoing through bustling bazaars, the intermingling of melodies from festivals across faiths, and the shared stories whispered over generations. Yet, the recent violence has torn this tapestry, leaving Moreh's soul bruised and battered.

To restore its essence, we recognise the inherent value of Moreh's pluralistic heritage. Only through active efforts towards reconciliation, rehabilitation, and recognition of all its inhabitants' rights can we can rekindle Moreh's spirit and let its soul shine once more.