The search for Kukiland By Yambem Laba

"It was around this time that one of the most prominent Kuki politicians of Manipur, former minister and member of Parliament, Holkhomang Haokip, had said that “we will achieve Kukiland only in heaven”, ridiculing the idea of a “Kukiland on earth”. The KNF did not take this too kindly and threatened to kill him" "... the time when present health minister and Paite leader Phunzathang Tonsing, who was then MPCC-I president, stated “Paites are not Kukis” and the Gangtes identified themselves as a Mizo tribe to distance themselves from both the groups" The credit for raising the demand for a Kukiland or a Kuki state to be carved out of Manipur, does not belong to the Kukiland State Demand Committee or its armed wing, the Kuki National Organisation. It belongs to an almost unknown Kuki by the name of Hengkhulen Sithlou who had held the nondescript post of headmaster of Motbung High School in the Sadar Hills area of Senapati district. In 1970, he was said to have received the blessings of then Lieutenant-Governor of Manipur D R Kohli. In the early 1990s, one Nehlun Kipgen trekked to the headquarters of the Kachin Independent Army in Myanmar, armed with a letter signed by the late Dengkhosai Gangte, who had earlier led a contingent of the Mizo National Front to China via Kachin, asking for the arms he had left behind to be handed over to Nelhun. Nelhun returned to his home in the Kangpokpi area and formed the Kuki National Front. Its primary job then was to meet the threats posed by the NSCN(IM) which had, since June 1992, launched an ethnic-cleansing campaign, wiping out Kukis from their pockets in the Naga areas. But the KNF also had a clear political agenda and that was the creation of a Kukiland, so much so that then chief minister of Manipur R K Dorendra in his last press interview to The Statesman, had reiterated that “there can be no further balkanisation of Manipur and there cannot be a Southern Nagaland or a Kukiland either”. Nehlun was killed in an encounter with the CRPF in the Kangpokpi area and the KNF splintered into factions, with the KNF (Military Council), said to have been under the control of a prominent Manipuri Kuki politician, coming to the fore. Apart from occasional arms snatching from demoralised Manipur Rifles personnel, nothing much was heard about the KNF till it got involved in the ethnic war with a cognate tribe, the Paites, rechristened Zomis, in Churachandpur district. Around the time the KNF was formed, the KNO also came into being, not in Manipur but in Myanmar. Founded by a man called Hanglen, its primary political objective was the creation of a Kuki state in Myanmar, and not in Manipur. Around 1990, Hanglen was given sanctuary in Moreh by Kuki politicians in the RK Ranbir Singh ministry. Moreh, the border town, at that time was under NSCN(IM) control, and was a rich source of income. The entry of yet another armed group in the area was bound to create tension as both started vying for a share of the loot. Then on 3 June 1992, Onkholet Haokip, said to be a KNO cadre, was captured and shot dead by the NSCN(IM) in Moreh. That was the spark that led to a fullscale war between the NSCN(IM) and the KNO and the former was forced to surrender Moreh. The latter, with its Kuki National Army, came to be looked upon by the Kukis of Chandel district as a saviour from the onslaught of the NSCN(IM). It was also generally believed that the Indian Army was backing the KNO in the fight against the NSCN(IM) and it coincided with the statement by Hanglen that he had been to Delhi and had met General Rodrigues, then Indian Army Chief. The Research and Analysis Wing was also believed to have pumped in a crore or two of rupees to boost the KNO coffers. Then Hanglen got killed by his cadres in Moreh itself and the KNO shifted its tactical headquarters to Imphal. In 1996, the outfit made a paradigm shift in its political agenda and its leadership was taken over by P S Haokip, who is believed to have been born in Nagaland. In a communiqué to the Indian Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, dated 3 December 1996, Haokip categorically stated that the government of India must not treat the Nagas as the sole