PU DEMKHOSIEK GANGTE | MIZO MOVEMENT

Pu Demkhosiek Gangte, son of Pu Ngulkhopau and Pi Luntai Gangte, was born on 1 June 1927 at Teikhang village in Manipur. In 1958, he resigned from the Central Intelligent Bureau and from 1958-1959 joined the Kuki National Volunteer (KNV) in Manipur as Chief Organiser. A capable and committed leader, in 1959 he was elected Gen Secy of Kuki National Assembly at the General Assembly held at Keithelmanbi in erstwhile Sadar Hills, now Kangpokpi district. Thereafter, elected president of the Kuki National Assembly at the Motbung General Meeting on 1 March 1962, he served until 11 December 1965. 

Period in Mizo National Front Movement

Following resolution of the Kuki people to join the Mizo National Front movement, led by Pu Demkhosiek Gangte, on 10 April 1966, Kuki youths marched from Kangpokpi and reached MNF Camp Sairsir Mizoram on 20 April 1966. On 1 January 1967, he was given the rank of Major at Camp Tlangpui. In an encounter at Komjang Naga village on 26 July 1967, one JCO and nineteen soldiers of the Bihar Regiment were killed. As a mark of success, Pu Demkhosiek was given charge as Military Governor and Operation-in-charge, Manipur.  

On 27 November 1971, he was made Political Advisor to the Central Executive Committee, whereupon, he was stationed at Rangmati, then in East Pakistan. Following an understanding between East Pakistan and Government of India, on 30 November 1971, Pu Demkhosiek and seventy members of MNF, on charges of espionage, were imprisoned at Khakrachari, East Pakistan. Eleven of the MNF members later surrendered to the Government. In the aftermath of Pu Laldenga’s capitulation to Government, on 30 November 1971, Pu Demkhosiek and his friends were released from jail. At the MNF Political Committee in Meeting in Arakan Forest Camp, on 2 November 1972, amongst the members chosen to go to China, as Political Adviser, he was made Team Leader of the Lion Brigade. The contingent set out from the Arakan base camp on 7 December 1972 and traversed on foot 4000 Kilometres to China.

Kukis, who inhabit the route to China, which passes through Upper Chindwin in Myanmar (Burma), provided the MNF directions to reach Kachin state. En route to Kachin land, Lunlal a Kuki youngster was killed by the Burmese soldiers. The Kachin Independent Army assisted the MNF up to the China border, which they reached on 27 December 1973. By the time the Chinese army took charge of them, they were dressed only in underpants, all their clothes completely in tatters. Pu Demkhosiek Gangte’s team leaders consisted of Col Lalthuamvunga, Col Lunghnema and Capt Lalchunga.  

While returning from China (after completing training), armed with sophisticated weapons, Pu Demkhosiek wrote to CO of Burmese Khamthi Army Camp challenging him to a ‘man-to-man duel’. A battle ensued at Sainoulen village, but the Burmese army soon retreated. On 7 May 1974 they had left from Khunming in China and reached Burma gam through Kachin state and arrived in India at Molvailup village near Chassad on 25 May 1974. Capt Lalchunga was deputed to report their arrival to MNF Hqrs. However, unfortunate conspiracies in MNF led to suspicions against Pu Demkhosiek and his men, which prevented them from proceeding to Hqrs. They remained at Molvailup village for about year and shifted to SSB/VVF Camp on 4 April 1975 as no communication was forthcoming from MNF Hqrs. An incident that prompted the decision to shift to SSB/VVF was unprecedented: a Lusei cadre had an emotional breakdown and revealed order had come to assassinate Pu Demkhosiek, and cadres to return to Hqrs, asap. The unfounded accusations had caused a major rift, but he fondly bade farewell to the Mizo members of MNF and sent home to Mizoram.  

Thereafter, Pu Demkhosiek met the Governor of Manipur on 30 June 1975 and was conferred Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Pu Roubunga was made CO VVF, the rest were enlisted Constables, SSB. He was promoted to Sub-Area Organiser (SAO) on 11 April 1990. 

