Imphal Times Supplementary issue 2 Editorial Contd. from previous issue Imphal, Thursday June 15, 2017 Mr. CM, it should be Manipur: The Boiling Bowl of Ethnicity By: Dr. Aaron Lungleng Rivers in Imphal and not The Meities attend his coronation ceremony to pay neighbors. Several times, neighboring up till the beginning of the 20th century. According to Iboongohal Singh, “The homage to him. Marjit refused to attend kingdom men and royals pay a visit to Whereas, the Nagas and Meiteis at that only Imphal River original inhabitants of Manipur were the the coronation, which offended the the friendly Naga villages; they were time had already set up a proper village Kiratas (some tribes of Nagas), by that Burmese king. Thus, he sends a large treated as an honored guest due to state on the other hand the Meitie had Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s serious concern to time, Manipur valley was full of water” force under the command of General generations’ contacts through trade established their own kingdom. the flash flood, which had breached River Banks at (Singh, 1987:10). The present valley Maha Bandula to humble Marjit. Has even in the time of headhunting. Their The probability of the Kukis migrating many places, is indeed the need of the hour. There inhabitants (Imphal valley) were known human grateful attitude learnt sympathetic treatment cannot therefore upward from the Burma cannot be may be many reasons of the flash flood which had by different names by their neighbors Meetrabak/ would never face such be taken as conquest in any sense. amenable. But the genesis of the word inundated many homes in valley area but one common prior to being called the Meitei. catastrophe as that brought about by the Today the dynastic princely subjects ‘Kuki’ is woven into confusion and Shans or Pongs, and the Keratis called Burmese conquest and brought under the called the Kangleichas the central valley complexity. It is best guess that the notice is the constructions of structures on the river the area Cassay, the Burmese Kathe, and rule of Awa for the seven years between (Imphal valley), which is made up of term ‘Kuki’ must be given by the bank. the Assamese Meklee. Mythological 1819 and 1826, which is known as Chahi only 700 square miles (Singh, 1980). outsiders. ‘Mora’ Cyclone was considered reasons for heavy origin dates back to 1500 BC begin with Taret Kuntakpa in the history of The origin of the Meiteis cannot The precise description of rains in NE states particularly in Manipur and the reign of the “Konchin Tukthapa Ipu Meitreibak until the British East India be precisely determined from the Kuki by G. A. Grierson reveals in his subsequent floods and Mudslide in the state during Athoupa Pakhangpa” (Pakhangpa was Company’s interest to conquest the literature available. Horam observed Linguistic Survey of India, Voll-III, the name given to him meaning “The one southeast Asia surface in 1834 (Anglo that the origin of the Meiteis is obscure Part-III, Culcutta, 1904, P. 23 that, the June first week. who knows his father”). He gave birth Burmese War). Then on, Meitreipak (Horam 1990, 4). Scholars differ Kukis, are migrants, shifting their When the impact of the Mora Cyclone flood is yet to to seven clans. 1. Mangang, 2. Luwang, fought for British Suzerainty during the sharply in their opinion on whether the village sites every 4 or 5 years and be recovered Monsoon Rains started sprinkling to 3. Khuman, 4. Angom, 5. Moirang, 6. Battle of Yangon (May–December Meiteis are Aryans or Mongoloids. never take to permanent irrigation and neutralize the summer hit. The nature’s cycle turns Khapa-Nganba, and 7. Salai-leisangthem. 1824), Battle of Danubyu (March–April There are those who claim that the terraced rice cultivation by means of devastation. Overnight torrential rains overflow According to Cheitharol Kumbaba, the 1825), Arakan campaign (February– Meiteis are descendants of Arjuna of irrigation. Their cattle are invariably royal chronicle, Nongda Lairen April 1825), 17 September 1825, Mahabharata and are therefore Aryan ‘Methun’. On the other hand, Nagas almost all major Rivers in Imphal. Several homes were Pakhangba (33–154 AD) was the first an armistice and the Battle of Prome in origin. But the journey of Arjuna to had permanent village sites and inundated living many homeless as River water over ruler and the creator of Meeteileipak or (November–December 1825) until the Manipur by the sea cannot be Manipur/ permanent irrigated and terraced rice flows and breached at many places. Kangleipak (possibly could refer to Burmese were forced to accept the Kangleipak found in the Mahabharata. fields and they keep ordinary Indian Construction of infrastructures on the bank of rivers mosquitoes, ‘kang’=mosquitoes, British terms to end the war, signing Referring the folk tales, the