Category: Article

Politics of Tribe Identity with reference to the Kukis

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By Ngamkhohao Haokip

This article discusses the problem of tribe identity among the Kukis of Manipur. Kuki in Northeast India is a national group composed of more than 20 sub-groups. These sub-groups speak different dialects of the same language. In 1956, the Government of India recognised each dialect group as separate tribe. One of them is Thadou. Some among the Thadous do not like to be under Thadou tribe although they speak the same dialect and practice the same culture. This article attempts to assess how far politics of tribe identity affects unity and social harmony amongst the Kukis.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12754660

Issues, Responses, and Consequences: An Analysis of Persistent Imbroglio in Manipur

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By Raile Rocky

Manipur, the land of jewel, is increasingly turning into the land of conflict zone. Various reasons are responsible for this transition. The complicated multidimensional issues, mostly violent in nature, that afflicts the land accounts for the land being distinct from other states in the region. Historically, the state has witnessed high level of violence, particularly armed insurrection and political violence directed, in equal measure against settlers, against different ethnic groups and the authorities, stemming mostly from ethnic and state subjugation. There has been a continuous engagement on the part of the state to address issues and crisis in the Northeast in general and Manipur in particular but it has remained unresolved till date. Using content analysis and historiography this paper analyses pertinent issues of boundary contestation, insurgency and ethnic identity, the nature of state’s response and its consequences.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12754646

Kuki Churches Unification Movements

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By Thongkholal Haokip

The coming of Christianity among the Kukis is now more than a century. Centenary of the gospel among the Baptists was celebrated in March 1996 with a theme “Christ the Hope of the Ages” and the Evangelical Presbyterians in 2010 with “Power of the Gospel” as a theme respectively. Within the twentieth century almost the entire population had been swept by Christianity and now Christians constitute more than 90 percent of the total population. This essay discusses the advent of Christianity among the Kukis and analyse the attempts made by church leaders to unify Kuki churches. It also made an enquiry into the reasons for the failure of such attempts to church unification and its implication on Kuki society.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12754626

State Cooperative Banking in Northeast India: Financial and Operational Viability Analysis

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By Sanjay Kanti Das

State Cooperative Banks provide the necessary financial resources to District Cooperative Banks and Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, and are responsible for their recovery. They have played significant role in the development of rural economy of India. The paper explores and evaluates the growth and progress of State Cooperative Banks in the Northeastern region of India. Further, efforts are also given to make a comparative analysis of State Cooperative Banks in the Northeastern region and India through some selected financial indicators. It is found that all the financial variables (capital, reserves, deposits, advances, demand, collection and over dues) increased with higher growth rate during 2002-2009 on the basic of Compound Annual Growth Rate. The paper highlights the reasons for slow progress of State Cooperative Banking in the Northeastern region of India which is considered as the most backward region of the country. Further, this paper focuses on several pitfalls and shortcomings faced by State Cooperative Banks in region. Finally, it is observed that the State Cooperative Banks in the Northeastern region are not at par with the all India level which is evidenced from the study of some selected financial indicators.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12754611

The Lived Reality of Koms (Komrem) in Manipur: An Emerging Political Perspective

Article

By Alex Akhup

This paper attempts to situate the socio political context of Manipur state as viewed from the experience of Koms (Komrem) in Manipur. Northeast region in general and Manipur state in particular is described by cultural diversity. It is duly classified in the emerging literature as multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-tribe. The ethnic social structure and polity is intrinsically shaped by the ecological context of the region falling within a larger part of the South East Asia. The state building processes in such context has had a unique impact on the embedded social reality often not seen in other parts of the country. Among other things, ethnic identity politics usually defined within the theoretical constructs of self determination has emerged as a prominent state generated socio political process producing shared and contested boundaries of social interaction. In such a context, historiography, theorization and political ideology, in particular, find convergence largely within the domain of colonial constructs and western concept of state politics fanned by dominant ethnic groups: Meitei, Nagas and Kukis. This paper positions a political perspective of co-existence and mutual respect based on the experience of Koms (Komrem); a case for a lived perspective.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12754597

Perception of Health Care Option and Therapy Seeking Behaviour of Tangkhul Nagas

Article

By R.K. Jeermison

Despite increasing attempts to centralised Folk Medicine and integrating with the mainstream medical system, this un-professionalised medical system is miles away to be accepted as a significant healing method in urban based modern society and among biomedical practitioners. Traditional Medicine (TM) in India under the acronym “AYUSH” have tried to make its presence felt in the global market. But as TM is restricted to AYUSH, this has overlooked a major underlying substratum of Folk Medicine that largely invokes natural and supernatural agents as the cause of illness. This calls for further investigation on the scholarship of alternative medicine in India.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12754435

