Category: Article

Peopling in the Empire’s Borderland: A Note on Kuki History and Ancestry in Northeast India

Article

By Jangkhomang Guite

This paper examines the history and ancestry of the Tibeto-Burman Family (TBF) in general and the “Kuki-Chin Group” of the TBF in particular. It argues against the dominant colonial civilizational narrative that ridiculed the whole tribal peoples in Northeast India as “peoples without history”. Based on the written accounts (both religious and secular) of the valley states and societies surrounding their mountain redoubts, supplemented by objective linguistic, genetic, and archaeological sources, studies in recent years have successfully reconstructed the history of the tribes since the ancient period. The latest genetic studies show that the ancestry of TBF in the region dates back to the second millennium BCE. Studies on ancient literature show that Kukis are the “Tilabharas” of Mahabharata, the “Tiladai” of Ptolemy’s Geography, and the “Thalutae” of Pliny’s History. Buddhist sources known them as “Ko-ki” which had become, in the Bengal world since ancient times, the generic nomenclature for the hills tribes of the southern Himalayas. One copper-plate inscription from ancient Tripura (Bengal) is a testament to the “Kuki” ancestry on the eastern frontier of Bengal. Their presence in the rolling mountains between Bengal and Burma plains in the medieval world is also testified by the Rajmala and Cheitharol Kumbaba, the royal chronicles of Tripura and Manipur respectively, the Burmese inscriptions, and the Tang Chinese chronicle. Their megalithic remains, which are of a living tradition amongst them until recent times, are a living testimony of their ancestry in the southern Himalayas.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17491275

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The Enduring Legacy of Khasi Blacksmithing: Indigenous Metallurgy and Craftsmanship in Meghalaya

Article

By Natalie Jo-Anne Diengdoh

This study explores traditional blacksmithing and indigenous metallurgy among the Khasi people of Meghalaya, India, with a focus on the villages of Mylliem and Nongkynrih. Drawing from oral histories, ethnographic fieldwork, and archival sources, the paper examines how ironworking practices persist as both a livelihood and a cultural expression rooted in myth, ritual, and resistance. In the modern landscape, blacksmithing in Khasi society reflects an adaptive material culture, responding to environmental, spiritual, and socio-political changes. In Mylliem, smithing remains linked to ancestral knowledge, communal cooperation, and utilitarian craft, while in Nongkynrih, it embodies historical defiance especially during the Khasi resistance against British colonial intrusion. The paper also investigates the economic dynamics of local trade, seasonal production, and artisanal specialization. Despite the pressures of modernization and market competition, Khasi blacksmiths continue to forge tools essential to agricultural, domestic, and ritual life. Their work illustrates a resilience that merges technical knowledge, symbolic meaning, and cultural continuity.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18458290

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Debating the Dire Need for Discourse on Racism in India

Article

By Ratna Huirem and Kathiresan Loganathan

Racism is a word not often featured in academic discourses in India. Ignored, deflected, defied, or denied by intellectuals and the common man alike, it is like a damp squib. This article aims to point out that racism is not a farcical phenomenon; but is instead deeply embedded in our society. It therefore traces the narratives of racial discrimination that people from Northeast India have been facing. Ogling, mocking, shaming, name-calling, discrimination at work places have been the relatively softer practices of racism, which can be termed as ‘footnote racism’. However, violent attacks and physical intimidation have been not rare either. These are termed as ‘headline racism’. The 2012 exodus of the NE people from various cities of ‘mainland’ India, their racial profiling, and selective targeting during COVID-19 are testimonies of racism against them within India, their own country. The media relegates stories of and from the NE to near insignificance. The NER is perceived by most outside the region as a hotbed of violence. This further adds to the foreboding and misconceived imagination and perceptions.  Hence, public knowledge about the NER is marred often by falsities, stemming from poor or wrong narratives. This is often manifested in the form of racist practices. Distinct bio-physical markers make the NE person stand out and this ‘different’ appearance creates a lot of complexities. Being an ethnic and racial minority in India, their ‘otherness’ is made palpable through various overt and covert hierarchical social positioning and practices of racial supremacy by the dominant majority. Neo-capitalistic practices towards employment in typical sectors also have a foreboding of colonisation. Arguments that the SC/ST Act provides protective cover is untenable as every person residing in the NER is not all SC/ST. It is the lurking covert but embedded racist pathology that must be tackled.

