IV. SCRIPT AND SPELLING:

The Thadou-Kuki used the Roman Script to document the language. Scholars like Dr. Khuplam and others have come up with the Script, which they claim to be the original script of the Kuki-Chin group. But none of them are used to document the language. It must be noted that though Bengali script is used in Manipur along with English, it does not take root in the Kuki-chin group. The reason may be due to the impact of the Christian missionaries who established school where the Kukis lived. All the literatures, books, fictions, stories, folktales and religious songs are written in Roman script.

NUMBER OF SPEAKERS:

The number of Thadou speakers according to the census of 1962, 1971, 1981, 1991& 2001 of Manipur is as follows:

Year	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001
Thadou	47,998	59,955	56,466	103,667	115,045

MAIN HABITAT:

The Kuki are migratory in nature and they are found dispersed among other tribes such as Nagas, Cacharies etc. Kukis are scattered in different geographical regions of North East India. The Kuki live in hilly country bounded by the Angami Nagas of Naga Hills district in the North, the province of Burma in the East, the Chin Hills and the Lushai hills in the South and district of Cachar in the West. Mainly they live in the hill state of Manipur. In Manipur they are found in Churachandpur, Sadar hills of Senapati, Chandel and in Ukhrul and Tamenglong district. It must be noted that the Kukis living in Tamenglong and Ukhrul districts have considerably decreased as a result of ethnic violence between the Nagas and the Kuki.

The ‘Thadou’ are concentrated in the Northern and Southern parts in the Tengnoupal district of Manipur. Their total population in the states, according to the 1981 census, is 56,467. There are some Thado in Mizoram also. In Assam, they do not maintain a separate identity, and have been described along with the Kuki people. The Thadou language of the Tibeto-Burman language family is their mother tongue, and they use the Roman script. They are conversant with the regional language Meitei and use the Bengali script. The Linguistic Survey of India, Volume III, Part-III, by G.A. Grierson, C.I.E., Ph.D., D.Litt, I.C.S., published in 1904 by Government of India, provides a general idea of the wingspan of the Kuki territory and the composition of its people. An excerpt of the general introduction of the chapter on ‘Kuki-Chin- Group’ is reproduced as follows:

“Territory inhabited by the Kuki-Chin tribes extends from the Naga Hills in the North down into the Sandoway District of Burma in the South, from the Myattha River in the East, almost to the Bay of Bengal in the West. It is almost entirely filled up by hills and mountain ridges, separated by deep valleys.

Kuki is an Assamese or Bengali term, applied to various hill tribes, such as the Lusheis, Rangkhols, Thadous, etc. It seemed to have been known at a comparatively early period. In the Raj Mala, Siva is stated to have fallen in love with a Kuki woman, and the Kukis are mentioned in connection with the Tipperah Raja Chachag, who flourished in about 1512 A.D.

(a) Male/ female: The ratio of male/ female is equally distributed throughout.

(b) Rural/urban: The bulk of Thadou population lived in rural areas and now a day there is a shift from rural to urban areas. Due to the growth of education and employment opportunities in governmental service, many Thadous started living in and around the Imphal valley. The other reason for this migration include the flourishing of trade and business.

LITERACY AND EDUCATION:

1. Literacy rate is comparatively high among the Thadou-Kuki of Manipur. Looking at the ratio of literacy, female literacy rate is lesser than that of the male. This may be due to the importance given to the male in Thadou society. Looking at the average literacy rate, the Thadou-Kuki shine better than most of the other tribes. This is evident from the lists of Thadou officers and government employees.

(a) Rate: The literacy rate among the Thado-Kuki is 55%-75% percent. In term of literacy rate the Thadou-Kuki are higher than most of the other tribes. The number of employees in both central and state government service is quite high as compared to the rest of the tribes in Manipur.

(b) Agencies involved. The main agencies for the spread of education among the Thadou-Kuki are through schools and colleges. The schools and colleges may either be government funded or private educational institutions. The contribution of Christian missionaries in the spread of education among the Thadou-Kuki cannot be ignored. At first, education was spread through Sunday schools and Night school rendered by the Christian missions. Both youth and adults attended these schools whereby they were able to read and write their own language through roman script. Some of these schools are found even today. There are several stories of these schools throughout where the Thadou-Kuki lived.

(c) General Impact:

For the first time, Education came into picture, among this group of people. Lower primary schools were introduced at different villages. Christian teachers were appointed to impart Christian teaching and when they had finished their primary school they were sent to mission like Kangpokpi mission for higher education and majority of the people were able to read and write their language. Today the need of education is greatly felt among the people. Parent emphasise the need for their children’s education. When they are unable to send them to private educational institutions, they are sent into government schools. There are schools almost in all the villages.

Impact of Education on Women:

Unlike the past, girls are sent to schools at present times. But the number of girls going to school is comparatively lesser than the boys. Parents too have realised the need for their daughters education and many are sent even outside the state of Manipur for education purpose.

2. Education:

(a) Formal: Formal education is taught through schooling. Children attaining certain age are sent to school. Most students go to private schools where they are better taught. But others, who cannot afford to pay fees in private schools are sent to government schools.

(b) Non formal: Non formal education was imparted through Sunday schools and evening schools. The only difference between the formal and non-formal is that in non-formal schools no fees is charged. The notebooks have to be purchased by the pupil and the school timing is for one or two hours.

The general impact of formal education on women is less than in non-formal education. Only certain girls, from well to do families, are sent to formal schools. But in Non-formal education women attend them in large number and they are taught to read and write in their language. This has helped them to use their Hymnbook and other religious books. As there is no need of paying fees, women from poor families, find it as the only medium where the basic knowledge of reading and writing is impacted.