Pu, Paoneikhai Suantak (1921-2014) autobiography (English Version)
Unrivalled enemy of dishonesty, one of the first two MLAs& Ministers from Churachandpur District andthe first,for the Vaipheis of North-East India. His lineage being from Neilut, the eldest son of Suantak a.k.a. Zahong,he is the only reliable living-keeper of history, custom, culture and genealogy for the Suantak descendants during the 20th& 21st centuries.Even all the ageless traditional-secrets of the Suantaks are in him — either the yet to be or not be revealed forever!
Born in the month of October in 1921, at Chongkhozo village, Churachandpur District. The only son,out of the three issues, of (L) Mr.Thangminpao Suantak alias ‘Thangmin’ and, (L) Thenghoi. He is the biological father of S.Minlianthang Vaiphei, IAS and Dr. Joseph Suantak. Present address: Bazar Veng, Tuibuang, Churachandpur District Headquarter, Churachandpur, Manipur. Until he was bedridden with senile dementia since the mid-2011, he was gifted to narrate his interesting adventures and the history and cultures of Suantak tribe and its kindred tribes of Indo-Bangla-Myanmar borderlands to visitors and family members.
Education:
1925: He takes his first lesson at Chongkhozo Govt.School[in its year of establishment].
1934: Passed Class-II (Mangasuba) from Kangvai Lower Primary School.
1941: Passed Class-IV from Chongkhozo Govt. school.
1943: Passed Class-VI from Churachandpur Mission Junior High School.
1951-1952: Pursue Pharmacist/Compounder diploma at Diphu Hospital, Assam.
Remarkable socio-political activities and situations held:
1940: He was the lone youngman, with two lasses, who brought ‘patrolmax’ or ‘petrolmax’ lamp from Saipum village to Maite village on foot; a long and tedious journey to light the night of the first Vaiphei youths conference[NEI], from where the Vaiphei Students Conference(VSC), which later came to be known as ZILLAI(Vaiphei Students Organisation) was formed on the 15thof March, 1940. Had not Paoneikhai Suantak brought them the lamp, the conference might have skipped the night programmes.
1942-1943: Head Pandit [School Master], Kangvai Govt. School.
1944-1945: During the WW-II he serve the Allied Force or the British in the department of intelligent as an informant, equivalent to the present day ASI[Assistant Sub-inspector].
1945-1950: Serve as Headmaster, Chongkhozo Govt. school.
1954-1957: Serve as Compounder/Pharmacist under the Govt. of Manipur at Telsing(Haokip) Phaisat vilage, Ukhrul Dist., Manipur.
1958-1960: Gen.Secy.,Vaiphei National Organisation[VNO].
1960-1963: President, Vaiphei National Organisation[VNO].
1960: He was also instrumental in bringing about peace between the warring Kuki and Hmar communities.
1962: Elected member, Manipur Territorial Council.
10) 1962-1964: Member, Tribal Welfare Advisory Board, Govt of Manipur.
11) 1963-1967: Deputy Minister, Manipur Legislative Assembly [Agriculture, Tribal Welfare, Labour and Employment in-charge].
12) 1963-1968: Founder Vice-Chairman, Manipur State level “Nisha Bandh Committee”.
13) 1964: Founder-Chairman/President, Churachandpur Govt. College, Churachandpur.
14) 1965: Together with M.Koireng, the then Chief Minister of Manipur,they obtain ‘Manipur Bhavan’, located at Sardar Patel Road, New Delhi.
15) 1965: Selected member to persuade the University Grants Commission (UGC) for installation of full-fledge University in Manipur.
16) 1973-1977: Member of District Council, Churachandpur Dist.[from Haupi Constituency]
17) 1976-1977: Chairman (nominated by the Governor of Manipur), District Council, Churachandpur.
18) 1978 -1983: Member of District Council, Churachandpur Dist.[from Torbung Constituency]
19) 1986-2004: Chairman/President, Suantak Peoples Council (SPC) [Indo-Bangla-Myanmar].
20) 1994-95; 1998-2000: Member, Churachandpur Dist. Cl: X-XII Examination Committee/Board.
21) 2002: Manipur State Level “KUT PA”
22) 1962-1967:During his tenure as Deputy Minister he contributed countless number of development works for the hill areas of Manipur. Particularly, in Churachandpur Districthe set up a number of schools, social welfare centres, dispensaries/health centres and suspension bridges. Govt. High schools and Junior schools at Kangvai [into High school], Mata[now Higher Secondary School], Leisang and S.Kawtlian villages are few examples out of the many schools he had set up. Most of the senior lecturersof Churachandpur Govt. College who had served since its establishment are forwarded for regularisation by him. He employed countless number of people belonging to different tribes and community in the departments of educations [Schools] and Social Welfare.The bridge that connects Muolvaiphei and Rengkai village, popularly known today as ‘Rengkai Leilak’, which link Churachandpur and Sugnu town is one good example of his incorruptible and honest social activities. Of course, it should have been named ‘Paoneikhai Bridge’! He was one among the active committee members for the realisation of ‘Loktak Project’. Not only this, the artificial [filled with earth] roadacross the large lake-water that connects Moirang township to Sendra Tourist spotis also constructed by him and M.Koireng. On his sole efforts and proposal,Churachandpur District Hospital is also laid at the same site where the Britishers had located during their colonial days.
23) Political Party:He was one among the first active members of the Indian National Congress partyfrom the southern district of Manipur.
24) Publications: He has a number of manuscripts about Suantak tribe and its branching-tribe ‘Vaiphei’, ‘Sijang’, ‘Sailo’, etc genealogy, history, culture, etc. few of which, yet to be published, are compiled & edited by Dr. Joseph Suantak.
What people say about him:
“If, at least, there are about five persons like ‘Ibungo Paoneikhai’, Manipur would be free from all sorts of corruptions and communalism.” – (L) Shri.M. Koireng, Ex-Chief Minister, Govt. of Manipur.
“Only after his demise shall the Vaiphei people realise his worth as their only true leader and resourceful historian.” – (L) Pu.Suonkholal Gangte, Lecturer, CCpur Govt. College.
“…a great social worker and politician well known and feared for his incorruptible nature…he still now is a livingcomputer of historical and cultural events of the past.” – Editor, Kut Souvenir-2002.
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