Keywords: Denial, Discrimination, Ethnicity, Hierarchy, Northeast India, Phenotype, Racial Formation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17455989

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Women and Gangte Danpi: A Feminist Perspective of Customary Law among the Gangte Tribe

Article

By Mercie Gangte

Customary law embodies the governance and cultural identity of a society, shaping how its members live and interact on a daily basis. Even today customary laws are established social practices which are implemented as the mode of social control and social sanction amongst many tribe societies of North East India. Focusing on the patriarchal and patrilineal Gangte tribe, the paper will highlight the instances in which women share their lived experiences wherein they have been perpetually entrapped in multiple problematic situations when negotiating their spaces pertaining to laws with regard to marriage, divorce, inheritance and decision making. It also seeks to examine how the social structures of the patriarchal Gangte society stunt women’s development and perpetuate their invisibility and the paper also aims to unravel how the customary laws have been responsible for the oppression of women, denying them social and economic security.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14866712

Territoriality and State Making Practices in the Northeast Frontier of British India

Article

By Lipokmar Dzüvichü

This article explores the relationship between territoriality and state making practices in the Northeast Frontier of British India in the nineteenth century. It examines the complex ways in which colonial territorial strategies were framed and enacted in a variety of spatial settings. Territoriality formed an important strategy of the British raj in its attempt to “control actions, interactions [and] access” of people, things and relationships over the frontier geographies. By establishing symbols of state institutions in the “wild” frontier spaces, colonial officials sought to institute and put in place a semblance of order and control over the imperial margins. These undertakings were in turn closely entangled with the colonial efforts to transform the “ill-defined” frontier landscape into clearly defined state spaces. Colonial territorial strategies were not only critical in order to define its spatial and institutional presence in the frontier, but also simultaneously aimed to historicize colonial authority and territorial possession. Colonial territorializing strategies were, however, not a simple linear enterprise. It proceeded over a landscape that was marked by a variety of political systems, relations and practices. Even as colonial authorities worked its way into the region, the state attempt to institute new forms of regulations and authority would also engender various responses and reactions by a variety of actors. The article will examine some of these complex processes that accompanied state territorialization initiatives and ascendancies in the frontier.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14717281

The Burden of HIV/AIDS in India and its Northeastern States

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By Juliet F Lalzarzoliani and Srigiriraju Sandhya

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a major global public health threat and development challenges. According to the World Health Organization’s Global Health Estimates, HIV/AIDS has remained one of the leading causes of death among the productive age group (30 to 49 years) in India from 2000 to 2019. It affected the working-age population extensively at their productive ages, thus affecting the economy. This paper aims to quantify the burden of HIV/AIDS in India using the Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) metrics. The study is based on secondary data from different sources. Results indicate that the DALYs lost due to HIV/AIDS for different age groups was 102.54 million DALYs. Of which the 15-49 age groups accounted for 85 per cent. During 2000-2019, the average HIV/AIDS burden in India accounted for Rs 27098 crores (5.47 billion USD) per year. During 2007-19, the Northeast states accounted for an average of 4.76 per cent of the national burden. However, in 2017, it had rapidly increased to 12 per cent. Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram have a higher HIV/AIDS burden share on the economy than the national average of 0.14 per cent in 2017 and 2019. The study concludes that there is an urgent need to provide equitable, affordable, and quality healthcare delivery for HIV/AIDS services in these vulnerable states.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14289239