owners of the hills of Manipur, the interest of the Kukis must be safeguarded and “the Kuki aspirations and demands for an enclave, be it in whatever form — a statehood or a protectorate country, still stands”. A copy of this communiqué was made available to The Statesman by one T Antone Haokip, director of information and publicity of the KNO on the official letterhead of the Provisional Government of Kukigam (Kukiland) dated 20 August 1997. It was around this time that one of the most prominent Kuki politicians of Manipur, former minister and member of Parliament, Holkhomang Haokip, had said that “we will achieve Kukiland only in heaven”, ridiculing the idea of a “Kukiland on earth”. The KNF did not take this too kindly and threatened to kill him. He still has not changed his stance. Speaking to The Statesman recently, he said that “as good Christians we Kukis must know we are all passers-by on earth and our true home is in heaven”. But then he had this to say about Manipur chief minister Ibobi Singh, “The Nagas are angry with him and now the Kukis are also going to get angry with him... what is the harm in talking, as talking does not mean that you are going to give in to the demands”. The irony of the demand for Kukiland now lies in the fact that the KNF, the original vocal propagator of the idea, is now with the United People’s Front, the other umbrella organisation of the Kuki-Zomi militants, that is now observing a Suspension of Operations with the Centre and the state.The UPF has categorically stated that it does do not back the idea of a separate Kuki state to be carved out of Manipur, while the KNO, which has since emerged as the other umbrella organisation of Kuki militants and which has also signed an SoO, has openly backed the demand for the creation of a state for Kukis, so much so that it recently declined to sign an extension of the SoO agreement, arguing that the Centre must give it in writing that political dialogue would commence soon following which they would be prepared to sign an extension for three months, and not a year, like the UPF. The latter’s standpoint is for an autonomous Kuki administration within Manipur, somewhat akin to the Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam. But political rhetoric apart, tribe and clan dynamics account for a lot regarding the actions of the Kuki and Zomi revolutionary groups. It is believed that particular clans of the Kuki-Thadou tribe would have an armed group which, in turn, would have a Kuki politician backing it, or vice-versa. Even one group, the United Kuki Liberation Front, is said to have been propped up by their arch enemy, the NSCN(IM). Then there is the great Kuki-Paite divide as witnessed in the fratricidal killings in Churachandpur in 1996-1997, which was also the time when present health minister and Paite leader Phunzathang Tonsing, who was then MPCC-I president, stated “Paites are not Kukis” and the Gangtes identified themselves as a Mizo tribe to distance themselves from both the groups. Central to the demand for a Kukiland lies the motive of historical revenge on the Nagas, according to social scientist Homen Thangjam. He told The Statesman that the message was that the Nagas could not and should not hope for a political solution to their problem bypassing the Kukis, meaning the reality of Kuki pockets in Naga areas. Observers have, however, said that given the fact that the Kukis have not been able to convert the Kuki-dominated Sadar Hills area into a full-fledged revenue entity in view of the opposition from the Nagas, contending that the Sadar Hills formed an integral part of Senapati district, which is primarily a Naga district. The idea of a Kuki state comprising areas covering Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel districts, which the Nagas are claiming to be part of their Greater Nagalim or land, seems far fetched under the present circumstances, the observer added. It was also said that at the height of the Naga-Kuki ethnic killings, “both sides were mad but the Nagas have a method in their madness, the Kukis have none”. Manipur at the moment seems headed for yet another period of uncertainty, with more blockades and bandhs in the offing. Source: IFP

