All the World’s Kut

By Donn Morgan Kipgen

The CHIKIMS KUT has come and gone but the spirit is not. For die-hard Kutters, it will always be there. Though the intoxicating spirit was visible, the true liveliness was found wanting in KUT-2008. Perhaps it was a dry or drier Kut for Kutters, but the same cannot be said for the stage and off the back stage. Well, what’s a Kut without a cup of spirit? It’s a grand time to enjoy it to the fullest, as it was always done : thanks to the regular members of the Kut Committee of this regular festivity.

If there is one particular auspicious occasion which would and could bring together all Chin-Kuki-Mizo (CHIKIM) tribes sincerely on one single platform on equal ground in an open celebration, it is the grand KUT. No other ethnic-based cultural event has been dedicatedly graced by members of all sections of Manipuri society; be it as spectators, honourable guests, special invitees, artistes, beauty contestants, Media personnel, organisers, etc. Socio-politically speaking, The (Chavang) Kut is much more than an annual Post Harvest festival. Apart from the come-one come-all traditional extravagant event, the Kut is undeniably the living proof that all the tribes and sub-tribes of the CHIKIMS could work and enjoy together at the highest level disregarding socio-cultural indifferences. The significance of Modern day Kut, revived and revitalised under the enduring hands of the late Maj. S. “Pagin” Kipgen SM and Co. since 1979, can never be over-estimated nor could it be taken for granted by the talented participants and honourable organisers since the Kut is the most auspicious traditional show-piece for the CHIKIMS. To willfully and disdainfully play-down the importance and sanctimony of the Kut ceremony would amount to sacrilege, and to disrespect the Kut platform is akin to cultural treason. Another ever irritating matter has been that of crowd control, especially at night time. Young “Kutters” have the right to enjoy the programme with any friend, but spirited self-enjoyment with problematic end-results must have to be lawfully discouraged to maintain the sanctity of the Kut festival. Yes, indeed, wine, liquor and rice-beer were freely drunk by women and youths as they please in the olden days’ Kut celebration. There was no prohibition nor restriction of enjoyment on this auspicious day since they equally earned every drop of it for the year’s hard works. However, there were no fighting nor unruly crowd on those old day’s Kut. In fact, till this day, the Kut is a time for sincere forgiveness and making professional friendship without room for malice and enmity. All sections of society are invited and there is no room for ranks, status, designation and power-play on the hallowed Kut day. All individuals are of the same or equal status. That’s the epitome of Kut celebration protocol period.

The present day Kut has been upgraded from the erstwhile CHAVANG KUT (post-harvest festival) since early 1990s so as to unify all the CHIKIMS’ Community socio-politically and culturally on one common platform. In the beginning, the Kut was visibly Thadou-Kuki oriented, save for the cameo Western-style entertainment programmes. It was a pure post-harvest festival for the Kukis, hence the originally and specifically termed “Chavang Kut”. Ironically, the first impromptu conducted Miss Kut Winner was a homely Punjabi-Sikh lady whose father was the special Guest of Honour and the then CM Rishang Keishing, a Tangkhul Naga, being the Hon’ble chief Guest, at the KUKI INN. Unfortunately, the first official miss KUT fervently and tearfully requested the Kut organisers, judges and special invitees to honourably “abdicate” off her ordinary but most precious Miss Kut Crown when she heard highly petulant and irresponsible words of some Kutters aftermath an unenglished and “post-harvested” show of uncouth and adverse remarks from unruly Kutters. Sanity prevailed and the then Kut organising Committee, and the Kutters too, had to diplomatically “accept/approve” that the auspicious Kut was open to all and sundries in the highest tradition of the CHIKIMS’ Socio-Cultural Code of Honour, like the Japanese Bushido. Since then, pre-planned Miss Kut-cum Fashion show with all encompassing entertainments of high standard began. Thereafter, the Kut programmes have been open to all, like US Navy Commodore Perry who broke open the little known but highly civilised Samurais’ Japan. It became a State Holiday with financial support annually from the Govt and as of this very period, the CHIKIMS Kut has naturally been proudly made an official part of the World’s tourist brochures and rightfully given a “Must go & Watch” civilised multi-cultural event of high significance. Unbeknownst to most learned scholars, political leaders etc. the CHIKIMS Kut has been grandly celebrated and honoured in the US, under the aegis of the Washington DC-based Kuki International Forum (KIF) led by Pu Nehginpao Kipgen with Miss Kut Contest too. The CHIKIMS’ Israelites has also fondly remembered the Kut, among other important events; thanks to the Sangai Express English Daily’s Website. The Kut is same as the grand Anglo-American’s post-harvest THANKS GIVING DAY and similar to Israelis’ Yom Kippur (Kut)’s observation. Ladies and Gentlemen, Sirs and Brothers & Sisters, need we hear more? Dare we say more? Let’s hope not.

The CHIKIMS Kut, in all its glory and shine, is much, much more than just a post-harvest celebration. It is a colourful show of unified cultural identity and the CHIKIMS’ rich heritage and diverse but entwined traditions. It is also a well-represented socio-political display of the distant past, the halcyon present days and an immaculate pointer of the CHIKIMS’ future. The Kut is essentially for the Commoners, i.e., the farmers, businessmen, ordinary women folks, social workers, etc., but the grandness of its significance makes it much more a high profile westernised post-harvest festival. For this “bare-all” open entertaining Kut’s day, the brand of “watery spirits” has been as constant as it is “mysterious”; three cheers for the CHIKIM’S KUT.

The present State Level Kut Committee (SLKC) has more financial resources, high profile donors, advertisement fees, respectable sponsorship, cable TV Rights, distinguished members and very influential organisers, among others. Hence, it would be most appropriate and professionally desirable to sanction much more financial assistance and honorarium to talented guest artistes, learned scholars, high profile achievers and other CHIKIMS professionals. There is too much gap between open Beauty Contests’ multiple high-prize monies than the real Prides of the CHIKIMS Community. Talented and remarkably expert sons of the CHIKIMS must have to be honoured as it ought to be.

They should be specially gifted with higher dignity in the presence of Who’s Who of Manipur and all highest ranking officers who dedicatedly grace the CHIKIMS KUT year in and year out so eagerly. There is no other auspicious occasion to make the day brighter and fitting for the proud daughters and sons of the CHIKIMS; only the one and all CHIKIMS KUT is that particular Golden Moment of time. There is also no all-encompassing nor other all-community annual Cultural festival in the State of Manipur, if not in the whole of North-East India, like the good old Kut.

With due respect and apology to Mr. Robert Frost, let’s dream of an ever happy future KUT with a tryst to poetic destiny thus:

“The Grand Kuts are lovely, bright and lively still,
But I’ve promised to enjoy and closely mill
With Miles of Kutters’ queue while I long live,
With Miles to go for distant KUTs before I leave”.