TOGETHER AS ONE

T.L Kipgen

Rongmei tribe (Kabui as it is known to many) is a proud Naga but the irony is that they are denied tribe recognition by their own brethren in Nagaland. How shameful it is for a tribe who yell out their lungs proclaiming the name Naga proudly is denied recognition by none other than Nagas themselves. How pitiful it is to think that tribes like Tangkhul and Rongmei who extended the popularity of the name Naga to the whole of India through the mechanism of bandhs and blockades are not welcome as a recognized tribe by the Naga tribes of Nagaland.

It is beyond my understanding on why these tribal people wish to be known by that name despite no due recognition is bestowed upon them in Nagaland, a home State of the Nagas. The latest conversion of some sections of Aimol tribe to Naga fold makes me to wonder if becoming Naga can give someone a political, social and most importantly an economic power. If tribes like Chothe and Aimol get better education, their buying capacity is increasing, their standard of living is improving and their villages and roads are developing by being under Naga, there can be no objection of their choice of Naga over Chin-Kuki-Mizo. But their claim of born Naga should be discarded for future understanding.

While many tribes are rushing to become Naga just as the present queues in banks and ATMs, we the Chin-Kuki-Mizo people are fighting each other to become the finest opposing group. How disgraceful it is for some Eimi tribes of Ccpur to not only deny but ridicule Mizos who are open minded enough to give recognition to our tribes in Mizoram State. By googling the ST list of Mizoram, you (Ccpur people) will find your tribe’s name in the ST recognized list of Mizoram State. How fortunate are we the denial of Mizo get recognition in Mizoram state, in contrast to the Naga supporter (Rongmeis) who gets no recognition in Nagaland?

Why are we in a denial mode? What good does it bring to deny among each other? Is it not fallout of our denial for brotherhood as one in Chikim that forced us to take help from Naga in the name of tribal unity? Is Naga community showing any sign of tribal unity as it claimed? ‘Together as one unit in Chikim’ can be much better than the already failed tribal unity.

 

Unlike single Naga nomenclature, we have three known nomenclatures the solidarity and unity of which can be maintained by accepting each other nomenclature. Major tribe like Lai will call themselves Chin in Chin State whereas Lai of Mizoram side will call themselves Mizo people. If one Lai family of Mizoram visits Chin State for a short period, people there will like to address them as Chin irrespective of which Chikim nomenclature they may belong to. It is where the word ‘Acceptance’ becomes very important. Not just Lai people there are many sub tribes who are found each in Chin, Kuki or Mizo nomenclature. These many sub tribes have to cultivate the essence of acceptance for each nomenclature as theirs.

In metropolitan cities, people may want to know our identity. They may ask, are you Kuki or Naga, or Mizo or Naga? The best answer I could give for question like, ‘are you Mizo or Naga’ is: - ‘I am known as Kuki in my State but Mizos are my blood brothers and we are addressed as Mizo in Mizoram. So, in part I’m Mizo’.

The focal point of this write-up is that we the Chikim people desperately need to understand one another instead of opposing and denying which only benefits our sly neighbours. We need to showcase our support for one another so that neighbours do not take advantage of our dissimilar views and opinions. We need to show more of our similarities than differences so that communities like Meiteis and Nagas have some respect for us.

Let us resolve to do away with our old habits of distrusting one another, extraneous pride and preoccupied tiny mindset. Together as Chikim we are mightier than Nagas. Long live Chikim family.