During the MNF movement, Government of Manipur decided to send back the Mizos, who had earlier fled their homes and taken shelter mainly in Churachandpur district. En route to Mizoram, about eighteen truckloads of them halted at Kangpokpi, where Pu Haokholet Ngailut Gen Secretary Kuki National Assembly, Pu Ngulkholam Haokip, Chairman Kangpokpi, Town Committee, Pu Lalkhohen Thangeo and Pu Mangpithang Kipgen organised the Kuki public to arrange relief materials and arrange dinner with drinks in Pu KS Seiboi’s home, near the Kangpokpi Gate, for the Security Forces and got them thoroughly inebriated and managed to let the Mizo folks disappear in and around Kangpokpi. Out of fifteen trucks three truckloads of Mizos opted to proceed to Mizoram. 

The state Government later decided to let the Mizos settle in Manipur, provided Kuki leaders take responsibility that they would not engage in anti-national activities. Pu Khaijang Haokip, former president Kuki National Assembly and present president Zo Re-Unification Organisation (ZoRO) Northern Zone agreed to vouch for the Mizos and appended his signature to the statement, countersigned by Late Pu T Kipgen, IAS Secretary to Government of Manipur. Nonagenarian, Pu Darkhum, President Mizo People’s Organisation is living witness to this historic event.

Pause for thought

The late Pu Malsawm Colney, a veteran leader of MNF, when asked of Pu Demkhosiek and MNF leadership’s displeasure that led to the parting of ways, stated, ‘he [Demkhosiek] did not report to Hqrs after returning from China.’ In this connection, beside the Molvailup episode, there is precious little else to reason with. The ‘loose end’ has baffled many for the last thirty-four years, i.e. since the Mizo Accord of 1986, which ignored Pu Demkhosiek’s contribution and excluded Kukis! 

The gross injustice lingers, inevitably drawing certain conclusions re MNF leadership’s premeditated plan of action: 

a) to rid of Pu Demkhosiek, in order to prevent acknowledgement and recognition of his years of distinguished contribution since joining MNF in 1966; 

b) to avoid inclusion of Kukis and their land in the final settlement with Government of India as it would prolong the movement, an unpopular choice with the public following twenty-odd years of hardship, notwithstanding the fact that Kukis also experienced similar hardship; 

c) finally, inability to delay gratification for power and position among the higher echelons in Government of Mizoram.

Pu Demkhosiek Gangte, Pasalpha

The Gangte Chiefs Union, Manipur and The Gangte Tribe Union, Manipur honoured Pu Demkhosiek with the title ‘GANGTE PASALPHA’, respectively in 1984 and 9 March 2012.

The Kuki National Organisation (KNO) honours officers and cadres of its armed wing, Kuki National Army (KNA) with gallantry awards:

1st Category, General Tintong Award (Anglo-Kuki War 1917-1919)

2nd Category, Pu Demkhosiek Award (MNF) 

KNO holds Pu Demkhosiek Gangte in high esteem. Late Major General Vipin Haokip, Chief of Army Staff, Kuki National Army belongs to Molvailup village. He lamented MNF’s betrayal of Pu Demkhosiek, whose track record of selfless service through his life is commendable by any standard. He also recounted Pu Demkhosiek’s view that as our MNF brethren are politically short- sighted, it was incumbent upon Kukis to act. Accordingly, he entrusted the gold he brought from China to certain people to gather volunteers to be trained in China. However, he was betrayed yet again; this time round by his own people. The hard training in China came to nought, and Pu Demkhosiek, crestfallen, joined the Village Volunteer Force.

Recognising the lifetime committed service to the Kuki people, on this day, 27 March 2020, I, PS Haokip, President Kuki National Organisation honour Pu Demkhosiek, ‘Kuki Pasalpha’!

May God bless the Kuki people. 

Tah chapa Kuki chapa!

~ WAP

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