Mount Koubru: The cradle of human civilisation
“Mahadev saved us, but we could not protect his abode” – wept Adhikarimayum Bhabananda Sharma, the Sevait (pujari and caretaker) of the famous 97-year-old Koubru Leikha Shiv Mandir of Kangpokpi district. His wife Subhashini Devi sat in silence with tears in her eyes, unable to face the camera.
The Koubru Leikha Mandir premises is located at a distance of around 4 kms. from Mount Koubru, the divine abode of Mahadev and other native deities like Lainingthou Koubru, goddess Kounu and the Earth-God Tingpurengsonang. Indigenous Meiteis, Nagas and Bishnupriya Manipuris revere Mount Koubru as the cradle of human civilisation. The Koubru Ranges and the adjacent Kangpokpi-Kanglatombi reserved forests contain over 50 sites like the Bashudhara Waterfalls, which are believed to be sacred by devotees of Hindu Dharma and other native dharmic streams like Sanamahism for at least 3000 years.
Koubru Leikha Shiv Mandir Premises, Picture Courtesy: Neha Lamachane Gurung
Majestic Mount Koubru: The Cradle of Human Civilisation
Cartographical Representation of the Koubru Ranges, Picture Courtesy: J.S. Khuraijam
The Koubru Leikha Shiv Mandir was inaugurated by Maharaj ChuraChand in 1927, who had ordered Laimayum Gopal Sharma, the maternal grandfather of Adhikarimayum Bhabananda Sharma, to serve Mahadev and oversee the development of the Mandir Complex. Maharaja BudhaChandra had given a moorti of Shree Hari to Gopal Sharma Ji in 1931, instructing him to perform Narayan Pooja in the Mandir premises. By 2011, the Mandir Premises housed moortis of Shree Ganesh, Shree Narayan and several other deities in addition to the famous Koubru Mahadev.
Moortis of Mahadev and Shree Hari in the Koubru Leikha Mandir Premises
Maharaj ChuraChand had given a paddy field of around 10.2 acres to the family serving Koubru Mahadev. Bhabananda Sharma Ji’s family have been serving Koubru Mahadev since 1927. Paoboi Haokip, a Kuki language-speaking village chief had illegally occupied this land in 1976. The Sevait family has not received any benefits from the land granted solely for their use by Maharaj ChuraChand for nearly 48 years.
Illegal Immigration and Demographic Inversion
The Manipur State Government had declared 54 square kms of the Koubru region as a reserved forest through Gazette Notification in 1976 [1]. The Koubru Ranges and the adjoining Kangpokpi-Kanglatombi (KK) Reserved Forests are protected sites. The infamous Kuki-Naga clash of 1992-95 had resulted in a population transfer. Kuki-language speakers were forced to migrate from the Naga-dominated areas to the Kuki-dominated regions of ChuraChandpur, Tengnoupal and Kangpokpi and vice versa. Large-scale illegal immigration of “Kuki-Chin” language speakers from Myanmar has further complicated this situation.
These illegal immigrants were welcomed and allowed to settle down in the areas with a sizeable “Kuki-Chin” language-speaking population. The number of villages in Kangpokpi district had increased from 179 in 1969 to 721 in 2023 [2][3]. The population percentage of “Kuki-Chin” language-speakers had increased from 21.87% in 1971 to 57.93% in 2011 [4]. Such population growth cannot be explained through over-reporting or Census-manipulations alone. The Naga population in the Kangpokpi region had declined from 37.46% to 13.24% between 1971 to 2011. They have been dominating local politics since the Manipur Legislative Assembly elections of 2007.
Rapid Growth of villages in the Kuki-dominated regions of Manipur
The decades-long Assault on Deities and Devotees
Indigenous Meiteis and Nagas have deep cultural and religious ties with this Dharmic ecosystem, dating back to at least 3000 years. The devotees of Hindu Dharma and other local Dharmic faiths have several common civilisational values like
- Love and Respect for nature
- Ancestor Worship
- Murti Puja
- Tolerance for other faiths (Polytheism)
The new “Kuki-Chin-Mizo” language-speaking settlers lack the millennia-old cultural and religious ties to this land. Nearly all of them follow Christianity, an alien faith having no respect for any of the abovementioned civilisational values visible among Dharmic faiths throughout the Bharatiya subcontinent. Devotees of the “Ocean of Kindness” believe that nature is to be used and controlled for the benefit of man. The binary worldview of this monotheistic faith encourages intolerance and outright hatred towards many of our core civilisational values, creating fault lines in society [5].
“Kuki-Chin” language-speakers continue to use the highly inefficient method of ‘Jhoom Cultivation’. They clear large stretches of forest lands to cultivate crops and burn the plant remains. The ash is then used to fertilise the soil and the cultivated land is left to recuperate for several years. By the late 1990s, this outdated method of ‘Jhoom Cultivation’ could no longer sustain their growing population in the Kangpokpi region.
