Open Letter to all the Kuki Leaders for Peaceful Co-existence

By Donvero Pou *

Silence is sometimes taken as an act of cowardice due to ignorance which may lead to a grievous mistake. Most people in the villages lack vision and systematic planning but I do believe it is the responsibility of the intellectuals and thinkers to correct the mentality of the villagers or else all the system will have to be blame.

Land remains the single-most important physical possession for all the humanity, particularly for the Meeitei, the Naga and the Kuki peoples. In short, dominance over the land, which would apparently measure one's social status and temporal power.

And here in this very letter I would like to appeal all the Kuki intellectuals to control and monitor their semi-educated self-proclaimed leaders, especially in the four district (i.e. Chandel, Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Senapati) as they have gone beyond the limits, time and again.

To begin with, let us first go back to the history of 1830-40 A.D. as to who are the indigenous settlers of the land. No doubt, the meeteis are in the valley and the Nagas in the hills but the Kukis according to K. Gyanendra Singh, 'Understanding the Ethnic Faultliness in Manipur: A Historical Perspective'
"The Kukis were a wandering race. They were first heard in 1777 during the Governor Generalship of Warren Hastings, when these tribes frequently attacked the British subjects in Chittagong. They were, however, heard in Manipur in between 1830 and 1840. In 1845, their large scale migration caused anxiety to…… In order to bring a solution to the problem, Mc Culloh, the then Political Agent of Manipur, allotted land and settled them down in such a manner that they act as guards on exposed frontiers. Following Mc Culloh's policy, in 1855 the British Government settled a large colony of Kuki to…… act as a barrier against the Naga raids….."

These three ethnic groups should understand and respect the historical background of each other or else anything can happen as human being, a rational animal will be compelled to die in dignity rather than to live with humiliation.

Of course, in this present world talking about dominance over the land seems to be very rhetoric but the actuality is that, it still happens to be very much intact with us.

The world is crazy and it is still continuously fighting even now to control the land since time immemorial. So now the question for you to ponder upon is – Why have the Nagas been so tolerant even when the Kuki brothers harassed the Nagas in their very home? This very question can be read in different dimensions.

Firstly, Nagas want to live in peace as a Christian community.

Secondly, Nagas respect your rights to survive as a social animal forgiving your history for peaceful co-existence.

Thirdly, to make my statement more clearer let me use a metaphor here – What will you say if you and your family are assaulted by a not very welcoming guest in your very home from time to time, what will be your last option to let your near and dear ones live in peace?

I believe as a man of dignity you will have only three options to solve the problem-
1. Kick him out from the house.
2. Beat him up and make him understand till he correct himself for good.
3. Find a way to let him go with dignity.

Here let me tell you, we may be compelled to take anyone of the above options. As forgiving the wrong doers every time may not be possible even though majority of the Nagas are Christian by religion.

So I kindly request all the Kuki intellectuals to wisely teach the roadside villagers and town dwellers (specially the Kuki Taphou and Kangpoki) to respect one another before it is too late.

As every incident begins from a single unthoughtful act consequently leading to an irreparable history which may pave a way for another – 'Politics of Ethnic Cleansing' as termed vexedly used by T.S. Gangte in his book 'Struggle for Identity and Land among the Hill Peoples of Manipur'.

Our silence should not be mistaken as cowardice but instead should be regarded as a sign of maturity, understanding the future. Please do not simply bully around the highway, beating up the owner of the land and create unnecessary problem every now and then and awake the sleeping LION inside the Nagas, who are also known as the head-hunters.

Enough is enough.

With Love

Donvero Pou
Senapati Bazaar