AZSU rubbishes claim on Mt Koubru, seeks Govt action
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 04 2021: Taking serious note of the claims made on Mount Koubru and changing the name of the sacred mountain range by some organisations, All Zeliangrong Students' Union - Assam, Manipur & Nagaland (AZSU-AMN) has urged the state government to take up timely action so as to put an end to the impasse.

In a statement, AZSU (AMN) informed that it is constrained to issue the statement to reaffirm the rightful ownership of Mount Koubru and to put to rest the wild claims and counter claims being made by certain organisations such as Thadou Inpi Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District (TISHKD), and Committee on Protection and Preservation of Koubru (COPPK) among others.

It stated that every responsible citizen knows the unique significance of Mt Koubru and its deep rooted historical, cultural and religious connection with the indigenous people of Manipur.

It is also a well-known established fact that everyone, including the non Manipuris knows who the real indigenes of Manipur are.

Claim made by certain group of people, who migrated to the foothills of Mt Koubru just some few decades ago is not important, but the important thing is the historical truth which cannot be tampered by any vested interest group.

No matter how many times the immigrants claim Mt Koubru as their own the truth remains that this sacred mountain belongs to the indigenous people of Manipur.

Mt Koubru was originally called "Kabuilua", literally meaning the habitat of the Mithuns according to Zeliangrong dialect as retold for ages, the statement said.

Variations took place with passage of time from Kabuilua, Kabuirua, Kapuiru and later on Koubru.

According to Zeliangrong legend, Mt Koubru is the abode of Tingpurengsonang, the Earthly King-God, who is said to have seven brothers.

He was the patriarch of the joint dormitory of gods and human beings.

He built Tarengki, the divine house of merit and feasting was organised in honour of the host that stands tall as the mountain.

The Koubru Peak is considered as the house top and the sloppy ranges being the part and partial of the house.

As such, Mt Koubru occupies a very unique place in the cultural-historical setting of the Zeliangrong people, the union said.

Another repugnant action of the immigrant community is the concerted attempts to rename the age-old original names of historical places and personalities of the indigenous people of Manipur to suit their ulterior agenda of presenting themselves as an indigenous people.

This futile attempt is nothing but a crime against human history.

For instance, they have been trying to give new names to the historic Mt Koubru as Simtongbung and Thangjing as Thangting among others.

Such effort of the immigrant community is very much unflattering.

They must know that much before their arrival in the 19th century in Manipur, the history of Mt Koubru, Thangjing and others have close cultural, religious and historical connection with the ancient history of Manipur and its indigenous people existed.

The epic story of Khamba-Thoibi and Kabui Salang Maiba having close association with the god of Ibudhou Thangjing is well established and known to all.

This classic story happened centuries before the arrival of this immigrant community.

According to Meetei mythology, another prominent indigenous community of Manipur, Mt Koubru is the abode of Lainingthou Koubru.

All these and more are established historical evidences to show that Mt Koubru and Thangjing peak occupy a unique place in the history of the indigenous people of Manipur.

Therefore, nobody should try to tamper with such historical truth at any point of time, it maintained.

The claim of TISHDK that there is no Zeliangrong or any other indigenous people near Mt Koubru is simply ridiculous and bereft or any truth and historical reality.

Since ancient past, Zeliangrongs had carefully and reverentially guarded and preserved the abode of the gods and spirits by preventing human habitation and foraging for livelihood through jhum cultivation and other economic activities.

This tradition continues even to this day in Zeliangrong inhabited areas in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.

Since time immemorial, Zeliangrong ancestors have been preserving this sacred mountain by not disturbing the pristine ecology for this very reason.

Moreover, the Government of Manipur had declared this place as the Reserved Forest since 1968.Keeping the larger interest of the state and also to preserve the sanctity of this holy site, Zeliangrong people do not venture into this Reserved Forest area for habitation nor for deforestation and other economic pursuits as these immigrants have been doing.

It is a well-known fact that the recent illegal settlers are destroying the pristine ecology of this sacred mountain by cutting down trees for habitation, poppy plantation and other illegal activities which are highly condemnable, the statement said.

The successive state governments of Manipur are also responsible for this sorry state of affairs in Mt Koubru and the surrounding foothills.

Despite declaring it as Reserved Forest, the state government had not taken any concrete measure to preserve and protect this area.

However, it is praiseworthy that the present government headed by CM Biren has been taking up some sincere efforts to restore the pristine glory and sanctity of this Mountain.

Further, more stringent measures should be taken up by the state government without any fear in order to save the fate of this historically and traditionally important natural heritage of Manipur.

Illegal settlements, jhum cultivation, clearing of jungle for poppy plantation, logging business and any other activities which will disturb the flora and fauna of Mt Koubru should be stopped immediately.

If authorities concerned do not take adequate measures, it can prompt non state actors to step in and this has the potential to snowball into big ethnic conflict in Manipir soon, the union cautioned.

The statement further said that the then Zeliangrong National Liberation Front (ZNLF) cadres earlier went to Mt Koubru and surrounding areas for operation to stop illegal activities and to flush out the unwanted elements from this historic site of Zeliangrongs and other indigenous people.

The immigrant community realising that their vested interest was being threatened, laid a deep-rooted conspiracy with the security forces and other agencies and killed five ZNLF cadres in separate incidents including their chairman Namgou Kamei son of Zatchei Kamei in 2006.The other four cadres who were killed were Namchalung Gangmei, Kasuingam Malangmei, Romeo Phaomei and Abi Riamei.

Those ZNLF cadres sacrificed their lives while trying to defend and safeguard Mt Koubru as this holy mountain is the pilgrimage site and is closely associated with the culture, religion and history of the Zeliangrongs and other indigenous people of Manipur.

It cannot be ruled out that such things would not happen againln future.

Unless the authority concerned does not take adequate measures, more young people may be prompted to take up extreme measures to safeguard this historical site of the Zeliangrongs and other indigenous people.

The Union then appealed to the state government to take timely action to prevent further escalation of the volatile situation in and around Mt Koubru so that this historical site is preserved, protected and is kept free from further devastation and profanation.

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