Som: A Decaying Traditional Institution of the Thadou

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By Lalgin Chongloi

Creating distinct identity from others, the Thadou one of the Kuki tribes of Manipur is endowed with a beautiful, varied and colourful culture and customs which makes them unique. Like many tribal groups of Northeast India, the Thadou also once had Som (dormitory) for boys where a group of young boys would sleep together at night and were being imparted the significant fundamental practices of healthy social living. Thus, Som acts as an institutional centre for learning in the traditional society of the Thadou. However, the isolation of the simple Thadou society was broken with the advent of British rule in Manipur and the western culture and world views were gradually diffused in the minds of the Thadou. Eventually the Thadou are drifting away from their traditional ways of life. As such, Som was badly affected. This paper attempts to highlight the significant role played by Som in the traditional society of the Thadou and also aims to explore the factors which might have been responsible for discontinuation of Som.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12754419

Fabled Orissa: From Glory and Grandeur to Colonisation

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By Saroj Kumar Rath

Orissa also known as Kalinga had a fabled past. Recorded history of the province authenticates those fairytale-fabled histories. From travelers to raconteurs and from potentates to commoners of yore years have described Kalinga’s history in such word character that the reading of the same makes one believe that the fabled past of Orissa is a living reality even today. Their narration about the glory and grandeur of Kalinga led the readers believe as if the fabled land still exists. However, suddenly the great civilisational existence gave way to slavery of mind and body as in surprising turn of events the whole populace subjugated to foreign invasion. The colonisers became colonised without an iota of a resistance. The province, which conducted itself admirably during peace and peril for millennia had succumbed to simple trickery and to a few mitigating forces of foreign and domestic origin. In this article, I have discussed three principal subjects. Firstly, how Orissa had achieved legendary status in the ancient time; secondly how those achievements and glories vanished and how the province cleared ways for its invaders; and finally how the present generation has forgotten the fabled past and succumbed to the foreign imposed subjugation from where it never managed an escape till the present time.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12754407

Dynamics of Land Use and Trends of Agriculture in Sikkim

Article

By Anjuli Gurung and Abdul Hannan

Sikkim is a Himalayan state, where more than 64% of its populace still depends on agriculture and its allied sectors. As land plays an important role in agriculture, it is vital to comprehend how the land use change makes an impact on the growth of agriculture in Sikkim. State experienced different farming practices over the period of time. Before the merger with Indian union in 1975, there was a traditional farming practice in Sikkim. But with the merger, state got influenced by ‘Green Revolution’ which introduced chemical based farming (conventional farming). However, during the year 2003 state government took an initiative to convert all the cultivable land into organically cultivable land and became fully organic state in 2016. With the changing pattern of agriculture, land use pattern also get influence. The study found that the net sown area has decreased in all the districts except the east district during 2010-11 from the year 2005-06. Net sown area has decreased, however, there is an increase in the area of current fallow and culturable waste land. The forest area has also increased in Sikkim during 2010-11. The number of operational holdings of all the classes has decreased except the large class. The operated area of all the class has decreased except the medium class. The number and area of irrigation holdings has decreased in north and east district, however, there is an increase in the irrigation status in south and west district. The cropping intensity has also increased in 2010-11 from 2005-06 in Sikkim. The secondary source of data has been used for the study.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12784620

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Rural Infrastructure Development through Community based Social Organisation: A Case Study of the Awang Sekmai village in Manipur

Article

By Doreshor Khwairakpam, R. Shankar and Mahua Mukherjee

The settlement infrastructure in most of the rural areas across the country is not well developed as compared to urban areas. Various Five Year Plans of Union Government undertook numerous schemes and programs considering the rural infrastructure development in both physical and social sectors, though objectives under such schemes and programmes are rarely fulfilled Community participation in rural development schemes bring greater success in addressing appropriate issues with quality delivery. Social organisation plays a very important role in the overall development of rural life. The Awang Sekmai village from Imphal-west in Manipur is an example where a traditional social organisation namely Awang Sekmai Schedule Caste Development Committee (ASSCDC) is actively involved in the social and economic welfare of villagers. This organisation plays a very important role in infrastructure development, economic growth and self sustaining livelihoods for the villagers. This paper is about the ASSCDC, its organisational structure, role in rural infrastructure development and other social initiatives like sports in the Awang Sekmai village. The methodology of this research paper includes group discussion, interviews, field observation and household survey.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12772447

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