The Tangkhul Naga ethnic tribe lives on both sides of the India-Burma (now Myanmar) border like many other ethnic groups from the Northeast region. While the number of Tangkhul villages in Manipur State in the Indian sub-continent, as per reports, is around 224, the number of Tangkhul villages in Burma are over 30 villages in the Somra Tract located in Myanmar’s Naga Self-Administered Zone.
The Naga Self-Administered Zone has three townships — Lay Shi (Lashe or Leshi), Nanyun and Lahe — are located in the hill area on the Indo-Myanmar border. Places such as Hkamti, Htamanthi (Tamanthi) or Homalin are situated closer to the bank of the Chindwin River.
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The Tangkhul Naga Lion Headdress
The traditional lion headdress of the Tangkhul Nagas is one of the peculiar and unique headdresses of the North Eastern tribes of India.
The Tangkhul Naga headdress captured by Pablo Bartholomew is exclusively worn by Tangkhul Naga men from the northern part of Ukhrul District. To watch the villages such as New Tusom area in the Indian territory, and their sister villages in Somra Tract of Burma donning the Tangkhul ethnic lion headdress in festivities is a splendor.
Padma Shri (2013) and Ordre des Arts et des Lettres awardee, Indian photojournalist and an independent photographer Pablo Bartholomew while spending over a decade in the Northeast region, especially deep in the Naga areas on either sides of India and Burma capturing photos of the various tribes in the region described the headdress of the Tangkhul Naga tribe as the most spectacular one.
According to a report in the Times of India, this is what Pablo Barholomew observed about the Tangkhul tribe headdress: “This is one of the most spectacular headdresses amongst all the Naga tribes worn by the Tangkhuls of both India and Myanmar (Burma). Intermarriage still exists between the Northern Tangkhuls of Manipur in India and the Somra Nagas of Burma. The headdress is adorned with hornbill feathers, a brass dish and fringes of human hair. The jaw-piece is made of wood embedded with red and white seeds.“
A Close Up Look
According to historian and scholar, Dr Tuisem Ngakang, he estimates that approximately one-third of the total Naga population resides in Myanmar, including the 30 Tangkhul Naga villages, and more than 50 villages of the Khiamniungan Naga, and a considerable number of Konyak Naga villages that shares ancestry and cultural connections with people across the Myanmar border.
Dr Tuisem in a response to India Today in its Sunday Special said that the “Singphos of Arunachal Pradesh have their counterparts in Myanmar, while the Zomis of Manipur and Kukis share close social, cultural, and political ties with around 40 or more subtribes of Myanmar. Notably, a sizable population of Meitei, known as Kathe, resides in Myanmar as well,” explains Ngakang.”
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It is worth noting that while Ramnganing Muivah who is the current MLA of 44-Ukhrul (ST) assembly constituency from the Naga People’s Front party was Secretary North Eastern Council (NEC) from 2015-2019, several significant projects were completed in 8 North Eastern States of India spread across the region. Some of these projects included the constructions of Power Sub-stations, Power Transmission Lines, Transformers, Roads, and setting up of several Institutions, among others.
What is important to note is the 82 projects sanctioned to Manipur State, out of which about 20 were in Ukhrul and Kamjong Districts alone. Of these projects sanctioned, the Kamjong to Kongkan Thana road was estimated at INR 147.29 crores.
The Central and State government has yet to realise the strategic importance of Kongkan Thana, a border haat in Tusom. If properly implemented these border areas has the potential to emerge as a border trade flow hub of Asia connecting India with Tusom as an important trade centre.
Experts in Manipur observes that the Kongkan Thana is the shortest road for the Tusom villagers to reach Kohima and Dimapur via Nagaland. This observation has more upsides – all the roads leading to the capital Imphal, or from the capital of Nagaland’s Kohima, and its commercial hub Dimapur, or Assam’s Guwahati could connect from Tusom.
The Tusom villagers of Ukhrul District, with that foresight, have been persuading the Manipur government to improve the National Highway-202 that connects Ukhrul and Jessami. However, the current highway condition is far from promising. Tusom village is close to Sagaing Region and Kachin State of Burma.
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Speaking to Ukhrul Times on February 23, 2024, Shangcham Shangjam informed that “Since 9 am this morning, a growing queue of vehicles has been trapped on the NH-202, unable to navigate past the blocked section. The stranded vehicles, ranging from small cars to larger trucks, have been immobilized for over four hours, more and more vehicles adding up since all the vehicle towards Ukhrul and Imphal are playing on this road since there is bandh in Imphal and the Tadubi road is even worst due to the ongoing road expansion work and the rain”.
Former deputy speaker of Manipur, MK Preshow in August 2021 meeting Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh Minister of State for External Affairs, GoI highlighted pertinent projects pending and appealed the Minister for an early establishment and construction of border haats bazaar at Tusom village.
MK Preshow, a prominent BJP leader had told Ukhrul Times over this particular meeting with Dr R Ranjan Singh that the proposal of constructing the border haats was submitted by the government of Manipur under the ministry of Commerce, GoI. MK Preshow also had added that the establishment of border haats will ensure and boost the economy of Manipur State.
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