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Navigating Sustainability in Loktak Lake: Socio-ecological Changes and its impact on Wetland Ecosystem and Native Fishers

Article

By Sanjay Kumar

Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, has a unique ecosystem. Because of its ecological significance, the Ramsar Convention declared it as a wetland of international significance in 1990. The lake is surrounded by villages inhabited by fishermen whose everyday source of subsistence comes from the lake. However, over the years anthropogenic activities and developmental projects have caused irreversible damage to the wetland and affected the region’s ecology. This paper highlights the various factors that brought about detrimental changes to the wetland ecosystem and the impact of these socio-ecological changes on the wetlands and fishermen. It also explores the way forward for sustainable development and to preserve the area’s ecological balance without compromising with developmental goals in the region.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14287618

Symbolic Annihilation in Mizoram Media: An Exploration of Women’s Representation

Article

By Lalnunkimi Colney, Vanlalmuanpuii Chawngthu, and V. Ratnamala

Mizoram, located in Northeast India, has a high proportion of scheduled tribes (94.5%) and operates within a patriarchal societal structure. Despite a sex ratio of 976 females per thousand males in 2011 census, women face significant under-representation in media and public spheres. This study examines how media in Mizoram portrays women using case study methodology and content analysis. The findings reveal a pattern of limited visibility for women in critical areas such as politics and education. Women are predominantly featured in entertainment and beauty contexts, with print media, magazines, and billboards often reinforcing domestic stereotypes. Social media also reflects these biases, with women frequently subjected to derogatory comments. Utilizing UNESCO Gender Sensitive Indicators for Media (GSIM) and Media for Democracy Monitor (MDM) criteria, the study identifies a substantial imbalance in gender representation. The results highlight the need for media reforms to challenge patriarchal norms and improve the portrayal and visibility of women in Mizoram.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13691362

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Unveiling Women’s Economic Contribution: A Study of Livelihood Activities in Tousem Village, Manipur

Article

By Kamei Beeju and Pounga Newme

In contemporary discourse, the female labour force encounters persistent marginalization in its pursuit of acknowledgment and respect. Within the fabric of Indian society, the labour or service endeavours undertaken by women in the domain of homemaking often remain unacknowledged, notwithstanding their substantial contribution to the domestic economy. This study critically examines the role of women in livelihood activities as an indispensable component in cultivating acknowledgment coupled with respect and recognition. The ethos of respect and recognition serves as a catalyst for individuals in their pursuit of fostering peace and harmony within the societal milieu. Within this context, the economic contributions made by women often languish in obscurity, characterized by the paradoxical phenomenon of remaining both unpaid and invisible. In Tousem, Tamenglong District of Manipur, women are lauded for their active roles in driving economic and social change, alongside their commitment to environmental stewardship. This research aims to highlight their key economic contributions to uplift their families and communities. Additionally, it seeks to unveil the status of women in village contexts, shedding light on gender dynamics. Through this inquiry, the study emphasizes the need for greater recognition and support of women’s diverse efforts, providing insights for both scholarly discourse and practical policymaking towards gender equity and empowerment.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13285899

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Border Disputes in North East India: A Study of Assam-Mizoram Border

Article

By Jangkhongam Doungel

This article traces the border disputes between Assam and her neighbouring states in North East India, and observes that it is purely a legacy of colonial rule in the region. Tribal territories in North East India were demarcated in the province of Assam one after another and foot hills were declared as reserved forests which are now the border dispute zone. Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh began to face border dispute with Assam after their separation from Assam. The present border dispute between Assam and Mizoram is in the 509 square miles reserved forest area which Mizoram claims it as its area since pre-colonial era but Assam also made similar claims to it. Mizoram advocates solution of the problem on the basis of the notification of 1875 but Assam advocates for solution of the problem as per notification of 1933. There is no clear-cut mention of inter-state boundary to be claimed as constitutional boundary. Hence, amicable solution of the border dispute may be possibly be achieved only through political dialogue between the two states.

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