Sardar Hills and Its Impact

 

SARDAR HILLS & ITS IMPACT

Nimi Kamei,
A Naga Research and Analysis
Tahamzam (Spt)

 

I strongly believe that no Nagas will ever oppose to the democratic aspiration of the Kuki brothers, to the demand for a separate district or even a state if it is really genuine. Nobody can deny anybody the “Right to Live” under their own administrative conveniences but any kinds of demands should never be beyond imagination to themselves as well as to their immediate neighbours. No demands can be possible in a democratic country like India without taking the confidence of the immediate neighbour and the rightful (read it as indigenous) owner of the land.

SOME FEW FACTS:

1.Taphou Phyamai Village with approximate household of 125 (the well known Mt. Everest College is under this village), only 2 kilometres south of Senapati main bazaar, under Senapati Town Area Council, 101% dominated by the Poumai Naga and Mao Naga tribes in and around the Village is also under Sadar Hills Map.
2. Oklong village one of the oldest Liangmai Naga villages situated approximate 23 kilometres north and 30 kilometres south of Nagaland border is also under the demands of Sadar Hills. Not even a single Kuki village exists at the radius of 27 kilometres or may be even more.
3. Saikul town area dominated by the Thangal Naga tribes from time immemorial till 1992 is now dominated by the Kuki community yet most of the land is still rightfully own by the original settlers.
5. Irong village, headquarters of the Southern Tangkhul Naga Baptist Association (STNBA), south of Saikul, in the tri-junction of Ukhrul-Thoubal-Imphal East district, under Saikul sub-division is very much a part of Senapati district, and the neighbouring villages are all Tangkhul and a few Maring villages.
6. Kangpokpi town and the vicinity, a thick forest area till the advent of British and Christianity very much belongs to the Maram, Thangal and Zeliangrong. (I was told that the Christian Missionary took the permission from the Nagas to establish Theological College and Hospital at Kangpokpi. I’m also told that even the Kukis paid annual tax to the neighboring Naga villages for living in their land even after 1947.)
7. Makhan village and the surrounding Naga villages near Sekmai. If we were to believe the Manipur history books and the scholars than that area used to be Meetei Raja’s favorite hunting spot but always on the permission from the Nagas and in returned the Maharaj sent special gifts annually to the entire neighbouring Naga village Chiefs.
8. The most beautiful part is the census, let the Government of Manipur official figures of the various sub-division and its number of villages do all the talking.

(For convenience let me use N=Naga, K=Kuki, Ne=Nepali).

SADAR HILLS WEST SUB-DIVISION –
1971 = 58 Villages (34N, 11Ne, 13K)
1981 = 77 villages (36N, 15Ne, 26K)
2001 = 150 villages (49N, 32Ne, 69K)
SADAR HILLS EAST SUB-DIVISION-
1971 = 173 villages (114 N, 59 K )
1981 = 189 villages (116 N, 73 K)
2001 = 295 villages (124 N, 171 K)

SAITU GAMPHAZOL SUB-DIVISION-
1971 = 71 villages (41 N, 29 K, 1 Ne)
1981 = 87 villages (45 N, 41 K, 1 Ne)
2001 = 178 villages (61 N, 115 K, 2 Ne)

MAO-MARAM SUB-DIVISION-
1971 = 52 villages (49 N, 2 K, 1 Ne)
1981 = 78 villages (69 N, 2 Ne, 7 K)
1991 = 85 villages (82 N, 2 K, 1 Ne)
PURUL SUB-DIVISION-
1971 = 21 villages (all Naga)
1981 = 24 villages (all Naga)
1991 = 27 villages (all Naga)

PAOMATA SUB-DIVISION-
1971 = 11 villages (all Naga)
1981 = 14 villages (all Naga)
1991 = 20 villages (all Naga)

Number of Kuki villages doubled in all the SADAR HILLS and some even tripled while the Nagas villages remains almost the same even after 40 years (30 years in three sub-division**). Now, its 10 years and the Kuki villages must have even increased by 10 times of 2001.
**Mao-Maram, Paomata and Purul sub-division is not available for 2001 Census. I wonder why the abnormal growth rates of Kukis were mentioned whereas the normal growth rates of the Nagas were neglected.

Now, I believe that this official figure and the ‘Demand Map’ may make much sense and change the perspective of our discussion for the demand of the Sadar Hills District in Senapati District. Residing along the NH-39 and the bogus census does not necessarily give any rights to rightfully claim the occupied LAND as YOURS. NO LAND CAN BE TAKEN AWAY WITHOUT THE WILL OF THE RIGHTFUL OWNER, IF AT ALL TAKEN BY FORCE, THAN THAT’S THE BIGGEST CRIME.

“Do we ever expect the villagers to sign the agreement or vote in favour to part their ancestral land to a new district which may never benefit them? Before giving any conclusion, please remember that no proud citizen wants to be a minority in their own land”.

CAUTION!
Naga frontal civil organisation like SDSA, TKS, ZSUM, NPO, ANSAM and UNC have already voiced their concerned and warn the consequences to the Manipur state government for bifurcating of Naga areas without their consent for creation ‘Sadar Hills District’, would not be neglected.  Ignoring Naga voices will result a communal hatred and bloodshed, even worse than 1990s Naga-Kuki clash and June 18, 2001 uproar. And, even bigger DISINTEGRATE MANIPUR is expected, instead our Meitei brothers much concerned for MANIPUR INTEGRITY. Henceforth Nagas will not tolerate those elements and the government of Manipur will be held responsible for any untoward incidents arising out of it.