 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's general notability guideline .(March 2023) |
Zale'n-gam or Zalengam (Thadou-Kuki) dialect for 'land of freedom'), is a proposed state by Kuki people, with the intention of uniting all the Kuki tribes under a single government. The proposed state's main proponents are the Kuki National Organisation and its armed wing, the Kuki National Army. [1]
Zale'n-gam was first proposed by PS Haokip in his book by same name published in 1988.[ citation needed ] The book has caused discomfort and often increased the rivalry with other communities living in Manipur especially the Nagas with whom Kuki had contested territories and historical rivalry.[ citation needed ] In the wake of the 2023 Manipur violence between the Meiteis and the Kukis in Manipur, the book gain attention leading to NCSN-IM to issue statement against the claims mentioned in the book. [2]
The territorial claims of Zale'n-gam encompass a historical region consisting of the territories traditionally inhabited by the Kukis, but which never have had their own state, [3] including:
There is also a proposal to create two subdivisions of the proposed state: 'Eastern Zalengam' and 'Western Zalengam', the former within Burma and the latter in India. [1]
Manipur is a state in northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanmar, Sagaing Region to the east and Chin State to the south. The state covers an area of 22,327 km2 (8,621 sq mi). The official and most widely spoken language is the Meitei language. Native to the Meitei people, it is also used as a lingua franca by smaller communities, who speak a variety of other Tibeto-Burman languages. Manipur has been at the crossroads of Asian economic and cultural exchange for more than 2,500 years. This exchange connects the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia to Southeast Asia, East Asia, Siberia, regions in the Arctic, Micronesia and Polynesia enabling migration of people, cultures and religions.
Northeast India, officially known as the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political administrative division of the country. It comprises eight states—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, and the "brother" state of Sikkim.
The Insurgency in Northeast India involves multiple separatist militant groups operating in some of India's northeastern states, which are connected to the rest of India by the Siliguri Corridor, a strip of land as narrow as 14.29 miles (23.00 km) wide.
The Paite people are an ethnic group in Northeast India, mainly living in Manipur and Mizoram. The Paites are recognized as a scheduled tribe in these two states. They are part of the Kuki-Zo people, but prefer to use the Zomi identity. "Guite" is a major clan of the Paite people.
The Kuki people are an ethnic group in the Northeastern Indian states of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, as well as the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar. The Kukis form one of the largest hill tribe communities in Northeast India, along with the adjoining regions of Bangladesh and Myanmar. In Northeast India, they are present in all states except Arunachal Pradesh. The Chin people of Myanmar and the Mizo people of Mizoram are kindred tribes of the Kukis. Collectively, they are termed the Zo people.
Moreh is a border town located on the India–Myanmar border in Tengnoupal district of the Indian state of Manipur. As a rapidly developing international trade point with the integrated customs and international immigration checkpoint, Moreh plays an important role in India's Look East Policy, trade and commerce under ASEAN–India Free Trade Area, India-Myanmar relationship, India–Myanmar–Thailand road connectivity, and Trans-Asian Railway connectivity.
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) is a Naga militant and separatist group operating mainly in northeastern part of India, with minor activities in northwest Myanmar (Burma). The main aim of the organisation is allegedly to establish a sovereign Naga state, "Nagalim", which would consist of all the areas inhabited by Naga tribes in Northeast India and northwest Myanmar. India claims that China and Pakistan provide financial support and weaponry to the NSCN. Drug trafficking and extortion are believed to be other major sources of income for the NSCN.
Zogam known as Zoland, Zoram, Lushai Hills, Kuki Hills, lies in the northwest corner of the Mainland Southeast Asia landmass. This is the traditional ancestry homeland of the Zo people or Zomi who lived in this area before the colonial period under British rulership.
The Kuki-Chin languages are a branch of 50 or so Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in northeastern India, western Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh. Speakers of these languages are Mizo in Mizoram, Kuki people in Manipur, and Chin people in Myanmar.
The Kuki–Paite Conflict, also called Kuki–Zomi Conflict, was an ethnic conflict during 1997–1998 between tribal communities in Churachandpur district in Manipur, India. The cause of the conflict may be regarded as the desire for leadership within the tribes, pitting one group that subscribed to the Kuki label against another group that subscribed to the Zomi label, the latter being led by the Paites. The conflict started in June 1997 and lasted for over year, during which 352 people died, thousands of homes were destroyed and over 13,000 people were displaced. The Government of India sent in the Indian Army to attempt to stop the violence, but peace was restored in September–October 1998 only with the initiative of the Church.
The Zo people is a term to denote all the speakers of the Kuki-Chin languages who inhabit northeast India, western Myanmar, and southeastern Bangladesh. The Mizo, Chin, and Kuki people are the main ethnic groups.
Khokon is a Kuki village in the Senapati district of Manipur, India. As per Census of India 2011, there are 33 household with a total population of 189 persons, out of which 96 are male while 93 are female.
The Insurgency in Manipur is an ongoing armed conflict between India and a number of separatist rebel groups, taking place in the state of Manipur. The Insurgency in Manipur is part of the wider Insurgency in Northeast India; it displays elements of a national liberation war as well as an ethnic conflict.
The Kuki National Organization (KNO) is a political organization established in 1988, with the aim of representing the interests of the Kuki people in northeast India and northwest Myanmar (Burma). The organization operates alongside its principle armed wing, the Kuki National Army (KNA), and has been active in advocating for the rights and aspirations of the Kuki community.
The hill tribes of Northeast India are hill people, mostly classified as Scheduled Tribes (STs), who live in the Northeast India region. This region has the largest proportion of scheduled tribes in the country.
Thangjing Hill , is a mountain peak in the Indian state of Manipur. It is in the Churachandpur district, to the west of Moirang. The north-south-running mountain range on which it sits is also called Thangjing range or Thangjing Hills. The range forms part of the western border of the Imphal Valley.
On 3 May 2023, ethnic violence erupted in India's north-eastern state of Manipur between the Meitei people, a majority that lives in the Imphal Valley, and the Kuki-Zo tribal community from the surrounding hills. According to government figures, as of 15 September, 175 people have been killed in the violence. 1,108 others were injured while 32 are missing. 4,786 houses were burnt and 386 religious structures including temples and churches were vandalized. The violence left more than 70,000 people displaced from their homes. Unofficial figures are higher.
In 1992, violent clashes broke out between two tribal groups, the Nagas, and the Kukis, in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur Though it was popularly known as the Kuki-Naga clash, many other tribes of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo group were also affected. The clashes lasted almost seven years until 1999.
The International Meeteis Forum is a Meitei ethnic advocacy group in the Indian state of Manipur. Its objectives are to assert Meitei indigeneity in Manipur, to unify Meiteis around the world, to campaign for the territorial integrity of the Manipur state and to block the influx of alleged foreigners. Founded in 2012 by a retired army officer R. K. Rajendro, it later teamed up with the Federation of Haomee with similar ideological motivations. Both the organisations generated free-flowing hate speech against the Kuki community of Manipur, labelling them as "immigrants" or "foreigners", which was instrumental in the generation of 2023 Manipur violence.