Ukha Loikhai village - a symbol of self-sustenance
Source: Chronicle News Service / Ranjit Angom

Imphal, December 27 2022: Ukha Loikhai, a historic village in Churachandpur district, has been standing tall as a symbol of self-sustenance despite the challenges it faces throughout the history and the hardships being endured the villagers due to lack of modern infrastructure and facilities in the absence of government attention.

Located at a distance of around 87 kilometres to the south of Churachandpur district headquarters, Ukha Loikhai is a tiny hamlet of Kuki community, whose origin can be traced back to 1833 .

With a population of 418 in 70 households as per the 2011 census report, the village is located in a low-level administrative division of Churachandpur district under Henglep sub-division.

Since its entry in government record as a hill village in 1833 with a scattered settlement of a handful of houses, the villagers have been paying hill house tax regularly.

It became a proper village in 1912 as the number of households increased to 36 .

The area of the village extends up to Koite village near Salbung in north, Tuitha River in the east and Kolleng Dung village in the south.

According to the village chief Thenkhomang Haokip, Kuki freedom fighter Semchung Haokip, who was killed during the first world war was the chief of the village.

During the Anglo-Kuki battle, the village was reduced to ashes on January 7, 1919.The villagers still remember the incident as Khoka-Kho means village and Ka means burn.

Apart from the incident, the village had faced numerous incidents in the past, which challenged the very survival of the village.

Despite those hardships, the villagers endured all and rise as a strong village every time.

Being a remote village located in the interior hill areas of the state, road connectivity in the village is in bad shape with villagers treading through the dirt roads to carry out their daily activities.

Except for a community hall, the villagers have not enjoyed any benefits of the government's schemes or projects.

Even though located in the hills, the only good facility the villagers enjoy is drinking water, which was developed by the villagers with assistance from the Indian Army.

While the Indian Army provided pipes, cements and sand for construction of the facility, the villagers put in their labour to develop the facility without seeking any external help.

Apart from ensuring drinking water, the facility has been able to provide irrigation water for the villagers in taking up agricultural activities.

Paddy, vegetable and potato farming are the main occupation of the villagers.

They also rely on minor forest products such as fruits and edible leaves, he said.

The chief further confided that though they occasionally go hunting, they never indulge in illegal practice of poppy cultivation, which is being observed in most of the interior hill areas of the state.

So far, they have no intention of involving in the illegal practice and they will continue to stick to their stand against drugs, he said.

Thenkhomang Haokip also informed that despite the hardships and government apathy, the villagers are hard-working and they are focusing on improving educational facilities as they believe that education will be the key to bring development in the otherwise disconnected village.

As a result of their focus on education, they have been able to produce several accomplished and public figures, he said.

The village chief also informed about a historic earthen pot (Chungbei in local dialect), which was used by their forefathers.

Their forefathers used to store wine in the big pot and they drank from it throughout the year.

They named it 'Hauneh Sumbel' and they are preserving the pot as a heritage so that the future generations can trace their roots and continue to honour the history by seeing the pot, Thenkhomang added.

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