The “France Story” – “France li Kata Ko” as the villagers popularly describe of the First World War will make anyone to wander of such experiential journey. 600 Mao Naga Labour Corps joined and went to France as part of the 22nd Manipur Labour Corps on 1st May 1917 at the Decree of His Majesty King George V, and got discharged from service on 30th July 1918.
In 1917, nearly 3500 Nagas were sent to France as labour Corps from Naga Hills and Hills Areas of Manipur. According to Robert Ried, In January the Secretary of State enquired of the Assam Administration whether they could assist in raising the 50,000 men who were wanted as labourers in France. Assam said that they could produce 8,000 men and this offer was gladly accepted. The intention was to find 2,000 men each from the Lushai Hills, Manipur, the Naga Hills and the Khasi and Garo Hills combined. While accessing the possibility of raising 50,000 Corps from India, the Secretary of State could finally managed to raise only 20,000 from different Administrative quarters and the rest 30,000 was assured that in case of required more Labourers in future, such recruits was to be kept prepared.
Different companies were formed consisting of 500 men called Indian Labour Company. Some of the Labour Company of the 22nd Manipur Labour Corps which was earlier named as 19th and 20th Companies was renamed as 39th and 40th Manipur Labour Companies. At the end the 22nd Manipur Labour Corps consisted of 39th Labour Company, 40th Labour Company, 65th Labour Company and 66th Labour Company. Similarly the 21st Naga Labour Corps which was earlier named as 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th companies were renamed as 35th, 36th, 37th and 38th Naga Labour Companies. The 22nd Manipur Labour Corps formed 39th (Mao Naga) and 40th (Kuki-mostly non Thadou) 65th (Mao Naga,Tangkhul Naga, and others) and 66th (Tangkhul Naga) Labour Companies.
Besides the Labour Corps, there were other recruits but largely drawn from the local population. The recruitment was for Interpreters, Clerks, Headman, Assistant Headman, Mates, Sweepers and Bhisties. Most of these jobs were recruited from the local population or who were currently holding the post as Dubhasis/Interpreter, Headman, and Clerks etc. in their respective position. When Headman was recruited; it was not the case that the entire village(s) headman (Headmen) of that community went to France but a Headman and Assistant Headman was recruited for a Labour Company. For example, in the 22nd Manipur Labour Corps of the 39th Labour Company had called for recruitment of 1 Clerk to interpret from Naga dialects into English. And the 39th Labour Company was formed by the Mao Naga Labour Corps. There were also Departmental posting, on deputation or commissioned with certain posts such as Staff Havildar, Supervisors, Jamadar Quatermasters and other higher military ranks – Assistant Commandant, Commandants (Lt. Colonels) which are Gazetted officer ranks and above.
The best and able body basically men between 18-35 years of age was sought for recruitment. The Labour Corps were paid from the time of their recruitment for service till they were discharged from service. Pay varies according to position they hold. For Clerks, Rs. 50-100, Interpreters, Rs. 70-100, Headman, Rs. 100, Asst. Headman, Rs. 50, Mates, Rs. 30 Labourers, Rs. 20; plus free rations, and clothing, Sweepers and Bhisties Rs. 15. Annas 4 per day were allowed from date of entertainment by an authorized recruiter to date of enrolment. In case of death from any cause from date of embarkation a gratuity of Rs. 300 to next-of-kin was assured.
In the Naga Hills under the order of Deputy Commissioner, Herbert Charles Barnes the Naga Labour Corps was formed. When Colonel W.H.G. Cole was the political Agent in Manipur, recruitment for France Labour Corps started. When he left the office in May 1917, Mr. J.C. Higgins then the President of the Dabar succeeded him as Political Agent until Mr. W.A. Congreave took over on 27 December 1917. Rev. William Pettigrew along with J.C Higgins ushered the recruitment process for Tangkhul Naga Labour Corps for France. Colonel W.H. Cole and Shana Chaoba were the in-charges of Mao Naga Labour Corps recruitment to France. And Rs. 1 was rewarded for every man “passed” to be given to the person producing for Labour Corps. C.H. Cole and Shana Chaoba taking the help of the Dubashi and local elders conducted the recruitment process for Mao Naga Labour Corps. Then Moghobo Adani was the official Dubashi at Mao and later went to France as the Dubhasi from Mao Naga.
In the recruitment process of the Mao Naga Labour Corps, Moghobo Adani (Rubvümei) was assisted by Ashukho Prokreni (Kahremei) and Tisho Pfokhreni (Kahremei) for Shüpfomei areas vis-à-vis Ememei, Lepaona, Paomata and Chüluve. The latter two were the leaders of the Mao Naga Labour Corps. Unfortunately, Ashukho Pfokreni died on the way to France in Guwahati and till date no information is available whether his mortal remains was buried there or brought to the village. From among the villages of Mao Naga, Kahremei sent the largest Labour Corps consisting of around 40 men. Besides, these leaders, each contingent village Labour Corps had their own leaders and therefore, they were also a leader in their own right in the Journey to France.
Before the Mao Naga Labour Corps began their journey to France they had physical fitness test and drill at Mao and were paid from the day of appointment. On the day of the journey all the Labour Corps congregated at Shühra chuchü (Mao Thana) – Mao Gate. Different Labour Corps walked from their own villages to reach at Mao Gate and then proceeded to Dimapur for France, Mao-Kohima-Piphema-Samuguting(Dimapur-Chumukedema.) Finally they boarded the train and proceeded to Bombay sea coast. From Bombay they went to Sea coast of Italy and reached Marseilles, France in first-second week of June by train.
