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Mr J.P. Mills, I.C.S., Deputy Commissioner of the Naga Hills, tells me that Kachha Naga (though a term which is in common use) is a meaningless expression and that about half the Nagas of Manipur are Lyengmai and half Zemi. As, however, the Kachha Nagas of Manipur were returned as such in the census schedules I have kept that name for them but these three terms, viz., Kachha, Lyengmai and Zemi should be bracketted together for comparison with the Empeo or Kachha Naga language figures of previous censuses. Dr J.H. Hutton, C.I.E., I.C.S., Census Commissioner for India, has subsequently informed me that he is not sure that he agrees with Mr Mills' views regarding these Kachha Nagas. He writes as follows: |
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"I know three Naga words translated by Kachha Naga, viz., Nzemi or Ngyemai, Lyengmai and Nruongmai and I suspect them of being merely dialectic variations of the same word, though those speaking the northern (Nzemi) dialect have been so much influenced by the Angamis as to differ socially from the others". |
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A volume on the Kachha Nagas, with a chapter on their language, would be a very valuable addition to the Assam series of monographs on the hill tribes of Assam; very little seems to be known about these people who have recently given a considerable amount of trouble in Manipur State and the North Cachar Hills. |