Who really is the foreigner Apropos to the International Meetei Forum’s allegation and branding of Kuki-Chins as foreigners…

Who really is the foreigner Apropos to the International Meetei Forum’s allegation and branding of Kuki-Chins as foreigners… By Sasang Suantak* As a result of Kuki state demand being put forward more assertively there has been many hue and cry regarding the history and origin of the Kukis recently. Some unscrupulous social leaders have been to the extent of branding the kukis as newcomer and foreigner. And, recently one meetei organisation accused the kukis of being a foreigner who migrated to Manipur only in the middle part of the 19th Century A.D. i.e., 1850. They further claimed that the migration and influx is still happening today. The body is also alarmed over the allegedly rapid increased of Kuki-Chin population. The International Meetei forum put kuki population of Manipur at 8 lakhs and confidently put kuki population in 1881 A.D. at 8108. The forum put its word skillfully and it would have made ignorant readers believe about their claims on the facts and figures they put forward. When I carefully go through the forum’s words it really confuses me, the forum talk about the history and origin of the Kuki-Chin as a whole when sometime it seems they are referring only to the Thadou-Kukis and Sadar Hills. But when it claim Kuki population of Manipur at 8 lakhs i realised they were referring to all Kuki-Chin nationality. The writer intention is only to enlighten people about the concocted figures, facts and history put forward by the said forum. All Kuki-Chin population of Manipur put together is roughly 5 lakhs. Regarding the origin and migration the writer’s ancestors were already in Thanlon Area of South Manipur in 1820 at the time of the young Lushai chief Vannuailiana Sailo. When the writer’s ancestors arrive here in 1820 there were several Kuki-Chin villages which are a hundred years older. It is also an undisputed fact that some Kuki-Chin tribe like the Komrem family originated from Lushai Hills and the Maring- Tarau- Lamkang- Anal etc. originated from Fallam and Halkha areas of Chin. Hills are here for the last 700years or more years already. Of course there are a few Lushai who migrated from Mizoram as a result of the 1961 famine and MNF movement; also there are some Kuki-Chin from Chin Hills and Kabow Valley who migrated to their Northern Frontier areas which later came to be known as South Manipur and Sadar Hills. But this wandering halted in the later part of the 19th century A.D. And not only does the migration stop it rather continued in anti-clock wise beginning from the early part of 20th century A.D. Many Kuki-Chin of Manipur began migrating and move towards Kabaw Valley, Chin Hills, Mizoram, NC Hills,Kale Valley, Karbi anglong, south Cachar, Meghalaya, Nagaland, etc. Now in contrary to what the forum claimed there are over 3 lakhs Chin-Kuki-Mizo in those areas who has move out or migrated from areas which we called today as Manipur. And this exodus or migration from Manipur and not into Manipur is still continuing till today. As for instance keep aside the small and insignificant exoduses, over 2000 Kuki-Chin has already migrated to Israel from Manipur in the last 2 decades and more than 40,000 Kuki-Chins from south Manipur mainly Vaiphei, Paite, Gangte, Simte, Zo, fled the 1997-1998 conflict in Churachandpur and took refuge in Mizoram and Assam, more than half have not returned till date. Today, no Kuki-Chin will never ever leave Kabaw Valley or Chin Hills for Manipur because its par with leaving Cannan and heading for Egypt. In fact, it is the other way round. The Thadou-Kuki population has indeed increased in a faster pace than its cousin tribe since the last 2 Century. This is not because of any influx; this would be understood by Anthropologist who had keenly observed the Thadou culture. All Kuki-Chin especially the Thadou-Kuki culture is to set up a new village starting with only 5-10 households, the new family in the new village will try producing many children as possible and populates the village quickly. Then within a span of 30-40 years the new born village will give birth to another new hamlet or village. The Thadou-Kuki chooses to create a new hamlet rather than expanding or developing the old village. This is the reason why there are very few Thadou-Kuki village which are a hundred years old. One factor attributing to the rapid population growth of the Thadou-Kuki is that before Christianity came Thadou girls will get married as early as 14-15 years and for boys 16-17 years is the right time for marriage. By this