Author, JNU Professors booked for 'distorting' Manipur’s history

Imphal: The Manipur Police have registered cases against an author and two academicians of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), alleging their book titled 'The Anglo-Kuki War 1917-1919' misrepresented the state’s history.

The police said on Friday that the FIR was registered against retired Colonel and author Vijay Chenji, and academicians Jangkhomang Guite and Thongkholal Haokip, who edited the book.

The trio, belonging to the Kuki-Zo community, is accused of waging war against the Indian government, promoting enmity between different groups, and using as true a declaration known to be false under the Indian Penal Code.

An FIR was lodged based on the complaint of the Federation of Haomee, an Imphal-based civil society organisation.

Claiming that no Anglo-Kuki war had taken place in Manipur, the Federation of Haomee alleged that the book incorrectly depicted a Kuki rebellion from 1917 to 1919.

The complainant said that a Kuki rebellion had taken place after the community opposed the recruitment of Kukis in the Indian Labour Corps, which consisted of workers recruited by the then British government during World War I to perform construction work in different parts of the world.

“As per records and documents, it is clear that the author concocted many lies intentionally to usurp historical facts and distort history for personal gain and in favour of a particular community,” the complaint stated.

The organisation also demanded that the book be banned “for the ends of justice and peace in the country”.

Earlier this month, environmental activist Licypriya Kangujam, quoting the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), also claimed that there is no such incident as the Anglo-Kuki war in Manipur history.

On her social media page, Licypriya had said that she filed an RTI application seeking information on the Anglo-Kuki War from the Central government on June 17 and the Ministry of Home Affairs replied to her application earlier this month.

The MHA in its reply said that only 62 freedom fighters from Manipur who fought against the British as per government records received pensions from the Ministry under the Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana, she said.

Licypriya said that of the 62 freedom fighters, only four were Kukis and their names are Haozathang, Let-sei Kuki, Letkhothang Lhan-gum, and Lunkhoson Kuki.

Meanwhile, the MHA responded that no information is available on the Anglo-Kuki war, including the place and period of the incident.

With inputs from IANS