Confronting the State

The relationship between land and identity in the hills of Manipur encompasses both "geographical territory" and "cultural territory." The colonial and postcolonial states are external actors that have restructured the society. They have reconstituted it ideologically, culturally as well as geographically. The three are interdependent: a geographical upheaval is always followed by ideological and cultural changes. Changes in land relations lead to a redefinition of identity. This is not necessarily due to physical changes in the landscape but a result of the ideological upheaval accompanying such change. This article will examine such changes while exploring the issue of land rights of the Kukis and their contentious negotiations with the colonial and postcolonial states.