way as much as 7-8 generations are fitted within a century whereas cousin tribe like the Vaipheis will have only 3-5 generations within a century. Thus the Thadou-Kukis do better than Malthusian Theory. However, sometimes Malthusian Theory doesn’t always apply to every community. For instance, in the first half of the 19th Century A.D., ie. Before 1850, population of Fallam-Poi in Chin Hills was some 23,000 and the population of Sukte-Teddim was less than 8000 at that time. Owing to certain social and cultural factor, today Teddims population is over One lakhs Fifty thousand and Falam population stood at roughly Forty thousand only. If we were to really search for the real foreigners in this geographical area of what we called today as Manipur, I am confident we would sure find them but not among the Nagas or Kuki-Chin but in the plain, among the Meetei speaking population. It is a well known fact that there are hundreds of thousands Bengali and Cachari being absorbed in the Meetei community. The more than 3 lakhs Meetei-Pangal too are a recently introduced community. Further many Kuki-Chin tribes are absorbed within the Meetei society in course of history. In fact, the early Meetei tribe was a fragmented Zo(Kuki-Chin-Mizo) tribe. Whatsoever one thing is very very clear that the Meeteis were always in close proximity with the Kuki-Chin-Mizo. The Puranas also spoke about Manipur Valley that it was not fit for human habitation for a long time. So where is the question of foreigners or original settlers? If the Kuki-Chins are foreigners then the land they inhabited is a foreign land too. South district of Manipur was sometimes claimed by some Meetei Kings and try to assert their suzerainty over the area however claiming something and having them in actual is two different things. Of course some Meetei Kings had some influence in the South districts of Manipur but so do the Sukte Kings and Lushai Chiefs claims South Manipur as theirs too. In fact no chief from South district had never ever paid tribute to any Meetei King, some chief presented things to Meetei Kings as a token of love and friendship but they were never a tribute. South district never pay tribute to any Lushai chief either. As a matter of fact some chief from South district paid tribute to Kamhau-Sukte(Teddim) king. One Lushai chief by name Vannuailiana Sailo asserted hi suzerainty over the whole of South district, he even marched till Loktak Lake occasionally, and he even raided many Meetei villages near Moirang and Kumbi. However this doesn’t mean that Loktak Lake was the boundary of Sailos Chiefdom or kingdom. So, some pseudo-Meetei historian too should stop claiming whatever they pleased to base on some flimsy historical incident. In the middle part of the 19th century a full scale war broke out between the Meetei king Chandrakirti and the king of Teddim area Kamhau. Goukhothang Guite was harassing some Meetei subjects in the Southern frontiers of Chandrakirti kingdom, Goukhothang Guite of Hansip village and his predecessors always paid allegiance to the king of Sukte or Teddim-Chin. The cause of the war as mentioned was that Goukhothang Guite of south district harassing a Meetei subject; however the real deal was the suzerainty over this vast south district between Kamhau and Meetei king. Kamhau defeated Chandrakirti easily with the help of Guite-Paite, Sizang-Suantaks, Vaipheis, Zou, Saijang,etc. So Kamhau always claimed the northern districts which are Southern district for Manipur as his tributary. So I again wonder where the question of foreigner arises now here in Southern district of Manipur or Northern district for the Tedim king. Prior to 1947, there was no political boundary. It was only after when the British left that the question of political boundary arises. Before that where was the question of permanent settler or for that matter migration. We are the same people who happened to be divided into two countries. As claimed by the forum and shown in the map includes Teddim area where the Kuki-Chin dwelled since the beginning where is the question of foreigner or illegal migration. This implies that the forum based its claim on pseudo-historian and pseudo-social scientist. The writer main concerned is not with the Kuki state demand however disturbs with the branding of foreigners by those half witted pseudo-historian and social scientist. If the Kuki-Chin were really demanding a war as the forum has said, would not the Kuki-chins people of Manipur first mobilise support from Chin state, Mizoram, Kale-Kabaw valley,etc. But no, they did not. *The writer can be reached at zabiekneilut@gmail.com

