Paper short abstract:

Jhumming has traditionally been the basis of subsistence and practiced among the Kukis for the past few hundred years. Is it a form of sustainable land-use? We document and trace the continuities and discontinuities in jhumming practices in the contemporary period.

Paper long abstract:

Jhumming has traditionally been the basis of subsistence and practiced among the Kukis for the past few hundred years. Is it a form of sustainable land-use? As a form of agriculture, jhumming has evolved and got embedded in the socio-cultural practices of the Kuki community living in Northeast India. This form of agriculture now defines their very identity and constitutes their way of life.

The paper discusses the political economy of the Kukis by relating it to their dependence on agriculture and forests for their livelihood. This relationship governs their economic, social and cultural systems, and shapes their ethnic identity in the region; for instance the neighboring Meitei community follows wet rice cultivation in the valley areas of Manipur. Land-group connectedness is central to the formation of Kuki identity. We explain how land is not only a material resource but also a social cultural resource that determines social exchange and the basis of political power among them. The paper details various socio-cultural practices connected with jhumming.

This paper is based on review of relevant secondary literature and multi-sited fieldwork conducted in 2 villages of Manipur during 2008-09. Primary data was gathered through a household survey, interviews, and participant observation. We document and trace the continuities and discontinuities in jhumming practices in the contemporary period.