When peace comes wrapped in chocolate

April 2, 2018 246 Views No Comment

Manipur’s Ukhrul town is turning a new leaf, with help from two chocolatiers who offer four varieties

Guns once ruled Manipur’s Ukhrul town. Now, chocolates with unique local flavours are taking over.

In February 1982, a year before Zeinorin Stephen Angkang was born, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) ambushed and killed 20 soldiers of the 21 Sikh Regiment on the road to Ukhrul, 84 km north-east of the capital, Imphal. A chain of violent reactions and counter-reactions ensured years of bitterness for the dominant Tangkhul community, which was caught in the crossfire.

But a small wave of enterprise riding the success of Hill Wild, a range of chocolates filled with pumpkin seeds and exotic local nuts, is helping to erase those nightmares.

“I learnt how to make chocolate from a chef friend,” Angkang, 25, told The Hindu. But a chocolate made in Ukhrul had to be exotic, so I thought of adding pumpkin seeds and local nuts.”

In November last year, she and Leiyolan Vashum, 35, launched Hill Wild. It took them less than a fortnight to create a buzz. Their handmade chocolates in four varieties – pumpkin seeds, hodgsonia, fruit wine and chilli – were a hit with the delegates at the North East Development Summit in Imphal.

“It is the kind of high-quality product that Manipur needed for a change of image, from that of a militancy-mauled State to an investment destination,” Nongthombam Biren, Manipur’s Chief Minister had said.

Connectivity-challenged

At 1,662 m above sea level, Ukhrul offers ideal conditions for a chocolatier. But it takes at least 15 days for a cocoa consignment (₹1,60,000 per tonne) to arrive from Pune.

It is no less difficult to offload the finished products, currently sold in Manipur and Nagaland. “Connectivity is a big challenge, as unreliable courier services prevent us from taking online orders. There is also a scarcity of skilled people, resources, and ingredients,” Ms. Angkang says. Such obstacles notwithstanding, Hill Wild produces 3,000 packets of chocolates per month. It has added a unit to make artisanal sausages.

Hill Wild, Angkang says, isn’t only about products. It has encouraged women to take up commercial cultivation of organic pumpkin and other ingredients for the chocolates, and fostered seed-funding, micro-loans, and incubation support.

Apart from teaching chocolate-making and employing 13 women, Angkang and Vashum have set about 90 individuals from Ukhrul district on the path to entrepreneurship. They have also created 15 farmers’ groups, and are helping them get their farms certified as organic.

Starting off as a two-person initiative, Hill Wild has become a community-based movement. Last year, it organised a mini-trade fair called #madeinukhrul, with the objective promoting sustainable enterprises in Ukhrul district.

The duo has organised the 2nd edition of a mini trade fair, #madeinukhrul, on a larger scale. Themed ‘Sustainable Ukhrul 2030’, is scheduled for April 5-6 at an indoor stadium in Ukhrul.

“Many here possess the skills to set up successful businesses that market products such as traditional herbal tea, black pottery, indigenous textiles with a fusion approach, fermented soybean, and rice. But people need to be pushed into entrepreneurship,” Angkang says.

“The passion, commitment and courage of young Angkang made us sponsor the Ukhrul conclave. She has been an inspiration for many aspiring entrepreneurs, and we believe we are investing in the right direction,” says Ram Muivah, Secretary of the North Eastern Council.

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