mitei cattle. While Miri, Mrinal (2003) is also one reason for the uncontrolled flash flood . ‘leipak’=land as mentioned in the Nagas the Treaty of Yandabo in February is the younger brother of the Nagas. states that there is no historical folklores that the mosquito menace cause 1826. Therefore, without the representation information about the Kuki before the When Mr. Chief Minister said that his govt. is all set to migrate at a higher altitude). He was Humiliation was not learned yet, of the Nagas, Leiharaoba/Haojongba 19th century. Likewise, Johnstone, for clearing up all construction along the River banks the first historical ruler whose reign he fled from Meitreibak to Cacahar. cannot be observed. This tradition is states that, Kuki settlement in of Imphal River, he did really showed his concerns. began in 33 AD according to Seeing the kindness of the Chachari still practiced till today. “There can be Manipur was started from 1830 But what about other structures that are constructed, the Cheitharol Kumbaba. prince and weaknesses too, the fleeing little doubt that some time or other the (Manipur and Naga Hills, 1896, p. 25) giving obstacle to the river flow at Nambul, Iril, Contradictions surface when recorded prince starts vying conquest to the Naga tribes to the north made one of which affirms that Kukis are the last historical facts are referred. The Cachari territory. In 1819, three brothers their chiefs Rajah of Manipur, and that immigrants into the present northeast Thoubal, Wanjing river etc. Ningthouja/royal dynasty recorded occupied Cachar and drove Govinda his family, while, like the Manchus in states of India. It is has been discussed time and again that the Panheiba (1720-1751) as the first Chandra out to Sylhet. Later, China and other conquerors, adopting Earlier, this Tibeto-Burman massive deforestation that has been taking place in monarch and Bodhchardra Singh (1941- Meidingngu Gambhir Singh (1826– the civilization of the country, retained language speaker Kuki spread catchment area of rivers flowing in Imphal is the 1949) as the last king of the 16 monarchs 1834) with help from the British East some of their old customs. This is throughout northwestern Burma, and cause of this artificial flood. Why don’t our Chief of Kangleipak. Therefore, Horam India Company expelled the Burmese shown in the curious practice of Ranee the Chittagong Hill Tracts of observed that the origin of the Meiteis of Awa from Meitrabak beyond the appearing in Naga costume; also in the Bangladesh. Now in Northeast India, Minister think of some long lasting plan to solve the is obscure (Horam 1990, 4). This has Ningthi Turel (Chindwin River) and palace a house built like a Naga’s, and they are present in all the states except artificial flood. become a subject of endless debate regained the lost Kingdom. wherever he goes, he is attended by two Arunachal Pradesh. “This dispersal The need of the hour is to co-ordinate the Forest (Tarapot 1993, 62). Kumar states that Meidingngu Nara Singh (1844–1850) or three Manipuris with Naga arms and across international borders is a Dept., Ecology and Environment wing as well as other great controversies still persist regarding was the second cousin of Gambhir Singh accoutrements” (Sir James Johnstone, culmination of punitive actions made concern dept. like the IFCD, PWD etc. the origin of the Meiteis (Kumar 2001, and the regent. Kumidini, mother of 1896). From time immemorial Nagas by the British during their occupation 3). This is because most of their written Chandrakirti, was dissatisfied with the and Meitie does not, neither raid or of India” (T. Haokip, 2013). At some Let the future generation talk about the good works of records were composed after they arrangement and fled to Cachar with her conquering. It is suspected that a policy point of time, ‘Chin’ or ‘Kuki’ or Today’s govt. led by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh by became Hindus and therefore are not very son. At the wish of the people of of inflicting one another and subjugation ‘Lushai/Zos’ were compounded taking making sure that no artificial flood occurs in the future. reliable (Bhattarcharya 1963, 180; Dun Meitreibak he ascended the throne in was not adopted between them which as synonymous. It was due to social 1992, 15). 1844 at the age of 51. He then shifted must be due to their bond of common and political isolation even non-Kukis The literature shows that the name of the capital from Langthabal to Kangla descendant/brotherhood. Naturally, by are also at random amalgamate into the the present Manipur was given to this where he reconstructed the two statues origin if the elder brother is a Mongoloid fold of Kuki speciously by the land after the declaration of Hinduism of the Kangla Sha at Uttra made by than, younger brother must belong to outsiders.