By Thanggoulal Khongsai
Joupi Incident and their Sufferings:
Believed to be established in 1707, Joupi Village, Tamenglong District, was close to 80 Households in 1993. Neighboring Villages such as Santing, Boljang, Dulen, Taloulong, Buning, Janglenphai, Bolkot, Upper-Zampi, Lower-Zampi, Haipi , Molsang and Selsi etc were all peacefully living together along with their brethren Liangmei(Naga) community until the fateful hour of NSCN-IM inhuman intervention to these unarmed villages. The genesis of all these villages suffering can be cited back to early 1960 when the whole area was demarcated to be part of Tamenglong District. It was only in the early phase of 1993 that the conflict fully escalated between the two communities, the Naga and Kuki, and further led to its deterioration. Consequently, the event that history wouldn’t erase took place henceforth.
On the 7th September, 1993, the then Chief of Joupi, Mr Lenpao Haokip, convened an emergency local general body meeting in his village as their settlement condition at that point of time appeared to be insecure, grim and serious in reality. Following the day and with the resolution adopted, the Chief arranged for a mass feast, i.e on the 8th Sept, 1993. As the prevailing insecurities amongst the villagers became more intense that prior to their feast on that fateful day of 8th Sept around 9:00AM, fully armed insurgent, the NSCN-IM, with numbering of 100 or more forcefully invaded and capture the village; search for arms and ammunition in every households, women and men seperated with the latter detained inside the CC Hall while their women and children were taken inside the Church for detention. Things didn’t stop here. They entered the Village Chief’s house, took all the Village important documents, toured around the village premises and shot any of their-likes’ domestic animals in the village. And to the captive men inside the CC Hall, the outfits told them that the land of the Village belongs to the Naga, they should vacate and while leaving, they were informed to Head towards Chin Hills. Soon after this, information about Govt Army approaching was alerted and therefore, they hacked any parts of those pigs they shot and carried along with them. As they took as much flesh as they could, they forcefully hired the Chief and some of his village elderly men’s labor to carry their loads. On reaching Janglenphai, the NSCN-IM sent back those men except the chief whom they still kept under their custody.
With no hope for the Chief to return back alive, speculation over his death was surfacing amongst the villagers and backed by the chief of Jampi, they held the last ceremony rites of Pu Lenpao Haokip on the 11th Sept. 1993 with Pu Semkholam Hangsing appointed as a caretaker Chairman of the village.
As many of their neighboring villages also met the same fate under the atrocity and brutality of the NSCN-IM, the villagers’ last resort was to take refuge with the people of I.T Road who settled along the Irang River. On the 12th Sept, villagers with unison head towards I.T Road via Tamei without any ill thoughts and feelings that the NSCN-IM would lay their hand upon them after their warning and instructions they fully comply. However, things turn out to its utmost ugliest form on that day. As they marched towards and on crossing Dulen New Village, the NSCN-IM with fully loaded arms and ammunition stopped them; they fired and killed two of the villagers, warned and threatened the rest of them to exit Tamei’s gate before 5:00PM sharp on the day itself. With such limited hours and choices they have, the villagers even unloaded some of their goods and belongings with fear on their way just to lighten their loads as they still have a long way to go. Many of them starved along the way and by around 6:00 pm, some of them hardly managed to reach Tamei. These advanced ones who had reached Tamei’s gate waited for the arrival of their counterpart villagers; they set up temporary tent’s there. Soon a few hours later, the NSCN-IM rushed to the spot. It was at this hour that the NSCN-IM had shown their real color to these helpless unarmed villagers whom they had waited for their dear ones. It was at this hour that villagers’ hopes for survival had turned hopeless. Women and children were asked to unload their goods and belongings which they carried all the way from Joupi while men were made to kneel and were handcuffed. Thereafter, they asked women and children to leave the spot with half loaded of their belongings with the assurance that they will release their men after they grilled and interrogated them. Initially, these women refused to comply as they could not think of having such a long barefoot journey without their men. However, it was only after the assurance the insurgents gave that they would be released after an hour, these women left their men.
With no mercy on humanity the NSCN-IM had begun their mission a while after women and children left the tent. They began by summoning one after another in a small hut stood at the end corner of the road with the Chairman and his other friend in the first. The duo was interrogated and threatened with an aim to kill them. It was at that point of time that his friend managed to escape by throwing himself down from the hut’s window of the hilly terrain to the ground, possibly more than 30ft high or more, when they killed the Chairman. The remaining 27 men were blind folded and handcuffed with their knees on the ground. After they were interrogated one after another with an aim of finding their faults, they tortured them like animals, butcher and those of few who utter words against them were killed and threw them down from the Hill. By God’s grace, of the 27 men being inhumanly treated and slaughtered on that day, three of them manage to escape death. These three men became the living witness today of the crime the NSCN-IM committed on the 12th Sept, 1993.
