Fight for land and identity

Subject : Geography

Section: Human Geography

Concept :

Kukis – the hill tribe’s traditional migratory patterns and engagement in shifting agriculture have played out in conflicts within Manipur’s complex hill-valley divide.

Kuki Tribe

It is one of the ethnic groups that inhabit the northeastern regions of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
They are mainly found in the states of Manipur and Mizoram in India, Chin State in Myanmar, and Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh.
They are also known as Chin or Mizo people, and they share a common ancestry and culture.
They are part of the larger Zo people, along with the Chin and Mizo tribes.
The Kuki tribe has a rich and diverse history, culture and tradition that reflect their adaptation to the hilly and forested terrain they live in.
They speak various dialects of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo language family, which belong to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages.

Challenges

The Kuki tribe has a long history of migration and settlement in different parts of South Asia.
The Kuki tribe has faced many challenges and conflicts in their history, such as the Kuki Rebellion (1917-1919) against British rule, the Kuki-Naga clashes (1960s-1990s) over land and identity issues, and the Kuki-Zomi ethnic violence (1997-1998) that resulted in displacement and loss of lives.

Political structure

The Kuki tribe has a unique social and political structure that is based on clans, villages and chiefs.
The clan is the basic unit of kinship and identity, and it is traced through the paternal line.
The village is the primary unit of administration and governance, and it is headed by a hereditary chief who has executive, judicial and religious authority.
The chief also owns all the land and resources of the village, and he distributes them among his subjects according to their needs and merits.

Living style

The Kuki tribe follows a traditional way of life that is closely connected to nature and their environment.
They practice jhum or shifting cultivation, where they clear patches of forest land by burning and growing crops such as rice, maize, millet, etc.
They also hunt wild animals and collect forest products for their subsistence and trade.

Culture

They celebrate various festivals throughout the year to mark important occasions such as harvests, seasons, births, deaths, marriages, etc.
Some of the major festivals are Kut (post-harvest festival), Chavang Kut (autumn festival), Mim Kut (maize festival),
They perform various dances such as Lamkut (group dance), Chongloi (sword dance), Pheiphit (war dance), etc.
They play musical instruments such as khuang (drum), gong (cymbal), tangkul (flute), etc.

Social Structure

The Kuki people have a hierarchical social structure based on clans and lineages. Each clan has its name and emblem and traces its origin to a common ancestor.
The clans are further divided into sub-clans and lineages. The clan system regulates marriage alliances, inheritance rights and social obligations among the Kuki people.
The Kuki society is also patriarchal and patrilineal, which means that descent and inheritance are traced through the male line. The eldest son inherits his father’s property and status, while the youngest son stays with his parents and takes care of them.
The Kuki villages are usually small and autonomous, each ruled by its chief or headman.

Religion

The Kuki people have a varied religious backgrounds, as they have been influenced by different faiths over time. Traditionally, the Kuki people followed animism, which is a belief in the existence of spirits in nature and ancestors.
They also practised rituals such as animal sacrifices, ancestor worship and festivals to appease their gods and spirits.
With the arrival of Christian missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Kuki people converted to Christianity, especially Protestantism.
Today, Christianity is the predominant religion among the Kuki people, with some significant minorities following animism or other faiths such as Judaism or Islam.