Kuki Rebellion of 1917-1919

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Kuki Rebellion of 1917-19
(Kuki Uprising)
Date1917-1919
Location
Modern day Ukhrul, Manipur
Belligerents
Kuki tribes British Army

The Kuki Rebellion, also known as the Kuki Revolt, Kuki Uprising[1] was one of the major tribal revolts in India before Indian independence. It took place at Longpi village, from March 1917 to May 1919. It was a rebellion by the Kuki tribes against the British colonial rule in the present day Ukhrul district of Manipur. The event was referred to as Anglo-Kuki War or Kuki war of independence[lower-alpha 1] by the Kuki tribes themselves,[2] but the validation and authenticity of the term "war" is still questioned, disputed and challenged by multiple scholars, civil society organizations,[3][4][5][6] as well as the Government of Manipur,[7][8] and the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Union Government of India.[9][10]

Validity of the term "War" [edit]

In all the official written documents and records of the Britishers kept in both India and United Kingdom, the event was recorded as "Kuki Rebellion" and not "war".[6][8]

In 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India, in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application, stated that no "Anglo-Kuki war" occurred in Manipur.[10][9] The RTI was filed by climate change activist Licypriya Kangujam on 17th June of 2023 on whether the Anglo-Kuki war happened in Manipur or not.[10]

Many Naga people of Manipur opposed the term "Anglo Kuki War".[5][8] They said that the conflict between the British rulers and the Kuki tribes was just a "rebellion" as was mentioned in the written records of the Britishers and Assam Rifles.[8] Some civil society organizations that opposed and questioned the authenticity of the term "Anglo-Kuki war" are Inpui Naga Union, Manipur (INU-M), Liangmai Naga Council, Manipur (LNC-M), Rongmei Naga Council, Manipur (RNC-M) and Zeme Naga Council, Manipur (ZNC-M). These organizations requested the Government of Manipur to stop the "sinister design" of the organisers of the "so called Commemoration of Anglo-Kuki War".[4]

On October 15, 2019, the "Federation of Haomee" submitted a memorandum to Amit Shah, the then Union Home Minister of India about the "Anglo-Kuki war". The Home minister replied to the Federation of Haomee as well as addressed to the Chief Secretary of the Government of Manipur to destroy all centenary stone pillars of the "Anglo-Kuki war".[3]

Leishemba Sanajaoba, a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha, also clarified that there was no "Anglo-Kuki War" and requested the Government of Manipur to investigate the matter and punish those who are distorting the history of Manipur.[3]

The Government of Manipur had issued an order to remove and destroy all the recently erected centenary monumental stones mentioning "Anglo-Kuki War" built in every Kuki-populated villages in Manipur due to the strong opposition from various sections of different communities in Manipur.[8][5]

One of the centenary monolith stones at C Aisan Village, used to mention the term "Anglo Kuki war", due to which it was destroyed and reconstructed with a rectified term "Kuki Rising". The monolith was later inaugurated on 17th of October 2020 by the Chief Minister of Manipur.[7]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ The term "Anglo Kuki war" is highly disputed about its authenticity and validity.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ General Indian National Movement & Constitutional Development. p. 57.
  2. ↑ Haokip, TS Letkhosei (2018-08-30). Ethnicity and Insurgency in Myanmar /Burma: A Comparative Study of the Kuki - Chin and Karen Insurgencies. Educreation Publishing. p. 9.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "There was no Anglo-Kuki War of 1917-1919: Federation of Haomee". Imphal Free Press. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Four Naga tribes on 'Anglo-Kuki War' issue". MorungExpress. Retrieved 2023-08-09. ... According to the four Naga tribe bodies, there was no "Anglo-Kuki War" in the history of Manipur. "There is Kuki Rebellion (1917-18) in the history. It was started in December 1917 and brought under control in November 1918, a period of about one year," the joint statement also pointed out. ...
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Manipur: Kuki militants write to PM Modi over 'Anglo-Kuki War' claim tussle". The Indian Express. 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2023-08-08. The Naga bodies claimed that the Kukis are trying to twist the history for there has been no 'Anglo-Kuki War' but 'Kuki-Rebellion 1917'.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 KanglaOnline (2017-01-04). "Reinterpreting the Anglo-Kuki War, 1917-1920 – KanglaOnline". Retrieved 2023-08-08. ... In all the British documents both in India and London, the colonial authorities recorded the war as 'Kuki Rebellion" and the Kukis as 'rebels'. ...
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Today, North East (2020-10-22). "UPRISING OR WAR?". Northeast Today. Retrieved 2023-08-08. ... The monolith at C Aisan Village, which was to be dedicated by the CM in 2019 with the engraving, 'In defence of our ancestral land and freedom' was pulled down and the words changed- 'Anglo Kuki war' to 'Kuki Rising'. A commemoration programme with the changed engraving was organised on 17th of October 2020 and the CM of Manipur inaugurated the newly engraved monolith through Video Conference. ...
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 "Was It An Uprising Or A War?". The matter became tricky when many Manipur Naga Groups opposed the tag "Anglo Kuki War" and alleged that the fight against the British by the Kukis was just a rebellion as recorded in the British and Assam Rifles records. With only a few days left for the commemoration and the inauguration of the monoliths thereof, the Manipur state government directed all the monoliths to be destroyed.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "No Anglo-Kuki war : Licypriya quoting MHA". www.thesangaiexpress.com. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "No record of Anglo-Kuki war in Manipur: MHA : 05th aug23 ~ E-Pao! Headlines". e-pao.net. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
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