Structural-Administrative Problems Amongst the Tribals in North East India

A Special Case of the Zo (Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi) Family-Nation -

Manglal of Lamka
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One of the causes of the problem in today’s North East India is the super-imposition of British administrative system amongst the tribals and in the tribal lands.

- some NGOs, journalists and social/society workers in North East India

That was the historical and scientific findings of some of the NGOs, journalists and social thinkers in North East India as they attempt to understand and address the turmoil that North East India is in.

Tribals, particularly the Zo people, already faced enough cultural, economical, political, military, psychological, educational, administrative and administrators invasions into their own heartland. We do not need anymore of any invasion in whatever form, shape or size!

Our tribal administrative systems were almost completely wiped out with the introduction (in fact, imposition; italicized, emphasis throughout) of different modes of administration. With that imposition, so also goes our authority over our own self, people and land – to affair ourselves in accordance with tribal polity and traditional administration.

The Case Against British Government

We know it is not a myth that we governed ourselves and administered our country before the British arrivals. Then they invaded our people and land. We raided their camps to show our opposition and displeasure to this invasion of our independent country. Instead they conducted an ‘expedition’ against the indigenous populace – justifying that we attacked them, while they are the actual ones who attacked us first by committing a historical injustice – entering our land without our administrators’ permission and conducting military, administrative and political business without our authorization. Here it is worthwhile to note that however primitive and remote our tribal polity and administrative system may be at that time – it is still a law and a government – legal and sovereign - in today’s context! However fearful-look and ill equipped our standing army (warriors) may be at that time compared to the British soldiers who were heavily fortified, ours was legal national soldiers, and there’s was illegal intruders. However ignorance and untrained our rulers maybe in the eyes of the imperialism compared to the British trained administrators and political observers, ours was a time tested and experience trained rulers who masters our land and people.

British Imposed Expedition and Administrative System

Sometimes I wonder whether it’s a joke the British India coining the term ‘Lushai-Chin-Kuki Expedition’. One feels like asking them whether they understand English. A kinsman from Aizawl cannot accept the term ‘expedition’ inserted by the British in their military invasion against our people, in our land. He said that in military parlance, expedition is supposedly to be carried out only against the guilty party. But now, here is these white men invading us and our land. And when we opposed them, they carried out an ‘expedition’ against us. In historical, territorial, military, political and administrative justice and fairness, the Zo people are the one who should conduct expedition against the illegal occupational-invaders – the British.

It seems that is not enough, the British super-imposed their way of administration and polity upon our Zo traditional administration, governance and polity. Here lies the genesis of our administrative and political problems. It put our cultural, economical, political and territorial future into the hands of outsiders. The tension begins. The struggle just began.

The Case Against Indian Government

Just after Independence India, instead of working out the welfare of the Zo people in relation to their territory, their land was cut by three international boundaries. Not only that, in India we were absorbed into Greater Assam. And we saw in the subsequent years our land was transferred and divided to states, union territories and districts. We played very little part in it. Pathetic indigenous people, we have no much say in the affairs and destiny of our own land – founded and protected by our great and loving forefathers and foremothers.

And as if that is not enough, administrative system and administrators – one after another – strange and foreign to us were imposed and sent by the Indian government. The imposition is handed down. The tensions heightened. The struggle continues.

The Case Against Manipur Government

Even after Manipur attained statehood, instead of gaining wisdom and having compassion towards the Zo people because of their shared experienced and long-hard struggles, Manipur government bulldozed the Zo interests. Upon the Tuitha river, a dam called ‘Khuga’ Dam was constructed. The name imposed and alien to the indigenous inhabitants. A town called by the indigenous populace as Lamka was officially called ‘Churachandpur’. A strange foreign word and name imposed upon a different but indigenous people. A district, historically over ripen, Sadar Hills District, is today not yet a district – overided by a less deserving ones.

And if that is not enough, a strange game is being played by some actors to administratively invade and crippled our remaining tribal administration and polity. The imposition is still on. The tension is alive. The struggle is real.

Which Way Forward Now?

I was told that three of the surest ways of destroying the indigenous peoples in the world are – territorial invasion, imposition of administrators and administrative system and political invasion. That is exactly what the above three governments were and are doing. Therefore, we are a threatened indigenous people! Our land is a threatened indigenous land!

There is an urgent need to keep a watch on what is going on in these three sectors of our indigenous-national security and welfare. Our tribal polity, administrative and justice system must be expanded and reformed in the light of Judeo-Christian epistemology and world view, informed and guided by contemporary way of governance and experiences. Our indigenous governance must be reformed in the light of our Christian faith and with the challenges thrown to us by the rapidly changing globalize world. Many slow but fast changes and reformed must continue in every aspects of our family-national interests. With holding onto our Biblical faith, empowered by the Constitution of India and safeguarded by United Nations growing concerns on the affairs and future on indigenous peoples and lands, we can protect our Zo (Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi) polity, administrative system and administrators and territory. For only in preserving these will we preserve ourselves as a family-nation. As an indigenous people and a tribal community, failing to protect our land and territory is failing to protect ourselves, our welfare and our identity.

However we may fail or failed each other in the past, it is not yet late. Today and now is the right time to begin that work in togetherness and in full swing – for the sake of our earthly welfare so that in the spirit also we may continue to do well.

[The article is taken from Manipur Express’ 26th September, 2007 issue. The writer can be contacted at artsastruth@yahoo.com. He is a spiritual-society worker].


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