Zale'n-gam
Zale'n-gam or Zalengam, meaning 'Land of Freedom' in the Kuki language, is the name chosen by Kuki nationalists in reference to a proposed state[disambiguation needed] that would gather all the Kuki tribes under a single government in the future.
The main organizations supporting the establishment of Zalengam are the Kuki National Organisation and its armed wing, the Kuki National Army.[1]
Zalengam should not be confused with Kukiland, a proposed Indian state to be carved from the hilly area of the southern part of Manipur.[2]
Territory and people
The territorial claims of Zale'n-gam encompass a historical region consisting in all the territories traditionally inhabited by Kukis, but which never has had its own state,[3] including:
- In India: Parts of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and the Karbi Anglong District of Assam.
- In Burma: The Kabaw Valley and parts of Sagaing Division and Chin State.
- In Bangladesh: The Chittagong Hill Tracts
There is a provision for creating two subdivisions of the state: 'Eastern Zalengam' and 'Western Zalengam', the former within Burma and the latter in India.
The Kuki tribes that would be part of this state include the following: Anal, Bom, Biate, Gangte, Halam, Haokip, Hmar, Kharam, Koireng, Kom, Lai, Mara, Purum, Saihriem, and the Thadou, among others.