Why a gate set up on a hill sacred to Meiteis has forced a reaction from Manipur CM Biren Singh

On Tuesday, the Under Secretary (Land Resources) to the Manipur government wrote to the officer-in-charge of Imphal police station, asking that a zero FIR be registered in this matter under the Manipur government’s new Manipur Names of Places Act, as well as the Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1976. The FIR was registered against KNF-MC.

The KNF-MC is one of the armed Kuki-Zomi groups that are party to the contested tripartite Suspension of Operations (SOO) agreement with the Union and state governments.

In his complaint, Under Secretary Mangoljao Kamei said the hill range falls under the Churachandpur-Khaopum Protected Forests, and is a protected site under law.

The Manipur Names of Places Act is a new legislation which was introduced in the Assembly session in March. It makes the use of unauthorised names for places a punishable offence.

During the ongoing conflict in Manipur, as Kukis and Meiteis fled areas where they were minorities, the names of places have also become contested. However, the controversy over the naming of Thangjing-Thangting hill range predates the ongoing violence.

The Thangjing hill, located in Churachandpur district, is an important pilgrimage site for the followers of Sanamahism in the Meitei community. Given the deep geographical and social divides borne by the ongoing conflict, it has become inaccessible to the community.

In the last few days, a photo has been doing the rounds of a gate with a board that says it is the entry to ‘Kuki National Front – Military Council; Kuki Army; Thangting Camp’. This has triggered outrage among sections of the Meitei community, and Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced late Monday night that a case has been registered under the Manipur Names of Places Act “for renaming a part of Thangjing hill range as ‘Thangting’.”

In 2016, the state Cabinet’s decision to create a sub-division named the Thangting sub-division in the area had led to incidents of violence.

The name Thangjing is associated with the Ibudhou Thangjing temple on the peak, believed to be the original abode of the deity Thangjing. Thangting is the name used by the Kuki residents of the hill range. During the course of the conflict, there have also been controversies over the alleged erecting of crosses on the hill.