Kuki Lebensraum By: G.S. Oinam

 Kuki Lebensraum By: G.S. Oinam

Today, the Kuki are hardly remembered as the same people who had played prominent roles at various juncture of history. They are the people whose past had been a story of warlords, Chieftains, heroic struggles and sacrifice. They are perhaps denied the place they deserve in the history, particularly of the recent past. Perverted minds have projected the Kukis as a people with no significant history. This is utter nonsense, and rather a manipulation of historical facts. The Kukis should be given a fair deal before such distortion of history crosses the limit. There is hardly any serious acknowledgement of the existence of Kuki living space or lebensraum. This might be owing to lack of information or lack of enthusiasm on the part of academics and others concerned.

Kuki lebensraum is the 'land of freedom', a land where one can freely move about. The linguistic survey of India, Vol. III, part III, by G.A. Grierson, published in 1904 by government of India, provides a general idea of the geographical spread of Kukis' living space. An excerpt is reproduced as follows:

During First World War, the Kukis started rising with a new vigour against the British, which lasted for here years (1917-1919). This time, too, the Kukis could not do any substantial damage to the mighty British Empire. They suffered untold miseries and vigorous repression at the hands of the British. Then, in the early 1940's, hundreds of Kukis joined the Indian army (I) and fought the British, yet again. More than one hundred and fifty INA pensioners are still alive.

Both India and Burma were given political emancipation in 1947. Even then the same political dispensation of the British raj continued. Administrative arrangements of the previous colonial regime became the edifice upon which the new orders were built. The boundary lines of the new nations and their states fragmented the entire Kuki lebensraum. This is a tragic reality. To make matters worse a series of ill conceived, half-hearted, myopic, legislations and policies made things worse for the Kukis, both in India and Myanmar.

Freedom and Sovereignty was what Kukis possessed in their land. Their territory stretches from the Chindwin River in the east, the Naga Hills in the north, North Cachar Hills in the west and the Chittagong hill tracts in the south. Until about a century ago these hills were not largely populated. The Kukis reigned supreme over these hills and moved about freely as an eagle in flight.

The erstwhile Kuki lebensraum, as indicated earlier, still remains identifiable. By signing the treaty of 1834, the British handed over a huge part of it to Burma (Myanmar), only in order to appease the Burmese king. The Kukis resisted the British advance into the Chittagong hills and lower Assam during 1840s to 1860s. But they could not withstand the colonial might and were pushed into the eastern interiors. Nevertheless, every now and then the Kukis continued to menace the British imperialistic designs. Therefore, the British instituted a boundary commission to weaken Kuki, and so ignoring their living space, demarcation between Manipur (India) and Burma came into effect in 1898. By this demarcation the Kukis were put under two separate administrations and their territory was dismembered.

Territory inhabited by the Kuki tribes extends from the Naga Hills in the North down into the Sandoway district of Burma in the south; from the Myittha River in the east, almost to the Bay of Bengal in the west.

Who are the Kukis?

The tribes Aimol, Anal, Chiru, Chongloi, Chothe, Hangsing, Doungel, Gangte, Guite, Haokip, Hmar, Kipgen, Kom, Lhungdim, Lamkang, Lunkim, Changsan, Lenthang, Thangneo, Kolhen,

Lhangum, Lhanghal, Milhem, Maring, Mate, Mozo-Monshang, Paite, Sithon, Lhouvum and Singsit, Simte, Baite Tarao, Touthang, Vaphei, Zou, etc., may loosely be put under one egalitarian ethnic entity called Kukis.

However, some of these tribes mentioned above have been assimilated into Naga. This is because of a fear psychosis perpetrated by the bloody ethnic cleansing carried out by the

National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM). However, they are racking back them genealogy to define themselves as Kuki or Naga.