THE THEOLOGY OF KHURPUI: A KOMREM THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATION

ON REDEMPTION
By Emmanuel Serto, M.Div., Trinity College & Seminary,
Churachandpur, Manipur.
1. INTRODUCTION

In Christian theology, redemption (Greek: apolutrosis) refers to the deliverance of Christians

from sin.1 It assumes an important position in salvation because the transgressions in question
form part of a great system against which human power is helpless.2 In the New Testament,
the redemption word group is used to refer both to deliverance from sin and freedom from
captivity.3

This paper attempts to implicate the theology of “Christian Redemption” with the Komrem
terms like Hnoikhopui, Khurpui, Inthoina, Thempu and Chungkhopui. However, the term
Khurpui, the supposed place of their origin, is employed in the main title because of its
prominence among the people. And to accomplish that, the paper discusses the origin of the
people and the myths and folktales associated with them.

2. RELIGIOUS PRACTICES AND THE MYTH OF THE ORIGIN OF THE

KOMREM PEOPLE

The concept of monotheism was one of the strictest religious practices among the Komrem
people. The people were not polytheistic nor idol worshippers. They believed in one God
called Chung Pathen, a God who created the universe, who is in heaven, who knows all
things and take care of human beings. Blood sacrifice called Inthoina, which was performed
by a Thempu (priest), was a strong practice prior to the advent of Christianity. And they
believed that without inthoina or blood sacrifice, there was no recovery from sicknesses,
misfortunes and natural calamities.4

The pre-historic life of the Komrem people is marked by a mythological place called
Hnoikhopui (Lower world). They associated themselves with a man known as Mikung,
meaning the head or source of all men and was also known as “Manmasi.”5 Their origin is

1
Leon Morris, “Redeemer, Redemptio,” The New Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 2010). PDF e-Book.
2
“Redemption.” Christian Classics Ethereal Library at Calvin College. March 13, 2021.
http://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/encyc/encyc09/htm/iv.vii.lxxxv.htm
3
Bruce Demarest, The Cross and Salvation: The Doctrine of Salvation (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books,
2006), 177. PDF e-Book.
4
Lalboi Kom Kilong, Re-reading the History of Komrem People: Pre and Post Christianity (Churachandpur,
Manipur: One More Step, 2016), 23.
5
Kilong, Re-reading the History of Komrem People, 26-27.

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unclear as they were nomadic people until they entered Manipur. The location of the cave is
believed to be somewhere in the borders of China. Karong, Leivon, Serto, Hmangte, Telen,
Khumdon and Mirem were the names of the leaders who came out of the cave. The names of
these leaders became the Clan names of the Kom people. These people were referred to as
“Kom” by the British Raj.6

3. DEFINITIONS OF THE LOCAL TERMS

Some scholars held that by about 200 BC, the Komrem people came out of Khur (cave/pit)
and then moved to the South. This implies that they had earlier settled or lived in the cave
which they referred to as Khurpui, which literally means “Great Pit or Cave.”7 (emphasis
added)

To understand the meaning of Khurpui, the following folksong is presented for a clearer
understanding:

Kan Hong sok e kanhong sok e

Khurpui ja kanhong sok e
Kantak rong inkholei err o eja.
Kanhong sok e Kanhong sok e
Khurpui ja Kanhong sok e
Kanthe pon nin kholei er ro eja.
Kanhong sok e Kanhong sok e
Khurpui ja Kanhong sok e
Kan Kom luin kho lei erro eja.
Kanhong sok e Kanhong sok e
Khurpui ja Kanhong sok e
Kan lengse in kholei erro eja 8

The English translation is as follows:

We emerged from the great cave; from the netherworld, beneath the surface of
the earth
We emerged from the great cave; our origin, birth and a freedom day
With our might we established village
6
Athang Serto (telephonic conversation, 13 March, 2021).
7
Kilong, Re-reading the History of Komrem People, 28.
8
Alex Akhup, “The Lived Reality of Koms (Komrem) in Manipur: An Emerging Political Perspective,”
Journal of North East India Studies Vol. 2, No. 2 (Jul.-Dec. 2012): 7.

