Protective Thinking: The Current Status of Naga-Kuki Relations in Manipur (Part-I)

The Nagas’ and Kukis’ in Manipur are in a state of political hangover thanks to intense contest for winning the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat and may not want to be distracted by other topics except on election. Elections will come and go but will the Nagas and Kukis stays forever in Manipur deemed by them as temporary shelter house? Their relations will decide their fate.

Beyond Ethnicity
To carry out meaningful debate in any topic, one has to think beyond ethnicity. I shall do my best to present my unbiased observations and my understanding of Naga-Kuki relations with concise reference to past, counting the present atmosphere for the sake of harmonious future.

Turning History pages to understand current status of Naga-Kuki relations
To truly understand Naga-Kuki relations, one has to carefully start turning pages of history without any iota of biasness; here history implies under what circumstances, these two ethnic groups came into contact with each other for the first time in the distant past as consequences of past dealings still haunts them. And what really transpired after they came into contact, whether they first met as friends, well wishers or as enemy, one group trying to finish the other. Without clear understanding of the first phase of their encounter, history will be distorted uninterruptedly by certain interest groups.

Taking responsibility of Historical wrongs:
Making the matter worst, the concept of acknowledging historical wrongs done by predecessors has no takers; instead every wrongs are justified, which further strain today’s relations. Disastrous consequences unleashed in the past as these two ethnic groups came into contact for the first time and in recent past while pursuing extreme ethnic nationalist goals appears not to have taught any lessons. In fact, observing the attitudes of the current decision makers reveals a disturbing atmosphere.

Contested Claim to Manipur Hills
The claims of being the traditional landowners of Manipur Hills has not find any consensus winner as both ethnic groups depends on their own source of history to be hundred percent accurate. It is essential that historical truth need to be acknowledged duly to come to a permanent settlement but reaching a timely compromise between Nagas’ and Kukis’ is unlikely as their distinct history drives the agenda of ethnic nationalism.

My short reviews on the debate
Kukis Inputs
One Kuki writer wrote that the rich cultural heritage and neat administrative setup i.e. the Kukis’ chieftainship system enabled their predecessors to rule over the Nagas in Manipur Hills, as a result the several Naga villages paid tribute to the Kuki chiefs. Thus, he claimed that all the hills of Manipur belong to the Kukis. Based on accounts of colonial writers and traditional account, it is proven that Kuki chiefs of the past could easily subdued and uproot several Naga villages since Naga social set up was a village republic where inter village feud dominates their social, economic and political life. But he will be exaggerating if he meant all Naga villages paid tributes. All that changed with the rise of AZ Phizo lead Naga movement, Phizo could gain solid support from fellow kindred Naga tribesman living in Manipur hills as they had suffered terribly for such a long time at the hands of powerful and well organized New Kuki groups and Meitei Kings. Had the Kukis’ and Meities’ been nice and cool to the Nagas, I feel Naga Nationalist Movement won’t find a hold in Manipur. So now employing the rhetoric of Kacha Nagas or absence of Nagas in Manipur would not make up for the past dominance. In fact, Kukis must not forget that when Meiteis’ speak of Manipuri unity it include Kukis’ too.

Nagas inputs
That Kukis are refugees from Burma, arriving late and settling in their ancestral lands with British help. To support the Kukis’ refugee theory, Naga writers would present hard evidences such as Government of Manipur reports on resettling Kuki Refugees, administrative reports of British Political Agents, extractions from history books by colonial writers and contemporary writers, order passed by then President of Manipur State Darbar.

My reviews on the debate
Nagas’ and Kukis’ will not make any political gains in this generation by debating for infinity and failing to settle territorial disputes. Rather it is time to focus on taking equal responsibilities for the hurt caused to each other in the past and finds a way out. In the end, people cannot decide everything from historical point of view shutting our eyes to the contemporary political reality. And younger generation should not be automatically swayed away by the ethos of being victims which older generations are really good at propagating in order to win sympathy and support of the youths. I urged the readers again to analyse how their predecessors treated each other when they first met and also count from the first year and not starting from 1880, 1917 or 1992 onwards.

Nagas and Kukis in the same situation
Therefore the young minds must seriously learn to start thinking beyond ethnicity in order to construct their relations for the sake of harmonious future, before they replace the older generation not forgetting that past generations had hurt each other, more so, the present generation are in the same situation whether they like each other or not.

Mr. Pakinrichapbo (Advocate)
Samziuram Village, Peren, Nagaland