It may also be mentioned that, some of the men, women and children who were unable to cross Tamei on the 12th Sept, began to resume their death journey on the 13th Sept morning without the knowledge of how the NSCN-IM melted out inhuman treatment and slaughtered their villager counterparts. Unaware of their own deaths ahead, these men, women and children were heading towards Tamei in hope of a new life. Except for two men, life for the rest of them also happened to be their last journey. On crossing Tamei’s village, they were blocked by the NSCN-IM at the power station where each of them was made to face the same fate. Women and children were treated differently and men were handcuffed and blindfolded with a pair each tightened together at Buning stream, located between Bolkot and Jampi territorial boundary, where they met an animal-like treatment, their bodies hacked into pieces and left behind for the food of wild animals and birds. Even the infants were not spared as they were hurled in the air and hacked to pieces. Women were rape, butcher and slaughter to death. This entire incident of dead bodies was witnessed by BBC correspondent, Yambem Laba. It is to be noted that, of the total number of innocents who laid their lives in the hands of merciless NSCN-IM at that point of time were 68 in number excluding women and children. And the total number of deaths in Tamenglong District till the 13th September rose to 80 in number.
Gelnal Incident and their Sufferings:
On the 12th Sept, 1993, a day before the atta took place, the 21st Assam Rifles (AR) posted at Tamei was heading towards T.Waichong under Captain's command where they stopped for an hour at Gelnal Village. It so happened that one of the AR personnel, a Nepali by blood, was visiting the shop and eventually came in contact with the Nepali Shopkeeper there. Being of the same caste, the personnel had secretly informed her and also appalled for her immediate vacate of the village right after they left. He also told her that, "the NSCN-IM is prepared to take control of the village tonight". On hearing such information, the shocking and terrified shopkeeper in turn forwarded to one of the villagers whom she trusted. The villager in turn passed on the information to the Chief. Then, the chief along with Pu Heljapao(Retired Havildarm) mediately rushed to meet the AR personnel and sought their support. They requested the AR Captain to stay for a night. However, the Captain responded that he was being ordered to report at T.Waichong without a day’s delay and therefore, he expressed his state of helplessness. Even after such repeated requests and appeals, the Captain didn't budge as he was following his Higher Order(CO Oder); henceforth, every effort they made to let the AR stay overnight was all in vain. After the AR personnel left, so did the Nepali Shopkeeper for Timsina. There was no sign of hope for the people of Gelnal and the only option left for them was to stand firm and face the circumstances.
As the freezing autumn morning arrives, bird’s chirp and the cock crows. This was the 13th September morning. Until this moment, information was passed to one another as there were no signs of untoward incidents that could likely have happened. Therefore, at 4:00AM, as usual, Church Peon, Pu Nahlal, rang the Church Bell and the Chief of the Village with his wailed pitch invited his villagers for a morning prayer. Whoever heard the chief’s voice; they head towards the church and offer their prayers to God.
It was the 13th Sept morning things had turned ugly and their expected nightmare began. Several incidents took place at different locations within the village premises. Most notable ones were the incidents at Northern part, Central part, North Eastern part and Western part of the village. The village was surrounded on all sides and tens and twenties of innocent people had laid down their lives in defense of their land and property. Houses burn, animals killed and hundreds of bullets rain all over the village on that fateful day. The firing exchange lasted for almost four and half hours. Uniform men and women who were looking for unarmed innocent lives were flooded in all corners of the village and the modern weapons they used against the villagers were of no match to that of Local made guns and bullets used by the villagers. Some of those who’s without weapons were also seen holding Kerosene, splashed it over the roof, burned it and then left. Some of those witnessed with medical equipment for supplies were in turn accompanied by fully armed personnel. With no empathy and fear, the militant even used firewood and knives to harm and helpless damsel, lad, women and elderly ones before releasing bullets. Some are even burn along with their houses while others were forcefully pulled out from their hideouts, tortured and then killed. In all, the number of deceased and casualties at the time of the incident was 17(Deceased) and 4(Severely injured) respectively. More so, the death toll claimed due to the epidemic in the aftermath of the Attack was 18 in number.
Two-hour after the attack, possibly around 12 noon, the 21st AR along with O.C police accompanied by Kuki prominent leaders, Church leaders and neighboring villagers arrived at the spot with clothes and utensils to help the helpless and to comfort the villagers. Meanwhile, the O.C and several officers inspected the situations. There were chaos and horrific scenes witnessed in all corners of the village as most of the survivors had lost their love and dear ones. Blood flooded in the village, helpless cries were heard all over. The death bodies were gathered at one place and for each of those who survived the ethnic cleansing, the sun appeared to be faded and everywhere was dark and grim. After a long talk and negotiation, the casualties were carried by the AR truck and were rushed to hospital while the remaining villagers were taken to T.Waichong Refugee camp. On the other hand, the village chief and his cabinet including a handful of village head men in the presence of O.C Police conducted with full honor and dignified funeral services for all the deceased in the later hour of that evening.
Conclusion:
There may have been multiple claims over the genesis of the Kuki-Naga conflicts in the early 1990s. Nevertheless, it would only be an endless claim and debate on finding facts as today’s generations are more of peace building loving and for development. However, history can’t deny its facts and incidents and it has to be told regardless of different arguments and views of its genesis. Infact, the total number of Kuki civilians killed by the NSCN-IM as on 5th Oct, 1993 was 300 and until 1997, it rose to more than 1000. Whereas, the total number of villages torched was close to 80 during the same period.
Not the least, as the history memoir of these heinous atrocities, brutalities, and undermining one’s community interest for vested self interest, may not all of them be an overnight forgettable memoirs, however; in the interest of common brotherhood, peace and prosperity, it is vital to keep the History alive so as to be able to create a lasting peaceful solution without repeating incidents of the same history. Therefore, observing “SAHNIT NI/BLACK DAY” is to be seen as a memoir of the living History and not as a threat to PEACE.
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