Kenbo, an inexpensive motorbike of Chinese make smuggled across the border, continues to be a rage in Ukhrul and Kamjong because of many advantages compared to Indian motorcycles, even though they are banned.
With limited horsepower and speed of no more than 80 kilometres per hour, China-made Kenbo125 motorbikes may appear to be toys compared to the more established and better-known motorcycles in the market.
Yet they have revved up a furore in parts of Manipur like no other.
Every other day, Kenbo125 finds mention in local newspapers. Ten Kenbos seized here, 20 Kenbos seized there: reports of police seizures of the Chinese motorbikes are rather routine.
The reason is not far to seek. Smuggled illegally across the porous international border with Myanmar, Kenbos have flooded parts of Manipur, particularly Ukhrul and Kamjong districts.
Priced low and easy to procure, the brand is enjoying a kind of popularity that more established products can only envy.
In Kamjong, Kenbos outnumber other two-wheelers by 3:1. In Ukhrul, one in every three two-wheeler is a Kenbo.
The motorbikes being illegal, local people ride the Kenbos without a registration plate.
They are often used to ferry contraband, since the motorcycles have gained acceptance for being easy to manoeuvre and appropriate for Manipur’s mountainous terrain. Their maintenance is also believed to be comparatively low.
All this means that Kenbos remain a preferred choice for many in Manipur, though the police seize them periodically.
That ties between India and China have been frosty – first because of the standoff in Doklam and then in Galwan – have failed to dent Kenbos’ popularity. Many Chinese apps have been banned in India as a result, but Kenbos continue to flood Manipur through a circuitous route.
Ason Zingkhai, a villager living close to the Indo-Myanmar border in Ukhrul, remembers when he bought his Kenbo bike in early 2016. The bike cost Zingkhai only around Rs 25,000 when a branded Indian motorbike could have made him poorer by some Rs 80,000.
It made commercial sense to Zingkhai. And procuring the Kenbo proved to be rather easy. Someone in the village of Ngachan across the Myanmar border smuggled it in and Zingkhai simply kickstarted it and then rode off after handing over the cash.
Local people staying on either side of the India-Myanmar border have always engaged in small trade. Somewhere along the way, the ‘illegal’ trade in Kenbos has blown out of control.
For many people staying in villages in Ukhrul, Kamjong, Tengnoupal and Churachandpur districts close to the international border, the Kenbos have become a source of sustaining their livelihood.
The dependence is more in Kamjong and Ukhrul where the border is more porous and relatively unguarded.
According to the local people, the bikes manufactured by a Chinese company in Yunnan province first reach Tachiliek, a Myanmar border town, through Thailand. There, the parts of the motorcycles are assembled and the dealers then sell them to citizens of India as well as Myanmar.
There is a ready market for the Kenbos in India since it costs almost half that of the motorbikes sold in India.
The X-factor for a Kenbo, however, is its robust functionality. Being hilly districts with poor infrastructure and not many proper roads, two-wheelers were never the preferred mode of transportation in Ukhrul and Kamjong. So much so that there are no Indian motorcycle outlets in the two districts till date.
But then Kenbos arrived and the popular perception about two-wheelers rapidly changed.
“These bikes can do the work of a car with much more efficiency. It is used as a goods carrier in our place and can carry two half bags of rations easily,” said Zingkhai.
The mileage that Kenbo offers also dwarf the mileage of any India-manufactured bike. The cost of spare parts is also said to be dirt cheap.
The popularity of Kenbo has Manipur police alarmed.
Official statements have periodically been issued, stating that the import of Kenbos is illegal. The state government has also banned it for security reasons since Kenbos have often been found to be ferrying drugs and narcotics.
Ningshem Vashum, the superintendent of police in Ukhrul, stated that driving the Chinese bikes in the district was a violation of the Indian Motors Act and that the police force is keeping a watchful eye in the district headquarters to keep it in check.
However, he admitted that the police cannot monitor the use of these bikes in far-flung villages.
But for the users of the motorcycles like Zingkhai, the crackdown is misplaced.
“Many people from the border areas are poor farmers who are trying their best to earn their livelihoods and the Kenbo motorbikes play a huge part in this. It is affordable, easy to handle and has unmatched fuel efficiency. It can also traverse in any road during any season,” explained Sorinthan Haorei, a social entrepreneur from Kamjong.
Meanwhile, Zingkhai is busy repairing his Kenbo with utmost care. “Why drive a fancy motorbike when you can get a Kenbo which does triple the work at a much cheaper price?” he asked while oiling up some nuts and bolts.
The point he makes is difficult to disprove from an economic perspective.
The lead image shows a Kenbo125 motorbike, popular in districts close to the Indo-Myanmar border (Photo by Worngachan A Shatsang)
Worngachan A Shatsang is a freelance journalist based in Ukhrul, Manipur. He writes about football, rural life, farming and environmental issues. He is a Rural Media Fellow 2022 at Youth Hub, Village Square.
