The Paite people
are an
ethnic group
An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...
in
Northeast India
Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...
, mainly living in
Manipur
Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...
and
Mizoram
Mizoram is a states and union territories of India, state in northeastern India, with Aizawl as its Capital city, capital and largest city. It shares 722-kilometres (449 miles) of international borders with Bangladesh to the west, and Myanmar t ...
. The Paites are recognized as a
scheduled tribe in these two states. They are part of the
Zo people
The Zo people is a term to denote the ethnolinguistically related speakers of the Kuki-Chin languages who primarily inhabit northeastern India, western Myanmar, and southeastern Bangladesh.
The dispersal across international borders r ...
,
[
]
but prefer to use the
Zomi
Zomi is a collective identity adopted by some of the Kuki-Chin language-speaking people in India and Myanmar. The term means " Zo people". The groups adopting the Zomi identity reject the conventional labels " Kuki" and "Chin", popularised durin ...
identity.
"
Guite" is a major clan of the Paite people.
Etymology
The term ''Paithe'' originated in the
Lushai Hills region. The
Lushais
The Mizo people, historically called the Lushais, are a Tibeto-Burman languages, Tibeto-Burman ethnic group primarily from Mizoram in Northeast India, northeastern India. They speak Mizo language, Mizo, one of the state's official languages and ...
used terms ''Pai'' or ''Poi'' to refer to central and southern Chin tribes, who tie their hair up. ''Paithe'' is said to be the plural of ''Pai''. The Paite themselves did not accept the term originally, but in 1948, the Paite National Council was formed to obtain the recognition of Paites as a
Scheduled Tribe in India. Thus the term came to be accepted.
''Paite'' has also the meaning of "people on the move".
Identification
According to anthropologist H. Kamkhenthang, the term "Paite" was initially used only in the
Lushai
The Mizo people, historically called the Lushais, are a Tibeto-Burman languages, Tibeto-Burman ethnic group primarily from Mizoram in Northeast India, northeastern India. They speak Mizo language, Mizo, one of the state's official languages and ...
areas (present-day Mizoram). In the
Chin Hills
The Chin Hills are a range of mountains in Chin State, northwestern Burma (Myanmar), that extends northward into India's Manipur state.
Geography
The highest peak in the Chin Hills is Khonu Msung, Nat Ma Taung, or Mount Victoria, in southern ...
region, according to him, they were known as
Tedim Chins
The Tedim people, also called Tedim Chins
and Tiddim (Hai-Dim) people,
are a Zomi ethnic group, part of the Chin people, primarily inhabiting the Tedim Township in the Chin State of Myanmar. They speak the Tedim language
The Tedim language ...
, and they included the
Kamhau-Suktes.
According to scholar N. K. Das, the
Simte people
The Simte are one of the Zo ethnic tribe in Northeast India. They are mainly concentrated in the southern parts of the state of Manipur. Most of the Simte are descendants of Ngaihte. Sim means South in their dialect. Simte people mainly settled ...
listed in the ''Gazetteer of Manipur'' are the same as Paites. ''
Ethnologue
''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensive catalogue of languages. It w ...
'' states that the
Paite,
Simte and
Tedim Zomi dialects are almost identical.
However, the Government of India recognises the Paites and Simtes as separate tribes in the list of
Scheduled Tribes.
In the 2001 census of India, the Paites numbered 64,100 and the Simtes numbered 10,225 (by language use).
In the British colonial records, Paites were often identified by the clan name of
Guite (older spelling: "Nwite"), who provided the chiefs for the Paite people. Carey and Tuck state that the Guites used to be originally settled around Tedim, but migrated north to the southern border of Manipur and the northeast corner of Mizoram. The reason was evidently the onslaught of the
Sukte chieftain Khan Thuam ("Kantum", the father of Kam Hau). Some of the Guites submitted to Khan Thuam and eventually got absorbed into the Suktes, while others migrated north to settle in the present-day
Tonzang Township
Tonzang Township () is a township in Tedim District, Chin State of Myanmar.Township 6"Myanmar States/Divisions & Townships Overview Map"map ID: MIMU001, created: December 2007, Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU) The 3,471.24-square-kilomet ...
and the adjoining parts of
Churachandpur
Churachandpur ( IPA: ''/tʃʊRVːˌtʃaːnɗpʊr/),'' locally known as Lamka is the second largest town in the Indian state of Manipur and the district headquarters of the Churachandpur district.
The name "Churachandpur" was transferred from ...
and
Chandel districts, which were at that time not part of the Manipur kingdom.
Manipur
In Manipur, the Paites number about 55,000 as of 2018, forming 1.94 percent of the state's population.
They are concentrated in the
Churachandpur district
Churachandpur District (Meitei language, Meitei pronunciation: ''/tʃʊraːˌtʃaːnɗpʊr/''), is one of the 16 List of districts of Manipur, districts of the Indian state of Manipur populated mainly by Kuki-Zo people. The name honours former M ...
and dominate the
Churachandpur
Churachandpur ( IPA: ''/tʃʊRVːˌtʃaːnɗpʊr/),'' locally known as Lamka is the second largest town in the Indian state of Manipur and the district headquarters of the Churachandpur district.
The name "Churachandpur" was transferred from ...
Town (locally known as Lamka). The Paite language is considered the ''lingua franca'' of the town. The Paites are believed to be the most recent entrants into Manipur from
Chin Hills
The Chin Hills are a range of mountains in Chin State, northwestern Burma (Myanmar), that extends northward into India's Manipur state.
