Anāl people

The Anāl are a Naga tribe native to Manipur state in North-East India and part of Myanmar. They are listed as a Scheduled Tribe, in accordance with The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, 1976 Indian Constitution. The Anāl tribe is one of the 'sixty six Naga tribes' of the Naga ancestral homeland. The members of this tribe are found both in India and Myanmar. In India, they are situated in the States of Manipur and Nagaland but mostly concentrated in the former. In the State of Manipur, the Anāl Naga population concentrated in Chandel and a few Anāl villages are located in its neighbouring districts, Churachandpur district has about three villages and Thoubal district has one or two.

The Anāl in Myanmar live in the Sagaing sub-division. The Anāl population in this part has been dwindling. At present, there are three Anāl villages, 'Nga Kala, Napalun and Haika'. Formerly, the Anāl had no problem moving to or visiting Anāl areas now in Myanmar, and vice versa. However, with the demarcation of boundaries, they became grouped under two distinct units, and with the consequent restriction imposed on the movement of the people of both sides, the Anāl had to cease such free movement between these 2 places. Consequently, there has not been any interaction between the members of the same tribe now existing in two different countries. The Anāl community is one of the oldest inhabitants of the hill areas in Manipur state. Archaeological findings at Chakpikarong confirm this. Despite this, the Anāls' total population remains small. According to Census of India, the Anāl population was 21,242, and the 1991 census was totaled at 10,642.

The Naga Anāl have been recognized as a tribe in Manipur since 1951. The recognition of the tribe was made official by Rochunga Pudaite who met the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in Delhi in 1951 and requested him to give Scheduled Tribe recognition to the Hmar tribe of Northeast India by wearing a traditional Hmar attire. The PM then asked him if he knew of the existence other tribes which had not been included in the list. Rochunga then added the tribes of Anāl, Kom, Paite, Vaiphei, Ralte, Chothe and others, thus paving way for their recognition as well. However, it was only after the Scheduled Tribes Reorganisation in 1956, that all the aforementioned tribes were recognised by the Manipur government. Therefore, the Naga Anāl are one of 33 tribes in Manipur. Referred to them as one of the Naga tribes of Manipur and recognised as part of the List of Naga tribes by the state government of Manipur.