Editor,
There were over-expectations from the visit of the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah that he would give clear answers on the demand for the Inner Line Permit. But his tentativeness on the matter and as reports came in that Shah did take much interest in the matter except for a few grins and smiles there was a sense of being let down. In my opinion the ILP issue should have been left to the civil society pressure groups. Our elected representatives should have spoken more on the inter-state border issue with Assam, on investment, improvement of the existing state infrastructure in all sectors and above all ensuring that our educated youth have access to jobs in centrally funded institutions. Unfortunately, all that was hardly discussed. The MLA from Mawkyrwat briefed the Home Minister about an incomplete road project in his area. We are lagging behind in so many areas and sectors and unemployment is soaring. Will the ILP help in reducing this unemployment scenario? What has been proven yet again is that our MLAs have no vision for the state. Each one thinks only of his/her constituency.
Yours etc.,
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar
Shillong
Facts are sacred; opinions free
Editor,
Apropos of the letter by TS Haokip published on July 21, 2021 the writer has not refuted what I wrote on July 13, 2021. By referring to the book, “The Anglo-Kuki war, 1917-1919: A Frontier Uprising Against Imperialism During the First World War,” published by Routledge, the writer tries to reaffirm that the Kuki resistance against the British was a great Anglo-Kuki war primarily in defence of their ancestral land. The book he referred to, is an edited book in which majority of the contributors of the papers are Kukis. Therefore, he is not providing any substantial evidence to support his grossly distorted statement earlier. It is as good as producing one more copy of the previous one without producing new evidence to the contested point.
Another so called evidence he has brought is: “The British Museum currently displays “Thinkho-Malcha” which is a customary oath performed by the Kuki chiefs when declaring war against the invading British in 1917”. This only refers to that historical event of protest movement against the forcible recruitment for the Labour Corps during the First War in France which I did not deny and which is irrelevant. What I am objecting to, is that he and other Kukis should not unnecessarily glorify and blow out of proportion a protest or resistance movement into a big Anglo-Kuki war of independence.
Almost all the North-East tribal people including the Khasi, Jaintia, Lushai (Mizo), Garo, Dafla (Nyishi), Abor(Adi-Galo), Nagas, Kuki (Thadou) etc, resisted the British initially as a protest movement coupled with perhaps other cumulative reasons and causes. He cites another example to support his case and I quote: “The Kukis, who followed oral tradition of maintaining records and histories would fall victim to suppression of their history if not for the records found in a few books like Colonel W L Shakespear’s history of the Assam Rifles”. It is Colonel L W Shakepear who wrote history of Assam Rifles and not W L Shakespear. Merely mentioning the book or dropping names does not prove anything. No one disputes that L W Shakespear is a chronicler of events though serious historians regard his book on Assam Rifles as bunkum since he did not have proper documents and evidence though he participated in the suppression of Kuki resistance. Haokip has to prove what he claims because I am not denying the event of the Kuki resistance or protest movement against the recruitment of ‘Labour Corp’ for the First World War in France.
In this context, even the Maram Nagas also refused to be recruited in the Labour Corps. Haokip has to produce concrete documents and evidence to show that they fought against the British primarily in defence of their ancestral land. Haokip is contradicting himself by making the following statement: “That Kukis have fought the British at the helm of their glory has been a fact many wish to sweep under the carpet. The British did their best to underplay the great uprising by adopting a strategy to hide their most humiliating encounters”. He repeatedly claims and asserts the so called great war against the British without substantiation. He does not even show the distinction between war and resistance/protest movement. To give one example, the British expeditions against the Angami Nagas lasted nearly half a century from 1832-1880, still I will not call it as the Anglo-Angami Naga war whereas Kuki resistance lasted about three years.
To reiterate my contention, as far as possible, one should be objective, impartial and balanced and not allow subjective biases and prejudices into one’s writing.
To quote another statement of Haokip, “It must be mentioned that Manipur has a history of communal clashes wherein more than thousand Kukis were massacred allegedly by the NSCN (IM) in the 90s”. It is true that in 1959 Kuki-Hmar clash, 1993 Meitei-Pangal clash, 1992-97 Naga-Kuki clash, 1997-1998 Kuki- Paite clash and 2015 Meitei-Kuki clash at Moreh had occurred in the recent past. But while describing the communal clashes he exposes his partial and distorted writing. It is not NSCN-IM that killed the Kukis, rather villagers of both Nagas and Kukis directly or indirectly supported by the respective militants of NSCN-IM and KNA (Kuki National Army) killed each other. For his information, the NNC (Naga National Council) openly condemned the Naga-Kuki conflict as some Kukis from Nagaland state are also in the NNC and other Naga political factions. It is true that the number of casualties and house burning on the side of the Kukis is much higher but that does not mean no Nagas were killed or their houses not burnt. Haokip’s writings are is either one sided or distorted. This is precisely what I am pointing out.
Lastly to quote another statement: “Mao could thus be forgiven for harbouring enmity towards the Kukis and their history”. In pointing out distorted and prejudiced writing, I cannot be accused of having ulterior motives or of harbouring hostility towards the Kukis. My sincere appeal is that in order to prevent future possible communal clashes anywhere one should be as faithful to the facts as possible regarding any past event.
Yours etc.,
Xavier Mao
Department of Philosophy
NEHU, Shillong
Don’t be slaves to social media
Editor,
Nowadays social media is no longer a new thing for the internet literates. Undoubtedly social media has many advantages but this does not mean that it does not have its downsides. The advantages and disadvantages depend on how we use social media. The few negatives include wastage of time and being stalked by cyber-criminals that lure people. What I want to focus on here is that we should know how to use social media. Spending too much time on social media is harming students and the youth because it becomes and addiction. This might affect their academic performance as well as their mental health. Its time to self regulate the use of social media and not allow it to control us. Instead, we should know be holding the remote on social media use. Unless we understand that social media is a servants we are at risk of bringing Albert Einstein’s quote to pass, “I fear the day technology will surpass our human interaction, the world will have a generation of idiots”.
Yours etc.,
Dr. Mebandabha Rabon
Dy.Librarian
Captain Williamson
Memorial Govt. College,
Baghmara