"Khankho" and How It Helps in Saving Many Meiteis Lives

The word “Khankho” is a Kuki indigenous term that means wholeness, well-being, way of living and orderliness in a community, as quoted by Dr. Jangkholam Haokip. Khankho is the people’s cultural value that upholds the community. Likewise, many definitions can be given. If a person is forgiving, humane, humble, generous, kind, and whatnot, that person is known to be “full of Khankho”. It automatically acts as a parameter to discern whether an individual is good or bad. Khankho may also be known by some as “being humane” in short. This way of life which is more or less similar to the principles of Christianity always existed even before Christianity was practiced in the Kuki-Zo Community.

Since 3rd May 2023, strings of violence and destruction have been witnessed in Manipur. Unfortunately, many, especially from the Kuki-Zo Community believed that “Humanity has died in Manipur” or “Humanity has died in the minds or hearts of the Valley people”. They all have valid reasons – women paraded naked, raped, tortured, burned, killed; children killed, burnt alive, etc. etc. Stories and reasons could be said to justify their statements.

However, fortunately, for the Meiteis, Khankho plays a deep role in rescuing and saving so many of their lives.

On May 4, 2023, Meitei Mob numbering around a thousand came to attack Khoken village, Kangpokpi district, bordering Sangaithel, Imphal West, with men with matches and petrol, long knives in the front, and armed men at the back. A few meters before they

stepped into the village trying to burn the whole village down, they were encountered by the villagers who were guarding the village with catapults and a few licensed guns.

The villagers managed to grab hold of some of the attackers since some of them were weak drunkards fooled by the men at the back but as directed by the village leaders, they let them go with a stern warning and fell back. “Even though those armed Meitei men at the back fired shots at us from a distance, we didn’t fire any shot directed towards the mob but only blank fire shots because some of them were known to us and we didn’t want to ruin the relationship that we’ve had over the years. If not, we could have killed at least 30 of them,” a villager said.

On June 12, 2023, two Meitei men - Khwairakpam Sashikumar (40) alias Tomba from Sagolband Moirang Leirak Akham Lampak and O. Kumar (58) from Thoubal Leishangthem were set free by Kuki people after being detained for a period in Saivom area along the Imphal-Moreh road.

The two men were let go with some words of advice. “Just as we set you free because you are innocent civilians, make sure to extend that kindness to innocent Kuki civilians too,” the Kuki elders told the two, according to Khwairakpam Sashikumar.

Speaking of the incident, Khwairakpam Sashikumar said that the Kuki people treated them with humanity and thus he expressed gratitude towards them for their kindness. (Source: The Sangai Express)

On July 2, 2023, Kuki volunteers released five Meitei youths who were in their custody and sent out a message of peace. According to the Kuki volunteers at Gwaltabi under Saikul Police Station in Saikul Sub Division in Kangpokpi district, they apprehended five Meitei individuals on July 1 afternoon at around 2:00 pm. “For the sake of peace and ending the violence we have handed them to the Indian Army”, said the volunteers. One among the five individuals also expressed gratitude to the Kuki volunteers in particular and the Kuki community as a whole for their kindheartedness and goodwill gesture while urging the Meitei community to imitate the peaceful mindset of the Kukis and end the violence. (Source: India TodayNE)

On October 22, 2023, residents of a Kuki village of Lhangnom, Tousem in Tamenglong helped a distressed Meitei person reach home safely. The distressed person identified as Yaikhom Maipaksana Meitei of Imphal East, was caught up in a distressing situation after he had lost money due to theft, leaving him with no means to return home. The residents of Kuki village of Tamenglong immediately brought him to safety and informed Assam Rifles, Kadamtala for assistance.

The Assam Rifles along with the Jiribam police established the Meitei person’s identity and promptly informed his family and local police station about his safety. On the morning of 23rd October, the distressed man was safely dispatched to his home in Imphal East. (Source: India TodayNE)

On December 11, 2023, a Meitei woman, identified as Laishram Lata (45) w/o late Aken of Sekmaijin from Langjing Bazar and a Meitei Pangal man, Md Hussain Ahmed Ali (51) of Kwakta, Bishnupur, were released without any harm done to the two individuals, who crossed the buffer zone in Gamgiphai, Kangpokpi district at around 11 PM.

They were handed over to the 22nd Assam Rifles and Kangpokpi Police the next day, Tuesday, at around 11

AM by the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU). The sources said that they lost their way and reached Gamgiphai as they were under the influence of alcohol. (Source: CoTU Press Release/Video)

On January 3, 2024, showing humanity amidst the violence, a group of Kuki elders and youths helped rescue a Meitei driver, Konthoujam Dingku, from a potentially unsafe area.

This incident occurred when Dingku mistakenly drove into T Lailoiphai, a Kuki village while transporting BSF personnel to their headquarters at Serou Practical High School in Kakching. (Source: India TodayNE)

Again, when we trace back to the initial days of the present Manipur conflict, although many innocent Kuki-Zo civilians were killed, burnt alive, raped, and murdered in the Imphal valley, the truth is, no Meitei residents in the Kuki-Zo-dominated areas were killed nor harmed. They were not killed not because the Kuki-Zos didn’t have the guts or guns to do it. But the idea of Khankho instilled in their hearts and minds was stronger than the desire to kill somebody innocent.

From the mentioned incidents and facts, and many untold stories as such, it is seen that Khankho which was inculcated in the core of the lives of the Kuki-Zo community since time immemorial hugely benefitted the Meiteis whose lives were hanging by a thread under the hands of the Kuki-Zos. As stated, Khankho is more than humanity alone. It is the moral standard of how a person lives his or her life. If this way of life in the lives of the Kuki-Zo people were embedded in the lives of the Meiteis, at least at the beginning of it, the present conflict would’ve been less terrorizing and traumatic. And for sure, fewer casualties would’ve been mounted. Or the conflict might have ended just a few days after 3rd May 2023. And the phrase “Ching-tam amatani” would still be relevant today.