2
 We emerged from
We emerged from the great cave
Our shawl (ponthe) became protector of our village; national flag planted on the
village
We emerged from
We emerged from the great cave
Our Kom turban adorned our village
We emerged from
We came from the great cave
Our girdle girded our village 9
The stated Khurpui narrative actually defines the core of this community. The contemporary
community’s name Komrem is intrinsically linked to their worldview imagined in this
narrative. “Kom” etymologically is rooted in the Khurpui narrative. The Khurpui worldview
is constructed within a holistic view of “the world below”, “the world they came to live in”
and “the world they live in the life after”.10

Hnoikhopui (the Lower World) was considered as a place of darkness, struggle, pain,
exploitation, etc. On the other hand, Chungkhopui (the Upper World) was a place of
enlightenment, higher level of livelihood and a place of civilization.11

4. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TERMS

The belief of the Komrem people that they are the descendants of a man known as Mikung,
i.e., the head or source of all men, can be logically associated with the Biblical account of the
first man, Adam. And after “The Fall,” Adam and his wife were expelled from the garden of
Eden and lost the ability to be in God’s presence. This account can be related to the life in the
Hnoikhopui, a place of darkness where life was hard, and where struggle, pain and
exploitation ruled over their lives. But kind providence shone upon them and they somehow
escaped from their temporary shelter, i.e., the Khurpui, and they inherited the Chungkhopui.
This account is paralleled by the coming of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who came to the
world as Thempu (priest), sacrificed himself for atonement, rescued and saved mankind from
the clutch of death. He then offers us eternal life, to be the citizens of heaven (Chungkhopui).
(the writer’s own implication)

9
Akhup, “The Lived Reality of Koms (Komrem), 7.
10
Akhup, “The Lived Reality of Koms (Komrem), 8.
11
Kilong, Re-reading the History of Komrem People, 30.

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5. THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATION

Ephesians 5:8 tells us that we were “once full of darkness” (NLT). This sums up what we
were without Christ and before salvation; we were darkness, i.e., the absence of light. It says
that before we were born again, we were darkness. There is nothing good and nothing
praiseworthy in us because without Christ we are darkness. To be darkness means that there
is no hope in and of ourselves for turning on the light because there is no light.

This was the kind of life in the Hnoikhopui where life was hard and full of struggles, pain and
exploitations. And without blood sacrifices, we were plagued by sicknesses, calamities and
natural disasters. Even blood sacrifices did not last long, they ought to be performed
periodically. And the same happened with the life inside the Khurpui, the temporary shelter
where the people had to life like prisoners inside the Great Cave.

Then playing the role of a Thempu (but who is much greater!), Jesus came as the High Priest
(Heb. 4:14), became one with humanity in human weakness, offered prayers to God, chose
obedience through suffering, and sympathized with the struggles of humanity. He offered
himself for us as an Inthoina or “sacrifice” (Rom.5:6; 8:32; 1 Cor.15:3-4; Eph.5:2; Heb.9:14,
28; Tit.2:14) and saved us not just from the worldly troubles, but from eternal death.

Lastly, like the transition of life from Khurpui to Chungkhopui, Christ saved us from the
bondage of sin and offers us eternal life in heaven, the heavenly Chungkhopui (Joh.3:16;
10:28-30; Rom.6:23; 1 Pet.5:10; 1 Joh.5:11,13). (the writer’s own implication)

6. CONCLUSION

The socio-cultural, political and religious life of the Komrem people have several
characteristics that closely resemble the lifestyle and culture of the Israelites in the Bible. The
historical similarities between them could be used to construct indigenous theology which in
turn may produce many interesting theological implications. Therefore, theologizing the
folktales and folksongs of the Komrem people will ensure the simplifying of the gospel in the
context of the people, thereby enriching the literature of the tribe in the process. The theology
of Khurpui will help the people in comprehending the “Theology of Redemption” in an easy
manner and make the understanding of the “Salvific Plan of God” a lot simpler for the
common people.