When they reached France, they were at the battle ground doing various sorts of labour. According to John S. Kapanee IAS (First Mao Naga IAS of 1966 batch) wrote that the Naga and Kuki (mostly non-Thadou) Labour Corps dig trenches for the army, clearing snow on road and rail tracks, carrying the death bodies and burying them, construct temporary houses barracks, repairing telephone wire and so on. John S. Kapanee IAS son of Athiso Salu (Athisü Saluo) had mentioned that the descriptions about the battle fields in the Western front in Europe were told by the Naga elderly men, who had participated in the war to him when he was reading in primary and middle standards in his village, Punanamei (Rubvümei). Athiso Salu (Athisü Saluo) went to France from the Naga Hills in the capacity of Pol. Interpreter, DC office Kohima. He was the Dubhasi at Kohima, Naga Hills from 1909-1918. Then he was a Pandit (teacher) in his village from 1918-1945. He worked for about a dozen of years as Dubashi with J.H. Hutton.
Another prominent person who is remembered as leader from among the Mao Naga Labour Corps was Athisü Puni (Ebvemei). He went at the prime of his youth to France in 1917. Later in 1948 he became the first president of the Mao-Maram Tribal Council. He was one of the leaders who went to Delhi in 1953 when Mao Naga dance troops represented Manipur State. On account of his adept leadership and selfless services, he was gifted a sizeable area of land situated between Kalapahar and Kangpokpu. He had a dream of a village of “Shüpfo Choro Tamei” (a dwelling village of Mao/Poumai/Maram/Thangal). He migrated to the gifted land at Daili village with his family and started a new beginning.
After France
The story of France experience was much discussed even at the Morung (Khruchozü-Male dormitory and Chülozü-Female dormitory.) The story keeps fascinating their imagination of France and the hardship they elders had encountered during the First World War.
Some of the Labour Corps died in foreign land and were buried at different places unceremoniously without their rites. Their names, No of Company and their Labour Corps no are scribbled on memory stone at the Barley French Military Cemetery, Haute-Avesnes British Cemetery etc in France. Some of the Labour Corps who did not returned along with the Company and were thought to be dead got back home after 6 months. And there was great joy and happiness to see them returned safely.
Many of these labourers felt victim to air raids and shelling. Diseases such as influenza and typhoid also claimed many lives. Others lost their lives to the taxing journey. Their cemeteries and memorials are spread across the Ayette Indian Cemetery in France, La Chapelette British and Indian Cemetery, Mala Cemetery in Yemen, Mazargues War Cemetery Marseilles, and Neuve Chapelle, France. According to the Records of Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Akhill Pukhini was buried at Barly French Military Cemetery, Asuash Kaisho at Neuve-Chapelle Memorial, Kahrai Daili at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Kapani Ashio at La Chapelette British and Indian Cemetery, Peronne and Larro Puni at Mazargues War Cemetery Marseilles.
Many Labour Corps shared their experience of laborious work, seasickness, extreme cold weather with snowfall and of course having returned from France, they complaint of chest pain, mental derailment and other forms of physical ailment. One of the tough times they had in the morning was to stand in queue and wait for their turn to use toilet. Those who break the rules had to be more mindful as was expected by the Company. Besides all that they had experienced in France, the Labour Corps brought home money which made them better well off from other members of their community.
They offered feast of merit (Zhoso Mozü) and constructed new Naga traditional wooden curved house (Chüki Kada.) And for hosting feast of merit to the villagers the host will wears Zhososa and Khepi Kadesa respectively which otherwise is a taboo-Chüno for anyone to wear such shawls in the society. Anyone found wearing without hosting feast of merit amount to insult and denigrate the value of those who labored for years to host the feast of merit – (Even till date, no one dare wear these shawls unless feast of merit are performed.)
According to John S. Kapanee IAS, “they saw magnificent cathedrals and churches. They saw how the French and other Europeans went to the worshipping building on every Sunday in order to worship the Almighty God. They also observed how the priests and pastors of the Christians took part in burying of thousands dead bodies brought from the battle fields in the grave they prepared, and how the ministers of the churches blessed the dead bodies and prayed for the departed souls for their eternal peace.”
The writing of John S. Kapanee IAS would not be wrong in the context of the Mao Naga society. Mass conversion occurred after the First World War they had experienced in France and other part of Europe. Even though William Pettigrew came to Mao in 1894 and worked for around six months establishing primary school and health care centre, conversion of any person could not happened. As a result he left for Imphal and then after two years he went to Ukhrul. When the First World War ended peace celebration was held in the valley and in the Hills.
In the Hills–Mao Naga the frequency of hosting feasts of merit (Zhoso Mozü) was one of celebrations given in the Hills. Grimson I.C.S mentioned that in the hills feasts were provided at Chura Chandpur (Churachandpur,) Ukhrul and Mao for the hill men who had been to France with the Manipur Labour Corps For the Labour Corps, to stay away from their homes for 13 months was certainly a long time.
Extracted from the writings/articles of Centenary Souvenir 2018.
Office of the Documentation of the Mao Naga Labour Corps (First World War 1917-1918)
