Two Kuki academics, author booked for 'distorting' Manipur history in book
Cases have been registered against an author and two academicians from the Kuki-Zo community for allegedly distorting Manipur's history in a book based on a complaint by The Federation of Haomee, an Imphal-based civil society organisation.
Anglo-Kuki War 1917-1919 is written by Retd. Col (Dr) Vijay Chenji and edited by academicians Jangkhomang Guite and Thongkholal Haokip.
Manipur Police have booked Chenji, Guite and Haokip under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to waging war against the Indian government, promoting enmity between different groups and using as true a declaration known to be false, a media report said.
The complainants alleged that Anglo-Kuki War 1917-1919 incorrectly depicted a Kuki rebellion from 1917 to 1919 as an Anglo-Kuki war, and claimed that no Anglo-Kuki war took place in Manipur’s history.
They claimed that the Kukis had opposed the recruitment of Kukis to the Labour Corps thereby leading to a Kuki rebellion. The Indian Labour Corps constituted workers recruited by the British government during World War I to carry out construction work in several parts of the world.
"It was not a Kuki-Rebellion but massacre of Nagas, Koms of the hills and Meeteis & Mahomedans (Muslims) of the valley," the complaint read.
The Federation of Haomee also claimed that there were records of rebel leaders themselves writing to local authorities saying that they wrongfully fought against the government, and pledging allegiance to it.
“In the light of the above-established facts from perusal of the books and official records, it is clear that the author has concocted many lies intentionally to usurp historical facts and distort history for personal gain and in favour of a particular community which has resulted in grave offences against India and United Kingdom,” the complaint read.
Guite is an assistant professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for Historical Studies. Haokip is an assistant professor at the university’s Centre for the Study of Law and Governance.