Mate people

The Mates are one of the Kuki tribes[1][2] of Manipur, India. The Mates – a name, in its literal sense, connotes front beaters and consequently, in the broadest sense as a designation, implies a migratory people – are a little-known tribal community of Manipur, India, whose socio-cultural identity as a distinct tribe was only recently recognised by the Union Government of India and the State Government of Manipur. The Mates achieved recognition as a scheduled tribe in January 2012.[3]

Ethnology

Language

The Mate tribe speak " Mate Pao", a slight deviation of Thadou, popularly known as "Zouyang dialect" and also other dialects of the Tibeto-Burman languages. The Mate dialect was returned in the Census of India (1961) and Dr. M.S.Thirumalai, then Linguistic Research Officer of Central Institute of Indian Languages did a study on the Mate dialect in 1969. The Mate Literature Society (MLS), Manipurhad, published a primer in Mate in 1960 and 2001.

Geographical origins

The Mate people originated in China in the land between the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. According to tradition, the Mate people migrated from China and first settled at Tualyang in ancient Burma. From there they established several villages: Tualmun, Thuhial, Theilam, Hailam, Vongmol, Theimol, Kolkaimol, Antaangkhuo, Khuochi, and Chonpeo, and finally settled down at Zoyang village situated in the Chin Hills, Myanmar.

The Mate people flourished there for many centuries. Oral history tells of the prosperous life of Mates in Chin, Hills, Burma (now Myanmar) hills. In the later part of their settlement in Chin hills, with the growth of their population, the Mates scattered and founded a new settlement at various places of India and Burma .Pu. Sutthang Mate was the first chief of Thangkhal village. Several decades later, the settlement of Mates in Zoyang, Chin Hills was destroyed by the Pois and her allies. After the destruction of some of the Mate settlement, the remaining Mates found refuge in Thangkhal village and then, from their group by group they migrated into Tengnoupal Village and other Hill areas of Manipur state, and later a few Mates migrated to Assam Hills, Naga Hills and Mizoram.

Religion

The Mate people practiced a form of animism until the arrival of Christianity, which they universally adopted.[4][5]:3–7 Mates are found in all denominations, including Roman Catholic, Kuki Christian Church, Evangelical Congregational Church, Kuki Baptist Convention, [Biblical Baptist Church], Fellowship of Bible Church of India (FBCI) and recently formed their own Christian denomination, The Mate Christian Fellowship Church (MCFC), Manipur, India registered with the Government of Manipur and Government of India, Ministry of Finance under section 12A and 80 G of the IT Act, 1961.

Tribal organisations

Mate tribe has its own social, cultural and political organisations for development of the Mate community. The most significant Mate organisations are as listed below:

  • Mate Tribe Council, Manipur, India, – an apex organisation of the Mate tribe of Manipur, India
  • Mate-Taithul Union, Manipur, India Estd: 1949 at Khongtal (Mate-taithul) Village, Manipur
  • Mate Students Organisation (MSO) Estd: 1954 at Leiten (Mate) Village,Manipur
  • Mate Youth Union (MYU),Estd: 1970 at Tuisomyang (Mate) village, Manipur
  • Mate(Songza) Upa Council (MSUC) Estd: 1925 at Chehlep-Leiten (Mate) village, Manipur
  • Mate (Songza) Genealogical Committee (MSGC) Estd:1980 at Tuibuang (Mate) Village, Manipur
  • Mate Anthropological Society (MAS) Etsd:1985 at Tengnoupal (Mate) Village, Manipur
  • Mate Literature Society (MLS) Estd: 1985 at Tuibuang (Mate) village, Manipur
  • Mate Culture & Custom Committee (MCCC) Estd: 1985 at Tuibuana (Mate) village
  • Mate Folklore Society (MFS) Estd: 1990 at Tuisomyang (Mate) village, manipur
  • Mate Development Society (MDS) Estd: 1997 at Imphal, Manipur
  • Mate Tribe Recognition Demand Committee (MTRDC) Estd: 1996 at Hotel Excellency, Imphal, Manipur
  • Mate-Taithul Education Society (MTES) Estd:1985 Tuibuang (Mate) Village, Manipur
  • Mate Chief's Association (MCA) Estd: 1985 at Tuibuang (Mate) Village, Manipur
  • Mate Historical Research Society (MHRS) Estd: 1994 at Tuitha-Veng, Tuibuang, Manipur
  • Mate Arts & Culture Society (MA & CS) Estd: 1990 at Tuisomyang (Mate) village, Manipur
  • Fellowship of Bible Churches of India (FBCI) Etsd: 2002 at Lamphel, Imphal, Manipur
  • Mate Christian fellowship (MCF) Estd: 2003 Maya Puri, New Delhi
  • Mate Christian Fellowship Church, Manipur (MCFC) Estd: 2009 at L. New Zoyang (Mate-taithul) village, Churchandpur

Geographical distribution

There are 70 Mate Chiefship villages in Manipur: 55 in Chandel district, 13 in Churachandpur district and 2 in Sadar Hills, Senapati district. The most prominent Mate villages are Tengnoupal, Tuibuang and Twisomyang, one of the largest villages in Sadar Hills. The oldest Mate Chiefship village is L. Khaukual situated in the Singngat sub-division of Churachandpur district.[6]

References
  1. Haokip, Thongkholal (2013). The Kukis of Northeast India: Politics and Culture. Bookwell. p. 90. ISBN 978-9380574448.
  2. Tohring, S.R. (2010). Violence and Identity in North-East India: Naga-Kuki Conflict. Mittal Publications. pp. 19–20. ISBN 978-8183243445.
  3. Gazette of India-Notification No.02 of 2012.
  4. Singh, W. Nabakumar. The Mates of Manipur: Their Ethnographic Profile-2000. Imphal: Govt.of Manipur.
  5. Mate, Langsun D. (1997). The Mate Tribe of Manipur. Churachandpur, Manipur: Mate Anthropological Society.
  6. Mate, Langsun D. (2000). The Mate Tribe of Manipur: A case Study of Twisomyang (Mate) Village. New Delhi: Omson.

Further reading
  • Statistical handbooks of Manipur. Imphal: Government of Manipur
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