Vibrant Nagas of Manipur

Achungmei, who belongs to the Naga tribe in Manipur, shares some key aspects of her community, culture and identity.

“I am very close to my community. Wherever the Nagas come from – Nagaland, Manipur, whichever state, we feel as one when we get together,” Achungmei told us. The formation of Nagaland in 1960 divided the Nagas into four different administrative states, resulting in ethnic violence, movements for autonomy and factionalism amongst different revolutionaries.  Ideally, Achungmei believes it would serve the Naga tribes in Manipur best if they could become a part of Nagaland, without having to leave their homes.

“There is always some tension in the hilly areas, because of everything that has happened here. There is a ceasefire now. But the Nagas have begun leaving Imphal to live in the hilly areas. It is still a little unstable. The tension hasn’t disappeared completely.” Achungmei studied and worked in Bangalore for a few years. She said, “I feel like I am a part of India. I feel like an Indian citizen. But I was treated differently. My classmates understood, but if there was someone I didn’t know, they would never think I was Indian. I know it’s impossible to have a separate country, but at least a separate state for the Nagas – I want this.”

Despite all the tension, the Nagas are a fun-loving community who enjoy singing, dancing and playing social games at various community functions. Tonight, as the majority of Nagas are Christian, there are Christmas Eve celebrations taking place. For the last two nights, Achungmei has been out carol-singing with her friends and family. This evening she will be attending the gathering in her town which starts at sundown and goes on till after midnight. They begin with the pastor opening the hall where the festivities are to take place, and a small mass. Then there’s dinner, dancing, entertainment programs, and another mass. “All the youth and the elders get together today. We sit and we pray for the arrival of Jesus Christ.” She wishes everyone a Merry Christmas!

Achungmei Kamei
I come from the Naga tribal community in Manipur. I feel that powerful people in the underworld and insurgent groups control what news is produced in my state – they dictate what is published and when, and frequently threaten the editors. I’ve always wanted to work with media so that I could have the opportunity to give my own account of what happens in my community and in Manipur. With this greater goal, I did my degree in Mass Communication Studies in Bangalore. I stayed on to work for a few years there. Being out of Manipur for the first time was difficult and scary because of the way North-Easterners are treated by the rest of the country. Classmates and colleagues never believed I was Indian, insisting I must be Korean or Chinese or Nepalese. These feelings of not being Indian were familiar – I had grown up in an environment that was typified by rebellious movements against the central government. Nagas and Meiteis alike feel removed from and neglected by mainland India. I returned to Manipur and now work part-time as a news correspondent for a national radio station. I joined the IndiaUnheard program because I feel this is a platform to combine what I’d studied with my deep-seated desire for independent media. Over the last six months I’ve produced stories on local economic blockades and separatist strikes.

Achungmei Kamei has produced 24 stories for us.

One Response to “Vibrant Nagas of Manipur”

1. Amo Konyak says:

   December 28, 2010 at 8:25 pm

   GIVE US FRONTIER NAGALAND: Yes, we demand for a seperate state in Nagaland. The present Government in Nagaland is highly influenced by the communal NSCN-IM. We want complete peace and do not want to live with this insurgent group. The present Govt is highly communal. In Nagaland, we can’t express our desire. There is no freedom. Every time, the present Govt and NSCN-IM does wrong with other communities and we become the victims of communal tensions. Now we are looked as enemies by North East neighbours. But, we do not want to create communal tensions with our neighbours and snatch their territorial areas which are the objectives of the bloody insurgent to happen. In Nagaland, we can’t use our rights as they are seized by the communal based Nagaland Government and terrorist NSCN-IM. We also sincerely apologize to all other North Eastern sisters and brothers for the grievances caused by the NSCN-IM. Now, please help us to seperate from the communal based Government of Nagaland and NSCN-IM’s torture. Please help us to free from the threats and unbearable torture of terrorist NSCN-IM. Please help us to form an equality based prosperous “Frontier Nagaland”.