With this word of salutation to the Kuki Patriots and leaders who laid down their life for the cause of Kuki future and in honour of the Kuki Inpi’s KNP, Pupa Gam le Nam ngaihna greetings of Chunnu Zogam lei wishes each one us CHIBAI, in the name of Tomngaihna in ‘unity victory’ for the cause of Kuki Statehood.
KUKI STRUGGLE FOR ATTAINMENT OF BIRTH RIGHT
First phase of Struggle: Political autonomy was Kuki birth right of sovereignty, sealed within the Kuki chiefdom called Haosatna Gam or Kuki-Lalna Gam is the ‘Kukiland of freedom’ locally known Zale’n Gam, the Independent Hill Country also known as ‘Kuki Country’.
An excerpt that provides a glimpse of the enormous length and breadth of ‘Kuki country’, demarcated in 1904 by GA Grierson, Superintendent of the Linguistic Survey of India helps us to demarcate the area. It lies within latitudinal lines 20º5˝N to 25º5˝N and longitudinal lines 90º3˝E to 95º4˝E of the world. This is the area is the place where the indigenous group of people came to be known, with the original generic term ‘Kuki’ is the proof of history.
To the Kuki people, land is the source that nurture and feeds human life in the work of spirit. Land is their Lord and primary resource of life’s support. Lal or Haosa is their landlord in which the Big brother Toupa/mi’upa is the head of a person and family depend upon his administration. Political autonomy is the birth right of Kuki human community in their land.
Being aware of colonialist (outsider’s hostility to the Rights of the Indigenous Kuki people) in regards to “Land and People” called Gam le Nam, confrontation began during 1777 CE (common era) during the time of the Colonialist Warren Hasting (Governor general of British India) followed by Great Kuki invasion to tippera (Tripura) in the year 1860 CE. British show Kukis as invader to their occupied territories. Kuki invaders butchered 185 British subjects and carried off about 100 captives as mentioned by A. Mackenzie in his book The North East Frontier of Bengal 1884.
It was one of the historically villain act though it was not constructive for prosperity. Therefore, since it does not established Kuki growth for humanity, it had missed realistic features of development and prosperity.
Second phase of Struggle: The stronger and wiser force of oppression to Kukis during 1917-1919 CE from colonialist was of suppression to the people and they were overruled administratively. This results into political wilderness because Kuki leaders were captured and imprisoned. So absence of leaders resulted into political wilderness. However it is to be noted that the nature of Kuki War leaders who faced prison and their death withhold freedom because they did not surrender to them till today.
Freedom was within them self in their detainment as they were caught for the cause of the people. Their death was atonement for the freedom of future i.e. today. Kuki humanity was chaotic due to the influence of outsiders’ occupational force of suppression. Patriots’ sacrificial effort seems abortive defend for Gam le Nam though their symbolical struggle of thingkho le malcha sounds traditionally great.
The patriots’ offensive against the colonial rule in the form of arm struggle could not hail them as vanquisher. The ideology and tradition of Thingkho le malcha unites them to fight however it could not still establish Kuki Humanity in the ancestral Kukiland of freedom and political wilderness continues.
Third Phase of struggle: Kuki people joined INA and their acknowledgment of freedom granted to India (1947) and Burma (1948) as freedom for them was politically hypocrites’ acceptance and misconception because it does not redressed the marginalisation of the struggle for freedom. Therefore, these two freed nations need to recognise the existence of Kuki People and their territory with political their administration which traditionally function as Kuki Inpi (Kuki Government) along with the protective and defensive function of the Kuki Army for the people.
To rejoice in evil is always ungodly and inhumane. The cause of Kuki tragedy is a well known dehumanized force of malevolent evil sprite. It can be termed as one of the most horrific culture in the History of Indigenous Christianity. It causes the lost of more than 900 Kuki lives, villages destroyed and more than 300 houses burned down. Dehumanization among Kuki neighbours in their struggle for supremacy of Eikhoi-amatani with the ethnic spirit of makhoi/eikhoi may not bring prosperity. Rather a mutual respect and socio-political recognition as a human community in regards to land and people may hail human rights. This is in due regard to the indigenous people’s coexistence for justice, peace and equality.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION FOR THE KUKI PRESENT TRENDS
The impact of the above mention phases of struggles may help Kuki people to retrospect themselves for reconstruction in accordance with their ‘Way of Life’ called KHANKHO. Because khankho is an act or obligational duty in which socio-political, economic and religious life of Kukis are knitted together in humanity. Khankho is Kuki past, present and also for future growth and prosperity. Its moral and ethical authenticity rooted traditionally in relationship with Biblical teaching of Kuki realistic humanity in the spirit of tomngaina.
If the Book called ‘Bible’ is to be considered and trusted as authentic human document and divine inspirational word of CHUNG PATHEN, then Kuki human must adhered to it. Dispersion of language from the Tower of Babel is the birth of dialects. Because it was the event of the birth of human community growth in decentralisation through diverse language and different dialect communities.
The best part of Kuki people is the heritage of their interconnected language/dialects and unity in culture, custom and tradition as uniquely relative and native to their ancestry. The concept of Chung Pathen/Pathian ‘Holy father above’ is the binding force of unity. They are blessed with common folklore, folk tales, nature of Kut, lawm, lenkhawm and the like are the bond of Kuki heritage.