Geography
The highest peak in the Chin Hills is Khonu Msung, Nat Ma Taung, or Mount Victoria, in southern ...
, some stating that they moved after World War II.
In the Churachandpur area, Paites have local organisations such the Paite Tribe Council, Young Paite Association, Paite Literature Society and ''Siamsinpawlpi'' (SSPP, students' welfare body). They mostly follow the
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
faith, with the majority belonging to the
Evangelical Baptist Convention Church.
Paites were part of the
Kuki National Assembly
The Kuki National Assembly (KNA) is a political party in the Indian state of Manipur. It was formed on 24 October 1946, by S. M. Zavum, to act as a pan-political organisation among the various Kuki people. It last won seats in the 1990 Manipur L ...
(KNA) formed in 1946, but soon intra-tribal rivalries took over and the majority of the tribes moved out of KNA to form a rival
Khulmi National Union (also called "Khul Union"). The essential point of tension was the apprehension that the
Thadou Kukis
Thadou people, also called Thadou Kukis, are the Thadou language-speaking Kuki people inhabiting Northeast India, Burma, and Bangladesh. "Thadou" is also the name of a particular clan among the Thadou Kukis. Other clans of Thadou Kukis include H ...
, who are much more numerous than the other tribes in Manipur, would dominate the KNA. The Khulmi National Union contested the legislative assembly elections in 1948 and won seven seats. It participated in government formation, which was however short-lived due to Manipur's merger with
Indian Union.
[
W. Nabakumar, Ethnic relationship of different communities in Manipur, Kukiforum blog, 27 August 2007.
]
"Khulmi" was meant to be an alternative identity to rival the Kuki identity, but the Government of India gave recognition to the Kuki identity, by listing "Any Kuki tribe" in the list of
Scheduled Tribes in 1951.
Subsequently, many of the
Old Kuki tribes in the Khul Union moved towards the Naga identity, and the seven larger tribes led by Paites stood alone. In 1995, these seven tribes adopted the
Zomi
Zomi is a collective identity adopted by some of the Kuki-Chin language-speaking people in India and Myanmar. The term means " Zo people". The groups adopting the Zomi identity reject the conventional labels " Kuki" and "Chin", popularised durin ...
identity and formed the
Zomi Re-unification Organisation
The Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) is a Zomi nationalist militant group formed in 1997, following an increase in ethnic tensions between the Thadou-Kuki people and the Paite people in Churachandpur district of Manipur, India. Its parent organ ...
(ZRO) at the instance of the Paites.
During 1997–1998, there was an
ethnic clash between the Paites and
Thadou-speaking Kuki tribes in the Churachandpur district, which saw 352 people dead and thousands displaced, but a peace agreement was reached in the end. On this occasion, an underground militant wing of ZRO, called the "Zomi Reunification Army" or "Zomi Revolution Army" (ZRA), was formed.
[
]
According to security expert E. N. Rammohan, the Paites were not well-armed and took a beating in the clashes. ZRA fled across the border to Myanmar, where it formed an alliance with the Naga militant group
NSCN-IM
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) is a Naga militant and separatist group operating mainly in northeastern part of India, with minor activities in northwest Myanmar. The main aim of the organisation is reportedly to establish th ...
.
Paites also dominate the underground group United People's Front (UPF), which has been in talks with the central government of India since 2008, demanding "a state within a state" for the tribal communities of Manipur.
[Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty]
Fears Over Land, Identity Fuel Manipur's Bonfire of Anxieties
The Wire, 9 September 2016.
Mizoram
In Mizoram, the Paites numbered about 23,000 as of 2011.
They are found living in more than 20 villages spread across 4 districts, namely
Saitual district
Saitual district is one of the eleven districts of Mizoram state in India. Saitual district became operational on 3rd June 2019
History
The demand for Saitual district had started from 1974. The Citizen Committee was established in 1993. The ...
,
Champhai district
Champhai district is one of the eleven districts of Mizoram state in India. The district is bounded on the north by Churachandpur district of Manipur state, on the west by Saitual and Serchhip districts, and on the south and east by Myanmar. ...
,
Aizawl district
Aizawl district is one of the eleven districts of Mizoram state in India.
Geography
Divisions
The district has 5 R.D. Blocks, Aibawk, Darlawn, Phullen, Thingsulthliah and Tlangnuam.
The district has 14 legislative assembly constituencies. ...
and
Khawzawl district
Khawzawl district is one of the eleven districts of Mizoram state in India. It was created on 3 June 2019.
Divisions
The district has four legislative assembly constituencies: Champhai North, Hrangturzo, Lengteng, and Tuichang. There are 28 i ...
.
The Paites living in the region "Sialkal Tangdung" are given a special administration in aid to develop and uplift the local areas called the Sialkal Range Development Council (SRDC).
Mimbung,
Teikhang,
Hiangmun,
Kawlbem,
Selam and
Vaikhawtang villages are included in it.
SRDC was first set up as the Sialkal Tlangdung Development Board by the Government of Mizoram in February 2012. It was changed to a Council in 2013.
See also
*
List of Scheduled Tribes in India
This is a list of Scheduled Tribes in India. The term "Scheduled Tribes" refers to specific tribes whose status is acknowledged to some formal degree by national legislation.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
In accordance with The Scheduled Cast ...
Notes
References
; Sources
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Further reading
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{{Authority control
Ethnic groups in Northeast India
Scheduled Tribes of Manipur
Scheduled Tribes of Mizoram
Ethnic groups in South Asia
Ethnic groups in Manipur