Lup stands stand on release of 'war' book
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 21 2022: The recent release of the book entitled "The Anglo-Kuki War 1917-19, Victory in defeat" authored by one colonel Vijay Chenji and claimed to be a book from a military perspective is fine but the title is misleading, said Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL) secretary general Ngamkheingakpa Luwang.

In a statement, the Lup posed as to whether 'Anglo-Kuki' implies that there existed a Kuki state in Manipur as a political entity or a Kuki nation.

With reference to the book which was released at the office of Kuki Inpi in Churachandpur four days back/the secretary said: "To put the records straight, the bulk of the present day Kuki population came to Manipur from Burma or present day Myanmar and the Lushai Hills in present day Mizoram.

During the time when W McCulloh was the British Political Agent stationed in Imphal in between 1844 to 1862, the Kukis were allowed to settle down in Manipur by McCulloh under his plan to plug exposed frontiers of the state" .

Further stating that the settlers were classified as new Kukis as against the old Kukis comprising tribal groups including Anal and Lamkang who are now referred to as Nagas, the secretary claimed that the new Kukis consisted mostly of the Thadous and cognate tribes.

They are collectively called Khongsai by the Manipuri Meitei.

After 1891, the administration of the Hill areas of Manipur was vested in the hands of the British directly under control of the Political Agent who also functioned as the president of the Manipur State Durbar.

Prior to the uprising by the Kukis in 1917, the British had decided to raise the Hill House Tax.

Already annoyed with this economic hardships the Thadou Kukis took exception when the then Raja of Manipur Churachand was ordered by the British to muster up a 2000-strong contingent to serve in the Labor Corps to be deployed in France to aid the British war efforts during the First World War.

Then on March 17, 1917, K Sitlou on behalf of the Thadou Kuki chiefs fired the first shots against the Britishers in defiance of their colonial policy.

The British first deployed the Assam Rifles and the Burma Military Police but later had to call in units of the regular British Indian army to assist in clamping down the uprising.

It took three years for the British to crush the movement and soon its leaders were sent off to Sadiya Jail in Assam and the Cellular Jail in the Andamans.

In terms-of human costs more than 4000 persons lost their lives.

The Britishers had lost more men and officers' during these three years long conflict than they suffered during the 1891 war with Manipur.

But the Kukis had during the conflict opened up new fronts when they began attacking the Nagas notably at Chingjaroi in present day Ukhrul and Tamenglong districts.

Altogether, 289 Nagas and four Meiteis were killed and 34 Naga villages were burnt down in the process too, the secretary elaborated.

Stating that the Lup respects and salutes the brave Kukis who rose against the Imperial British colonial policies, he acknowledged that earlier Kings of Manipur utilised the services of the Kukis as a Militia and when King Gambhir Singh raided Kohima, his army consisted of the Kuki Militia also.

Moreover, in 1949 when the government of India annexed Manipur it was only the Kukis that had rushed to the Palace to guard Maharaj Bodhchandra.

But what the Meiteis referred to as Khongsai Lai and the Thadous as the Thadou Gall, narratives over uprising recently coined as "Anglo-Kuki" war has larger and longer political implications and seeds have already been sown for a Kuki Homeland by Balkanising Manipur, the Lup said and suggested that the 'learned' colonel Vijay Chenji change title of his book.

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