The Kuki Rebellion or Anglo-Kuki War,[3] was one of the major tribal revolts during the British colonial rule in India. It was a rebellion by the Kuki tribes of Manipur, ostensibly to resist their forcible recruitment into labour corps for the First World War. From a wider historical perspective, it can also be read as a response to the colonial intrusion into Kuki livelihoods, with new forms of economic relations and land policies, as well as the declining authority of Kuki chiefs.[3] The British suppressed the rebellion after two years of fighting, burning 126 villages, destruction of food-stocks, and killing and maiming many of the Kuki community.[3] Durng 2017–2019, the Kuki community of Manipur arranged centennial commemorations for the event at multiple locations in Manipur.[4] Their celebration of the event as a "war" came into contestation by the Meitei and Naga communities of Manipur.[4]
Several Naga groups of Manipur opposed the term "Anglo Kuki War",[5][6] holding that the conflict between the British and the Kukis was a "rebellion" as mentioned in British records, rather than a war.[6]They requested the Government of Manipur to stop the commemoration events of the "Anglo-Kuki War".[7]
In October 2019, the Meitei civil society organisation Federation of Haomee sent a memorandum to Union home minister Amit Shah, and claimed that Shah had supported their demands.[8] Subsequently the Manipur Government ordered the destruction of all the recently erected centenary monuments mentioning "Anglo-Kuki War".[6][5] In 2020, a monolith that mentioned "Anglo-Kuki War" was forced to change it to "Kuki Rising".[9]
In August 2023, in the midst of unprecedented ethnic violence in the state of Manipur that has seen over 50,000 people displaced, Federation of Haomee has registered two FIRs against authors that have written books mentioning "Anglo-Kuki War". Retired colonel Vijay Chenji, who wrote a book titled The Anglo-Kuki War 1917-1919, JNU academics Jangkhomang Guite and Thongkholal Haokip, who edited a volume titled The Anglo- Kuki War, 1917-1919: A Frontier Uprising against Imperialism during the First World War, were accused under section 120/121/123/153-A/200/120-8 of IPC. The complaint claimed that there was no Anglo-Kuki War in Manipur's history and the authors had lied.[10][11]