Landlord thulimlou and Numei thulimlou te ziak a kathil tuahte.....

Ka experience kon share zek di. Nibang zah hiam paita a ka inn uh ana kiluh in cin, aluh tu le ka inn neipa mah, kou le chu amah dia gingta but sure lou compalint le bawl tuan lou a cih leh a luh zoh nitak ua nitak a hong hoh un chin kisu buai a cih leh inn neipan zingcia napawt di uh honchi.A zoh a zingciang dak 10am a police station ah deposit kon pe di uh ci in chin koule a cih hun a amuntung amau le hngpai uh azoh a kava pawt zual di hn na ngak ua ci incin kou le ngak acih leh aman lehkha khat hn tawi incin FIR hn file khum sawm ana hi case tuam tuam a unlawful activities,bringing girls in the primises,not paying rent on time,disturbing neighbour cia case hn file khum sawm ana hi laizang.

Inspector pa kiang a amah vapai masa acih leh azawh a kou hn sam uh lutphet tut le tu man nailou Inspector pan hiaite murder case ah book ua hn ci ta mai chu chi sa vit2 mai nak heh lotel kikou ek a cih leh Inspector pa le heh lotel hon boxing phei, azoh a room khat a hon khum khom uh ka roommate te thum toh thudot na hon neita uh, kallui a misipen nou thah hia khong honchi ta uh chu nakbuai huai ei,azhohchia nou kizuakte khong tonpih zel mw khong honchi uh huaiban a nou na innkiang te uh le subuai gige hilou mw zukham gige khong honchi uh nak thangpaih huailua himai. A zoh a room khat a honsam lut uh koule huaia vapai achih leh chair a hontu sak ta a bosste khat honglut ta a cihleh constable ahon guard pan huai a honglut pa kiang a banga na book dek uh a chi inchin kanada pau a a cih leh huaipan section 305 ah chi.

Huaitak a kenle section 305 kha murder te ki book na ahi chih theikhia eheh hiaite lawi in mithatdan a hon ngoh sawm uh eive maw chi inga ka lungchu buaita e vit2 mai. A boss pa un paper khat hon sign sak dek huaile kanada pau a kigelh enlah bangmah kisim thei lou ahih chia sign utlou.Huaitak a amau le loh ngaih na honthei lou uh diklou hinteh chi uh hidi Inspector pan thu hon dong koule ka inn neipa uh omdan teng gen a khamtheih hihdan te khong genvek azoh a amaule huaipa thudong uh a dotchiang ua aman lah bangmah gennuam lou, a chih leh koule honman nailou uh ka phone le mang hinchiin huai kagen leh huai apan investigation kana bawldi uh chia kou hohkhah phot uh.A chihleh a zingchiang a police ASI pan hon call inchin na phone kamuta uh a gutule na inn neipa mah uh ahi chi. Koule ka theih phet phet ua police station a va hawh ngal .

A chih leh ASI pan room a inn neipa le ana om achih leh ASI pan na inn neipa kiang uah sum singkhat na ngetdi uh huaiban a deposit teng teng le tuni a nonpiak di na chih di uh ahi honchita huachia nonpiak keile jail a nalut di uh ahi na chih di uh.Koule a mah chih bang2 a hih huai ka zawh ua amanle na phone uh kamuta a chia kenle kipahman a za nga pia .ASI panle vapai phot un honchi a poimoh chiah kon call di chi,huaizoh a koule innlam a vapaiphot ann khong va ne azhoh a hon call nawn koule vapai nawn acih leh amanle a room a honsam nawn. Huaitak ka gentak louh daih a thil hon genta Northeast numeite non zonsak di ahi noumi te nuam ahi honchita keile ka hehtha naksuah lua himai kenle direct a ken kuamah theilou kahi mi huchi bang kachi leh aman hiai honchi ta. Zanlam ale nou mite khat in laptop sumang inchin kamusak ahi huainu le ka utdan dan a ka ziar theih ahi hon chita chu daknang om keitel mai eimite hichi phet ihi uh a omlel.Aman huchia nonmuh sak kei uhleh na deposit uhle namu kei di uh honchi zomah lai, huai kaki houzoh ua koule inn lam painawn ta.

A next day a hon call nawn keile police station a vapai nawn huchia amah room a koule vaki hounawn ta ,aman nang na di hon sepsak zouta kahi keina di nonsepsak keileh nang nadi le hon sepsak nawnloudi kahi honchi keile heh lomah2 ing a huchi numei deih nahih leh kizon ve khong chi ekek inga na ut keh sem nonkoh poikei chi inga kenle ngaihle ngaihsak nawnlou inga kapai san veng2 mai.Ka deposit uhchu half muzou ham2 a cut diteng a cut zohnung a aguta chiangta ahih chia amahle pau ngam nawnlou,huchia vamawk bawl theih mawklou aihchia aziak chu amau khotual ahih chiang ua huchin vaki beih pih2 leng a gang tuam2 tetoh hongpang di unchin thuak khak ek theih ahih chia azoh a ka innluah nale kasuan vengveng mai. Eimi numeite thulimlou khenkhat omziak a enle kithuak kha himai,indiect tak a i paudi bang ale kipau ngamlou inchin thil buaihuai pi khat hongsuak,ana chekhialte chu bangmah poilou himah leh ei northeast(mongoliod) te teng2 honteng hon sukha ban ahih man in akuakua le hong pilvan mahmah uh deihhuai kasa mahmah mai mi hon simawh louh nading in.