Dr. Tuisem Ngakang Hundred years ago in the spring of 1917, 1200 young and brave Tangkhuls who have never ventured out beyond their village boundary set sailed for a long journey to France. This was in response to the calls made by Secretary of State for India who asked the Viceroy of India in January 1917 to supply 50000 labourers for France mostly in Marseilles. Subsequently, British imperial directed the Maharaja of Manipur to raise 2000 labour corps. With increasing demands for men at the front and the need to maintain the Lines of Communication, labourers were imported from overseas including China, India, Africa, Egypt and Fiji. These men were all employed at the ‘rear’ i.e. outside the range of enemy artillery but within the range of enemy aircraft. In the north eastern part of India, the labourers were astonishingly recruited from the sparsely polluted tract of Assam- the Garos, the Khasis, from the Nagas hills, from the Lushai hills and from the hill tribes of Manipur. From the Naga Hills (present Nagaland state) 2000 were sent from different Naga tribes (it comprised of 1000 from Sema Nagas, 400 Lotha Nagas, 200 Rengma Nagas, 200 Aos and another 200 from other different Naga tribes). Labour Corps were also recruited from Bihar, Orissa (about 6000 labourers were recruited belongs to a tribal group of Santhals, Mundas, Orains) North West Frontier Province, United Province, Bengal and Burma. Initially, the Tangkhul villagers were reluctant to submit to the demand of the conscription into the labour by the Political Agent Col. W.H.G Cole and the Maharaja of Manipur; it was unimaginable for them to work as a labourer abroad away from home. The similar demand was made to the Kukis one of the major tribes of Manipur; it was strongly resisted by the Kuki chiefs which ultimately led to the Kuki rebellion movement against the British which was brutally suppressed in 1919. Frustrated by the response of the people, the government commissioned Rev. William Pettigrew a Christian Baptist missionary who had been working among the Tangkhul Nagas since 1896 the task of convincing for the labour corps along with J.C Higgins, president of the Manipur Darbar. In recognition of his social and military service Pettigrew was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind silver medal in 1918. Pettigrew could also manage to persuade 500 Kukis for the labour corps. Some Labour corps from Mao Naga formed the 65th Labour corps company. The arduous journey begins from Imphal on bullocks cart on 19th May and reached Dimapur on 31st May 1917. From Dimapur they reached Bombay seaport on 6th June. From Bombay the corps sailed the Arabian Sea and reached Aden seaport (Yemen) on June 15, where one Tangkhul labourer S. Leishisan died of long journey. From Aden seaport, the unit crossed Red Sea and Suez cannel and on 23rd June the company reach Port Said (northeast of Egypt), where they worked for a brief period in Cairo and Alexandria digging trenches. Crossing Mediterranean Sea and reached Gulf of Taranto (Italy) and reached Marseilles. Travel to Europe was not without danger especially for the people who have never ventured out from the village boundary. Besides being exposed to enemies’ firing and unexploded ammunitions, harsh climate and unfamiliar food took its toll. Many of them became the victims of long arduous journey and many died of illness, many lost their lives to air raids. Many of the death were buried unceremoniously in a foreign land forever without even mentioning their date of births. For instance, in the grave of Mr. Thisan (no surname) who died of pneumonia from 66th (Manipuri) Indian Labour Company, from Kachai village (Ukhrul dist., Manipur) it is only recorded “Thisan Labourer (Labour no.56145538) b. unknown d. Jan. 6, 1918” in Blargies Communal Cemetery Extension in France. Another Labourer from the same company from the same village, recorded with only one name Lungshin was also died of pneumonia, his epithet was recorded in the same manner as that of Thisan in the same graveyard. The Labor Corps reached Imphal on July 22nd 1918; they were paid and discharged from their service. Literally, the labour corps help rebuilt war-torn Europe. Their works range from, digging trenches, construction, unloading military supplies, handling cargo at the ports, upkeep of roads, filling up the shell-holes, and rolling up the barbed wire etc. The Labour Corps have a catalysing impact on the Naga society. Mass conversion to Christianity began to take place after their return. The remarks made by some of the laborers on returning demonstrate that they had been transformed by their exposure to the outside world. The remarks make by them to William Pettigrew gives us an insight into their experience: “We had little faith in your stories of lands across sea and oceans, people with beings who believed in the Christ you preached to us, but we have seen with our own eyes the emblem of the cross over thousands of graves on the battle fields, and the beautiful gravestones in the cemeteries of France.” After this the young men and women of Tangkhul Nagas listen to the message of the cross. In the 1920’s the Christian population of Tangkhul was 300, by 1950 the church membership rose to 10,000. This change was also true among the Naga tribes of present Nagaland state. The high watermark of Christian conversion in the Naga Hills was reached in the period between 1921 and 1931. Within a decade the number of Christians rose steeply from 8,734 to 22,908. As a result of campaign initiated by peoples who went to France along with the converts, one of the most important festivals of the indigenous Tangkhul Nagas called Thisham Phanit (soul send off festival) which was considered as the practice of ‘pagans’ was stopped in March 1920 and a decree was sign before all the villagers making the village chief and the elders surrender. A fine of Rs.600 (the biggest fine ever instituted in the history of tribal) was imposed to anyone who attempted to transgress. Politically WWI was an eye opener for the Nagas. For the first time they came into direct contact with people from different nations. The War had a powerful influence on these labor corps. They returned with a rich experience of the world. The association of different Naga tribes in France, far away from their homes, promoted love and service to one another and a sense of unity was created. They realized the futility of inter-village feuds, and assured themselves that on returning they would work towards unity among themselves. This became the foundation of the Naga nationalist movement in the days to come. Economically, the cash economy of the Nagas was elevated to a higher level when the labor corps returned from France with cash remuneration. They were paid and discharged, and returned safely from France to their homes. The records of their service were not maintained; their contribution unrecognised, no tribute or memorials are in their name, some who died on the voyage are lying in the distant foreign land and their graves are unidentified. The bronze medal which distributed to the labourer in recognition of their service bore the name of King George V not the name of the labourer! These brave hearts from the hills who helped in rebuilding war-torn Europe deserve to be remembered. The writer may be contacted at tuisem.ngakang@gmail.com
