Zeliangrong is not a tribe but a social organisation: Councils
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, August 02 2018: The Rongmei Naga Council, Manipur (RNC-M), Zeme Naga Council, Manipur (ZNC-M) and Liangmai Naga Council, Manipur (LNC-M) have clarified once again today that 'Zeliangrong' is a social organization and not a tribe and said that Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme are distinct tribes.

In a joint statement, the RNC-M, ZNC-M and the LNC-M said that 'Zeliangrong' was first coined when Zeliangrong Council was formed on February 15, 1947 at Keishamthong in Imphal with Ze for Zeme, Liang for Liangmai and Rong for Rongmei plus Inpui (Kabui).

"So, the nomenclature of Zeliangrong came into existence with the formation of the Zeliangrong Council on the day and it was formed as a social platform for these four tribes," the joint statement of the three councils clarified.

According to the joint statement, the nomenclature of this social organization was first christened as Agaengmei (1925) and then it became Kabui Chingsang in 1927, then Kabui Samiti (1934), then Kabul Naga Association (1946) and further in 1947 it was rechristened as Zeliangrong Council to further "economic, social and educational and political advancement" with T Haralu as its president, G Thambou and L Lungalang as vice presidents with some other members.

"This clearly exhibits that Zeliangrong was formed as a social organization," stated the joint statement, adding, "Zeliangrong is not a tribe, it is a social platform of Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme" .

The statement claimed that Inpui is a distinct tribe having their own distinct custom and culture, distinct language and written literature like Bible, hymnals of Inpui language.

It further said that Inpui tribe has their own tribe union, Church association, literature society, women union, youth organization, student unions etc.

"Likewise, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme tribes have their own respective distinct languages and written literatures like school textbooks, hymnals, Bible, etc.

They have their own tribe unions, Church associations, literature societies, women unions, youth organizations, student unions, etc," the joint statement of the three councils also said.

According to the statement, these tribes were in any point of time called themselves Zeliangrong, "neither in the Scheduled Tribe list of the Constitution of India nor in the list of the recognised tribes of Manipur".

The three councils further clarified that there is no Zeliangrong tribe in Manipur, "neither in India nor anywhere in the world".

There is no question of bifurcating or trifurcating Zeliangrong tribes by the recognition of Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme as scheduled tribes by the Government of India or the Manipur State Government or by the GPRN/ NSCN-IM, said the statement.

"Only Zeliangrong civil society organization" was split into two by the formation of "Zeliangrong Baudi" in the year 2009 "causing irreparable damages to the unity, solidarity and integrity of the Zeliangrong fraternity and that was the beginning of the unending crises and downfall of Zeliangrong today," asserted the joint statement.

The joint statement then claimed that the unity and solidarity of Inpui, Liangmai and Zeme are intact today in the fold of their four councils.

On the recognition of these tribes, the joint statement said that it was the initiative of the people.

"Recognition of Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme was the initiative of the respective native people.

The people of these tribes had to struggle for decades and they along with some fellow tribes of Manipur had to file Caveat Application in the Gauhati High Court in 2002 against the State Government of Manipur and the Union Government of India for delaying recognition/modification of nomenclatures and got the Gauhati High Court's order in favour of the tribes.

They had to repeatedly go to Delhi and stay there for several months meeting and requesting the Central leaders and concerned authorities", the joint statement claimed.

It then said that after a long struggle, the recognition of these four tribes were granted by the Union Government of India in the year 2012 .

"The Bill was introduced on December 7, 2011 and passed by both the Houses of Parliament on December 19, 2011 and the President of India inked his assent on the January 8, 2012 and then only it became an Act called The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) order (Amendment) Act," the statement said.

According to the three councils, it was published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary dated 19-01-2012 .

"All efforts beginning from obtaining of Manipur State's Cabinet's decision, recommendation of the Manipur State Government and final recognition of these four tribes by the Government of India are the results of the very initiatives of the people of Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme," the three councils added.

"Likewise, recognition granted to these tribes by the GPRN/NSCN (IM) is the outcome of the fervent requests of these four tribes with the due reference from the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Act, 2011 (No.2 of 2012)," stated the three councils, adding, "All these are done to fulfil the genuine aspirations of the people of Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei and Zeme" .

It added that no one is to be blamed or no one is to be given credit.

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