T.S. Gangte: A Kuki historian speaking to KIF team Our Staff Reporter   T.S. Gangte during interview with KIF team August 31, 2004: The Kuki International Forum (KIF), in its efforts to shine the Kuki nation had met many renowned leaders and scholars in the recent northeast India tour. One amongst the Kuki scholars widely known in national and international aura of scholastic society is Pu T. S. Gangte. Dr. T.S. Gangte was the former Education Director of Manipur State.   He was in a mood of positive composure, wittily alert, eruditely perceptive, mild in chatting, and brainy in storming critical issues. KIF representatives were warmly welcomed at his living room inside the greenhouse style residence at the heart of Imphal city.   Dr. T.S. Gangte was born in Imphal in the year 1936. His full name is Thangkhotinmang Sielpho Gangte. He got his Doctor of Philosophy on 'Kuki History' from Calcutta (kolkata) University (1985). Dr. Gangte's dissertation  was about  "The Kukis of Manipur," which was later printed and published by Calcutta University under the aegis of Kiran Publishing Company in the year 1991.   His other books were, "Nehru and the Northeast," and "A Century of Government and Politics in the Northeast India."  Dr. Gangte wrote many booklets, journal articles about the history and human rights violation against Kukis in recent dark years of Kuki history.   Dr. Gangte reiterated that the Kukis' war of independence 1917-1919 had made crystal clear the political principle and direction of the KUKIS. There had been other sporadic wars against the colonial regime as early as eighteen century A.D.   The heroic deeds and bravery of the Kuki warriors were not a mere clumsy interaction against the then British colonial regime on stabbed reason 'forced labor' but more political rhetoric, to defend their birth right of freedom and expulsed external imposition as against the law of the  Kuki forefather land.   It was indeed the defense of KUKI FOREFATHER LAND in their own soil. He also recalled the unique history created by these national heroes to foster future political principle. He felt pathetic at the whim and detraction of today's Kuki national workers and its directionless politicians.   Dr. Gangte told KIF representatives that in recent years; symposium and seminars were organized in which many noted scholars from the Northeast India had come to accept the griping authenticity of the KUKIS' HISTORY.   The Assam Government is assessing the credibility of the claim of KUKI scholars with regard to SODHYA JAIL wherein Kuki Chiefs were kept as Prisoners of War (POW) parole for three to four years under inhumane environment of barred social intermingling and communication from their loved ones.   Half a century of India freedom from British yoke, Bharatvarsh had never realize an iota of the Kuki history and the Indian Government had sidelined and ignored the KUKIS' independence movements, which was prior to Gandhi's 'Swaraj Movement' in early twenties. Dr. Gangte sincerely applauded the tedious and meticulous contributions of KIF and its collective leadership.  He continued to stress that KUKI history did not evolve from a vacuum. It was birthed from the intense historical climax disrupting the freewill, free life or choice and the self-government of the perennial Kuki nation by brute British imperialistic designs. Many uninformed egoistic scholars had misinterpreted Kuki history, so also is the same case to many Indian think tanks who keep pondering the same way, cent percent mute in this unique topic.   The Kuki intellectuals, social leaders, historians, academicians et al from now on must cater real and true light to show the international community who the Kuki really were in the past. The united stance of the Kukis to shine our nation is anticipated for the past glories revoke.   Congratulations to the KIF team and its collective leadership! Keep up the good work!   This interview was done sometime in the summer of 2004. ---------------------------- Kukiforum News www.kukiforum.com