Local “Kuki-Chin” language-speakers had begun to encroach upon the 54 square kms of reserved forest lands, burning down large stretches of these sacred forest for ‘Jhoom cultivation’ from the mid-2000s. The age-old principles of ‘Jhoom cultivation’ were discarded without considering its impact on the ecosystem. Reducing the recuperation period from 10 years to 3 years had led to a rapid decline in soil fertility, requiring even more cultivable lands [6].
“Kuki-Chin” language-speaking IPS officer Lunsieh Kipgen says that poppy cultivation is not a traditional occupation of the Manipuri people [7]. “Kuki-Chin” language-speaking illegal immigrants from Burma have generations of expertise on cultivating poppy for commercial purposes. Local Gorkha and Naga residents like Basanta Gurung (name changed) and Namthang Kabui (name changed) say that “Kuki-Chin” language-speaking illegal immigrants had started large-scale poppy cultivation in Kangpokpi during the late 2000s. Regions like Saikul and the sacred Koubru ranges had become hot-spots of poppy cultivation by 2012.
Rampant poppy cultivation and the widespread use of hazardous chemical fertilisers like Di-Ammonium Phosphate have led to a rapid decline in soil fertility, requiring the use of even larger amounts of toxic chemicals. The Koubru ranges and the neighbouring forests act as catchment areas, with rivers like Awang Sekmai, Imphal, Setikhola (White River) and Leimakhong originating from this region. Toxic Pesticides like Cypermethrin and Pyrethrum are still being used extensively to obtain the highest yield possible. These toxic chemicals dissolve in rivers and lakes making the water unfit for human consumption. Prolonged exposure to such toxic chemicals could result in
- Increased risk of developing cancer including Malignant Melanoma (the most serious type of skin cancer).
- A disrupted reproductive system (residents of villages in the Litan region have reported that miscarriage among women has become more common after large-scale poppy cultivation was started. Many local village chiefs had requested pregnant women to refrain from visiting this region during poppy flowering season [8].
- Increased risk of neural diseases.
- Increased risk of immune deficiency diseases [9].
The Koubru ranges and its neighbouring forests were famous for its biodiversity and panoramic beauty before widespread deforestation. Over a dozen sacred waterfalls, lakes and rivers form an integral part of this Dharmic ecosystem. The Koubru Lai Pukhri (pond) is a sacred pilgrimage site for devotees of Sanamahism, whose waters are believed to wash away all the pardonable sins of the devotees. Numerous sacred groves dedicated to local forest deities were scattered throughout the Koubru ranges and the KK Reserved forests. Both the groves and the local forest deities are known as Umang Lai. Devotees have worshipped these sacred groves and forest deities every year since ancient times.
The Lai Haraoba (‘merry making of the gods’) is a traditional religious festival, celebrated every year to please the Umang Lais. The celebrations include religious recitations, traditional music, folk dances and theatre, depicting various aspects of native culture and showcasing the close cultural ties between the indigenous communities of Manipur. Traditional folklores mention that the first Lai Haraoba celebrations were performed by the Gods themselves on the Koubru Hills who expected the indigenous Manipuri people to follow their example and celebrate the creation of our universe and the birth of life on earth every year.
The Setikhola river originates from the sacred Basudhara falls. Gravity measurement studies conducted from the crest in 2014 had concluded that the Basudhara falls is the largest waterfall in Manipur with an estimated altitude of around 800-1000 feet [10]. Also known as Mahadevsthaan, Maa Ganga is believed to have descended on earth here with Mahadev taking her in his jataa (long tresses), preventing her from sweeping the entire world away. The Basudhara falls was a popular pilgrimage destination for all nature worshipers. A large variety of birds and animals could be found in the local forests, including wild buffaloes.
Many of these Umang Lais became victims of large-scale deforestation during the last two decades. Age-old sacred groves were transformed into barren wastelands for facilitating poppy cultivation. An eerie silence prevails over the lands used for poppy cultivation. No insects can be seen buzzing and no sign of birds or burrowing animals are visible.
Former IAS officer RK Nimai, MLA Susindro Meitei and many native intellectuals have expressed concern over this rampant deforestation leading to soil erosion and water crisis. A significant number of the springs, lakes, brooks, streams and rivers that form an integral part of this Dharmic ecosystem have either dried up or their water level has reduced drastically [11].
References:
[2] Report from the Ministry of Panchayati Raj 2023
[3] Gazette Notification 1969
[4] Language Census Data of the corresponding years
[5] From the works of Robert Rosario, Kamakshi Dhanaraj and R.J. Rummel
[6] https://www.ifp.co.in/editorial/not-a-care-for-the-forests
[9] https://www.gatewayfoundation.org/addiction-blog/environmental-impact-growing-drugs/
[10] https://bastolaramez.blogspot.com/2014/05/basudhara.html?m=1
[11] https://www.ifp.co.in/opinion/why-water-scarcity-in-manipur
