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Home Article

I Am A Survival – The Story of How A Naga Guy Survived The Kuki Attack

by nagajournal
December 8, 2022
in Article, Story
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Prologue

The Kukis, today, are observing the ‘Black Day‘  in remembrance of the victims killed during the ethnic clash starting  from 1992 to 1997. The Kukis have been terming the ethnic clash as ‘Genocide‘.  However, as Dr. Tuisem rightly points it out, terming the conflict as  Genocide, where one community deliberately attempts to wipe out the  other – is not the case with the Naga-Kuki conflict as both the Nagas  and the Kukis suffered major casualties.

As per the UNC report, from 1992 till 1997, 207 Nagas were killed,  197 injured and 2582 Naga houses were burnt down in the Kuki-Naga  conflict. Hence the Kukis terming it as Genocide, Holocaust or ethnic cleansing is wrong in many ways.

There are many sad stories of the ethnic clash between the Kukis and  the Nagas. Stories of loved ones being killed, houses being burnt down,  people fleeing the villages and so on. Many such stories are unrecorded  and undocumented.

We came across this story of how a Naga guy escaped death from the  hands of the Kukis in 1997 and how he chose to forgive to make way for  peace.

This is his story.

I AM A SURVIVAL

It will be the 22nd Anniversary of my friends’ murder at Hengpung Kuki if there is such observance.

My friend Paul, Lovejoy and Xavier all from Hungpung Village were forcibly pulled down from the bus by the  villagers of Hengpung Kuki. The villagers then handed my friends to Kuki  Underground and their death body was found in the jungle after few  days. This horrific incident happened on 12 February 1997.

We were travelling together in a bus belonging  to Manipur Golden Travels- an inter-state bus service from Imphal to  Shillong. We were all studying in Shillong.

I have gone home to attend a student’s union conference in Ukhrul and was rushing back to Shillong as my exam was nearing.

It was a miracle that I and so many of my friends SURVIVED. 18 of us were travelling together on the same bus. The people from Hengpung attempted thrice to  pull me down from the bus. I lied to them I was not a NAGA and I was  visiting my father who was posted at Shillong.

The bus we were travelling were blocked by two trucks in the middle of the highway. Women with daos (big knife) and men with utup (club) came inside the bus and started pulling down whoever they thought were NAGAS. In the end they pulled down five of my friends. I believe it has to be DIVINE  POWER that two of my friends were released after they were thrashed  black and blue. Their clothes were torn up and the money they were  carrying in their person were taken by the mob. Three of my friends never came back alive.

Do I feel lucky that I survived ? Definitely.

Was I traumatised ? I still am. And it becomes worst  when I see this kind of observance such as “Kuki Black Day”. Will it be  too much to admit that both side suffers and lost many precious lifes ? Will all the Kukis be able to take a steadfast stand that they were the only one suffered ?

We all made mistakes. Manipur is a history of mistakes. Giving  away of Kabaw valley is a mistake. Allowing the refugee to settle is  also a mistake because now they are claiming the land where they settled  belongs to them. The Naga -Kuki conflict should not have happen. But all this are in the past. I wish we can move forward without letting our hatred, anger and bitterness crush the will to forgive each other because I believe that most of us still will for FORGIVENESS.

For me, the erection of such monoliths is only sowing the seeds of hatred, anger and bitterness. How can we hope for PEACE if this is our attitude. I cannot let what I went through be the reason for me to live within a  box of jingoism. I cannot let it be the reason to start another  conflict.

By Tennoson Pheiray

“There is no peace without forgiveness.” Marianne Williamson

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nagajournal

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