Government recognition may designate them according to their wish, may be in the name of tribes/forefather i.e, clansmen and the like. However Kuki as an umbrella is conglomerative and historically most authentic common name that designates diverse groups in Kuki unity. Kuki is not a private property of one tribe men/clan but for the whole interrelated dialects speaking group of Indigenous People of Kut.
KUT is Kuki community festival inherited from ancient past celebrated as Mim-Kut, Chaang-Kut and Mizo that refers to 20th century Kukis in Mizoram observe it as Chapchar-Kut/Pawl-Kut and the like. Christmas is Khrista-Kut in the context of Kut traditional festival. Khrista-Kut or Christ-Kut day is of great tiding joy because it is the day of the birth of Tahchapa-Jesu for Kuki human growth. Holy Majesty in the manger to awaken the politically desperate Kukis, socio-economically tormented people needs to reconstruct their polity in the spirit of Jesus, the most human and divine incarnate One.........halleluiyah!
Nazareth Manifesto of the Tahchapa-Jesu (Luke 4:17-19)‘True Son of the Father God’ had anointed humanity by the ‘Power of Spirit at Work’ through dialects/language. Kuki interrelated and relative community dialects/language is manifestation of power of God’s spirit at works for Kuki human communities. It is the fulfilment of the manifesto of Tahchapa-Jesu. Therefore, Kuki spirit of takchapa/tahchapa is to obey the will of Chung Pathen seen in the most human Jesus’ constructive spirit of self esteem, determination, obedience and with tolerance to struggle by the truth. Tahchapa in Jesus is seen as struggle of Christ for humanity with special reference to the context of Kuki man’s spirit of struggle. Truth shall set human free and the spirit of Tahchapa-Jesu is the true struggle that liberate human from the bondage of personal weakness, Political weakness, socio-economic sinfulness as well as personal greediness of sin in corruption.
Adopted Culture of Pollution: Sincerity, self willingness and honest sacrificial love of concern for human growth is traditional ‘Kuki way of life related to the Biblical teaching’. CORRUPTION is an alien culture of idolaters’ influx in the mind of Kukis. Polluted culture of under table and side table greediness called ‘Cha thaknaba’ tradition has to be totally uprooted in the mind of the chiefs called Haosa-kahi tiho or aching-athiem life of clever self centeredness. It is to open their mind and concept for them to know that they are haosa or abolthei for the people, not only for self greediness act called oitumpoh jut means lol hom vah.
Kuki Self Reliance. No outsiders will come forward to speak for Kuki unity and their cause, but they themselves needs to get-together (lenkhawm), not as merely merry making but in the platform of theological forum, lenkhawm of intellectual circle for brain storming, lenkhawm of lawyers’ forum, Kuki elders meeting of lenkhawm, student’s organisation are all well known, needs to speak out and stand for the cause of Kuki human community. Lenkhawm also in the days of happiness like Christmas called Khrista-Kut and even lenkhawm in the days of sorrow and death.
The Mission of Tahchapa and Tahchanu: Chung Pathen use the Virgin lady tahchanu as the most favoured one among women of the world. Virgin Mary perfection in the eyes of Chung Pathen for incarnation is traditionally adorned as tahchanu in the context of Kuki women. It is traditionally used slogan to stimulate a woman to ignite her determination to overcome obstacle by enduring power of struggle. That Kuki woman’s spirit of self dedication and self esteem is presence in the traditionally understood slogan of tahchanu. Therefore, tahchanu is Kuki Feminism for human growth and prosperity. Tahchanu is equal to the use of Tahchapa which shows equality of man and women in regards to the responsibility in family and community. The spirit of tahchanu/tahchapa is traditionally known slogan to ignite the spirit of self esteem and self determination to fulfil the mission of good will for the Kuki human growth and prosperity.
CONCLUSION:
Kuki people has to Worship Chung Pathen in Service (KWS) for humanity and salvation, accordance with their ‘Way of Life’ Khankho and not as a religion nor through outsiders’ defecate names of denominations or doctrinal consciousness. It is because their Way of life is nurtured by the Bible and the Word of God works in the Tahchapa Spirit of Jesus and Tahchanu spirit of women’s dignity.
Chung Pathen (God) is in control of history and human has to follow word of God for integrity and prosperity of human community life-lore. Kuki people need to retrospect themselves to reconstruct their life in their ‘way of life’ KHANKHO. The value of Jesus’ honourable way to struggle is Biblical incorporation in tradition, slogan, culture, custom and the like. Kuki Spirit of Tahchanu and Tahchapa must be reconstructive and remodelling in progress to personal and community life. Tahchapa/tahchanu corporative and coordinative struggle in the spirit of tomngaina will liberate Kukis from the bondage of socio-political and economic sinfulness.
May SoO for Kuki Army and KNP (mission unity), initiation for settlement of Kuki political future be a blessed One for unity, transformation and prosperity! ...................................Amen.
Li. li. li.li. li. li. li. li....Ho. ho. ho. ho. ho. ho.
(The writer is a theological student of Bishop’s College Kolkata, Pluralistic Inclusivism school of thought)
