IT News
Imphal, Jan 21:
The recent release of the Book entitled The Anglo —Kuki War 1917-19 ,Victory in defeat” authored by Colonel Vijay Chenji said to be a book from a military perspective is fine but the title is misleading For when he said “Anglo-Kuki” it implies that there existed a Kuki State in Manipur as a political entity or a Kuki Nation, a statement by the Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL) said.
The Book was released at the office of the Kuki Inpi in Churachandpur four days back.
A statement by the organization said that the bulk of the present day Kuki population came into Manipur from Burma or present day Myanmar and the Lushai Hills present day Mizoram. During the time when W. McCulloh was the British Political Agent stationed in Imphal between 1844-1862.They were allowed to settle down in Manipur by McCulloh under his plan to plug exposed frontiers of the State. They were termed as the new Kukis as against the old Kukis comprising tribal groups such as the Anals and Lamkangs who are now classified as Nagas .The new Kukis consisted mostly of the Thadous and cognate tribes. They are collectively called Khongsais by the Manipuri Meiteis.
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 hardship 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 17’March 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.This spoke volumes of the ferodity of the Kukis.lt 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 this 3 years long conflict than they suffered during the 1891 war with Manipur. But the Kukis had during the conflict had opened up new fronts when they began attacking the Nagas notably at Chingjaroi in Ukhrul and in Tamenglong..Altogether 289 Nagas and four Meiteis were killed and 34 Naga Villages were burnt down in the process too.
“We respect and salute the brave Kukis who rose against the Imperial British colonial policies. We also know that earlier Kings of Manipur had utilized the services of the kukies as a Militia and when King Gambhir Singh raided Kohima his army consisted of the Kuki Militia also. And also in 1949 when the Government of India had annexed Manipur it was only the Kukis that had rushed to the Palace to guard Maharaj Bodhchandra. But what the Meities called the Khongsai Lal and the Thadous themselves refer to it as the Thadou Gall be termed as “Anglo-Kuki” war has larger and longer political implications and seeds have already been sown for a Kuki Homeland by Balkanizing Manipur ,we suggest that the learned Colonel Vijay Chenji to change the title of his book”, the statement by Ngamkheingakpa Luwang, Secretary General, said.
