The book is about a long-forgotten yet important historical chapter in the northeast, where, during the First World War, 2,000 labourers, each from Manipur, Naga Hills, Lushai Hills, Khasi Hills and 500 labourers from Garo Hills, were sent to France as part of the Labour Corps and the Kuki Rebellion 1917-19.The author, Lieutenant Colonel Moirangthem Ranjit Singh (Retd.), has a passion and zeal for exploring the lesser-known and forgotten important historical aspects of the region. He has been writing over the years about the rare and lesser-known historical subjects of Manipur in the columns of ‘The Sangai Express’. It took more than a decade of in-depth research work by the author to unearth and ferret out authentic information from the published and unpublished books, grandchildren of people who went to France as Labour Corps, war cemeteries in various countries, archives in northeast states, India, the UK, France, Italy, etc.
The author explains the causes of the Great War (First World War) in an absorbing manner. On 03 August 1914, the German troops invaded Belgium, and the UK declared war on Germany on 04 August 1914. The Germans initially advanced deep into northeastern France through Belgium and came within thirty miles of Paris. In early September 1914, the Allied troops managed to halt the German advance and pushed them back north of the Aisne River. A long and gruelling stalemate ensued. Both sides dug extensive trenches, stretching nearly 400 miles from the Swiss border to the North Sea.
Every able-bodied serviceman was needed at the front, and on 04 January 1917, the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Forces put forward a demand for coloured labourers for employment in France.
The author writes the story of the recruitment of labour corps in an engrossing manner. On 01 February 1917, the Chief Commissioner of Assam sent a telegram to Manipur directing the kingdom to recruit 2,000 men for service in France. The Maharaja and the Manipur State Darbar decided to confine the recruitment to the hill tribes, as the Meiteis were ultra-conservative and held numerous social and religious objections to overseas service. Accordingly, a written order was issued on 02 March 1917 to all the chiefs/headmen of the villages in the Manipur hills, instructing them to provide labourers for sending to France in proportion to the number of houses in their village.
At first, considerable opposition was encountered, and to overcome it, the Government offered rewards to Chiefs and labourers who volunteered early. The Political Agent of Manipur sought the help of Revered William Pittygrew, and according to him, 1200 Tangkhuls volunteered for the Labour Corps. However, the author writes that about 750 Tangkhuls finally went to France as Labour Corps.
The author elaborately described very nicely how the momentum for recruitment picked up, and by the end of April 1917, the required number of people had been recruited. However, 30% of the recruits were rejected during the medicals. The first contingent of the Manipur Labour Corps, comprising 500 Tangkhuls and 500 Kukis, marched on foot 134 miles from Imphal to Dimapur on 02 May 1917, their stores following on bullock carts. The second contingent followed on May 19.
The author also gave the particulars of the Meiteis employed in the State service and nominated to accompany the labour corps as headman, interpreter, accountant and clerks. Four nominated persons who refused to accompany the labour corps were exiled to Rangoon.
The author describes the train journey of 2,000 men of the Manipur Labour Corps (MLC) by 3 special trains from Dimapur to Bombay in an interesting manner. On 06 June 1917, Colonel HWG Cole, the Commandant of the MLC, embarked on board the merchant Vessel, Maryland, along with 1237 troops, while Captain Jeffery embarked on board HT Catalonia along with 719 troops. The troops disembarked from HT Catalonia at Suez on 22 June and moved by train to Alexandria. They sailed on board another ship from Alexandria to the French port of Marseille, and the ship was escorted by a naval vessel due to the threat of German U-boats and submarines. As the route to Marseille became unsafe, the vessel was diverted to the Italian port of Taranto. They proceeded by train through the mighty Alps and reached Marseille on 08 July 1917, and the employment area one week later.
During the passage through the Arabian Sea, cholera broke out on board the Maryland, and ten labourers died on board. When the ship reached Aden, the labour corps was disembarked and quarantined in the Flint and Twin Islands for 75 days. There 28 more labourers died of chorela. They finally reached the employment area in France on 07 September 1917.
The author beautifully depicted the reactions of the hillmen from Manipur when they saw the crowd at the Bombay Railway Station, the beauty of Bombay City, Alexandria, Taranto, and their plight in facing rough seas on board the ship. The author also vividly described many areas in France where the people from the MLC were employed and the various types of work they performed.
On 11 May 1918, the complete MLC sailed from Marseille on board the HT Catalonia. The MLC reached Bombay, Guwahati and Imphal on 10, 19, and 26 June 1918, respectively. The author recreated the scene of happiness at Imphal Polo Ground when the people of Manipur celebrated the return of their heroes from France. The MLC paraded before the Maharaja of Manipur, who had arranged a huge “Barakhana” for them, and the labourers rejoiced at the news of lifelong house tax exemption and all types of compulsory labour.
In the subsequent chapters, the author elaborately describes the recruitment of Labour Corps for France from the Naga, Lushai, Khasi and Garo Hills; their train journey to Bombay; their ship voyage; and their employment in France. The author also brings out the shrewdness of the British in selecting popular officers in the respective regions to get maximum volunteers.
The last chapter is the aftermath, and the author explores in depth the Kuki Rebellion 1917-19. The book unearths many details that have remained unknown until now and gives vivid accounts of violence and raids carried out by Kukis. When the first letter for the recruitment was sent in early March 1917, the powerful Kuki Chiefs of Jampi, Chassad, Mombi and Ukha protested the recruitment of labourers for sending to France, and they directed the Chiefs of smaller Kuki villages not to send labourers to France.
At that time, a thirty-year-old Meitei named Chingakham Sanajaoba convinced the Kukis that he possessed supernatural powers by demonstrating some magical tricks. On 31 October 1917, Sanajaoba went to Ukha and met with 22 Headmen of Kuki villages, proclaiming that the British Empire was collapsing and urging them to revolt. He promised that when he became king of Manipur, he would reduce the House Tax to one Rupee. He claimed that he commanded three companies, had eight expert swordsmen, and that he would attack Imphal.
Since January 1918, the Kukis began launching many brutal raids across Manipur and Nagaland. They killed 289 people, mostly Nagas, took 21 into captivity and burned 34 villages. These atrocities generated widespread fear, produced streams of refugees, and compelled the authorities to establish concentration camps to shelter threatened Nagas.
The Indian Government recognised that the trouble in Manipur was not an isolated disturbance but part of a wider pattern of unrest, concurrent with an insurgency in the Haka areas of Burma, and required unified, decisive control. The Government resolved to place operations in Assam and Burma under a single senior officer endowed with both military and political authority for the theatre. The officer selected was Lt Gen Sir Henry D’Urban Keary, K.C.B.
The operation in Assam and Burma commenced on 29 November and 01 December 1918, respectively. The total number of troops employed from Assam and Burma during the operation was 87 British Officers, 6 British NCOs, 121 JCOs, 6020 other ranks, 7650 labourers, and 694 non-combatants.
The operational areas covered 600 square miles. The entire operational area was subdivided into six areas, and the author vividly describes the operations in each area and important Kuki villages in minute detail. The military operation was brought to a halt on 20 May 2019. Every Kuki rebel leader of importance was killed, captured, or surrendered, and 1158 muskets were confiscated. After reading the book, I realised the enormous scale of the operation, and it was no less than a war, though it can’t be called a war by the true definition.
The book is a rare and priceless treasure for future generations; it is engrossing and unputdownable, and it also contains about fifty rare photographs.
The writer is a retired Captain of the Indian Navy. Views are personal. Email ID: bimollaishram@gmail.com
