Adimjati land
- The Kohinor of tribal people of Manipur -

Rongreisek Yangsorang *

The marriage ceremony of my bosom friend Mr BD Behring, Ex-MP (Rajya Sabha) with Ms Ch Samurembi Chanu, a Delhi educated lass of Imphal city area solemnised on the 13th July, 2008 in the auditorium of the Tribal Research Institute, Adimjati Complex, Imphal is viewed as a step forward to strengthening hill-plain relationship.

The ceremony was graced by the former Chief Minister of Manipur, Shri RK Dorendra Singh, the Tourism Minister of Manipur, Mr TN Haokip and the President of the United Naga Council (UNC), Mr Samson Riammei along with scores of distinguished invitees.

It was the first time that I saw a Meitei girl in a Christian wedding dress with full of manners and etiquette ranging from rhythmic bridal march to cake cutting. It was a good accomplishment to seek a true love, only to find that both of them were united for life creating a feast of joy in their hearts.

Well done! I should say.

And the deity of ancient Manipur Wangbarel also married a beautiful Anal woman. Thus, we usually say that history repeats itself when a similar event in the past returns for introspection. Now, orthodoxy and caste barrier will have nothing to do in this fast changing high tech world.

The colourful occasion at a low cost was possible only because of the Adimjati land and its founding father late Shri Deshbandhu Adhikari who had sacrificed his whole life for the uplift of the weaker section of the society.

By orthodoxy, I don't mean Hinduism or other local beliefs and faiths but the dirty hearts of men. My orthodox Manipuri teacher once said whimsically if any of tribal men is rich or wealthy enough, he will be automatically clean and cosmopolitan in outlook gaining ground for acceptance in the higher caste.

Being amused at his narrative, I decided not to utter a single word when he was not equally clean at heart. The teacher was definitely in the wrong. If cleanliness or money is the principal factor for determining the caste of a person or a group of people, then it won't be difficult to eradicate casteism, rampant throughout the country.

Due to my close acquaintance with rural life and its character, I can only say that even today, tens of thousands of villagers in Manipur valley are unimaginably as dirty as inhabitants of my own hill village, miles away from the State Capital.

So, it is not money or dirtiness that fixes one's caste but narrowness and belief in vanity. By the grace of God, the Almighty, the spirit of casteism seems to have decreased considerably in the valley for a united Manipur where smaller communities and bigger ones as well will not be haunted by the dreaded spirit.

Only after the ghost disappears from the present Manipuri society, we can march on the path of progress to build an all new Manipur, completely free from all forms of unreasonable fears and superstition. Considering the present conflict situation in the State, we must plead for a civilisation not based on caste and confrontation but on mutual respect, love, understanding and co-operation.

Therefore, all the sensitive Manipuri brothers and sisters of both the hills and valley must opt for new ideas ushered in by the western education in which there is no background barrier.

The impression I had in the marriage ceremony of my politician friend is that the well decorated auditorium of the Tribal Research Institute has been built on the model of the great GM Hall, Imphal. But the auditorium is too small for a big gathering, its capacity being 300 seats only.

The foundation stone of the institute was laid by the former Chief Minister and sitting MP (RS), Shri Rishang Keishing in 1984. The background of the Adimjati Shiksha Ashram can be traced with a note on late Shri Deshbandhu Adhikari who requested the Manipur administration to grant him a plot of land for his Ashram in 1952.

On the 15th December, 1952, the then Deputy Commissioner Shri MN Phukan under his letter No 1805/DC:dt.15-12-52 forwarded to the Government of Manipur the application filed by Shri Adhikari to place it before the Chief Commissioner for orders. On receipt of the letter, the then Secretary (Home & Dev) of Manipur late Shri T Kipgen asked Shri Adhikari to locate the spot where he actually wanted to start his Ashram school.

The philanthropist indicated two alternative sites for the location of his Ashram-one was the area bounded by Dimapur Road (BOC depot) and the Naga stream and the other was the point where Chingmeirong Road and Dimapur Road met.

As Dr Rajendra Prasad, the President of India who was also the national President of Bharatiya Adimjati Sevak Sangh was expected to visit Manipur in the early part of 1953, Shri Adhikari was anxious to have his Ashram constructed well in advance of the visit.

As the urgency demanded, the Manipur Government, after consideration at the Secretariat level, granted the Site No.2 to the Adimjati Shiksha Ashram, a unit of BASS, New Delhi on 31-12-1952. In another letter dt 9th January, 1953, Shri Adhikari was informed that the grant was made without having to pay premium or revenue on the condition that the plot of land measuring 150 yards by 100 yards would revert to the Government unless it was utilised for the purpose for which the allotment was made.

The 2nd phase of development involving demarcation began when the Advisory Board of the Ashram required more area of land for furtherance of welfare activities for the tribal students at Imphal. The matter was reported to the Government which acknowledged the increased activities of the Ashram.

The area of the plot was further enlarged by demarcating the boundary line as East -DM Road, West - Thangmeiband, North -Chingmeirong Road and South - DM College. It can be ascertained from the above facts that the area of land under the occupation of the Ashram since 1953 was originally about 9.66 acres or 27 Bighas.

Unfortunately, the area of the Adimjati land has been reduced considerably after the encroachment upon it in 1982 due to lack of awareness and unity among the tribal MLAs. Late T Kipgen, the then Chairman of the board played the major role to regain the encroached portion of the land but to no avail as he could not get the support of the tribal leaders of Manipur. It is a dismal tale.

The founding father, whose only concern was for the uplift of tribal masses of Manipur, contemplated different schemes for the development and welfare of the tribal people, and the present structure of the Ashram compound with high rise hostel buildings for both boys and girls is the image of his contribution.

It is also heartening to learn that the tribal working women's hostel will be constructed soon in the same compound. It is a good venture to benefit a large number of tribal women at Imphal.

This is the usefulness of the Adimjati land. This is the great advantage of having a sizable land meant for tribal people of Manipur at Imphal, with a sharp rise in the tribal population in and around Imphal city. The land is now synonymous with Kohinoor jointly owned by the Commonwealth countries.

In the Ashram land, there was the Adimjati Technical Institute which was converted to Govt. Polytechnic. There was also a charitable High School that provided urban schooling to poor tribal students hailing from hill areas of Manipur. Of course, it was a well known high school where from a good number of the present civil service officers, engineers and doctors passed their matriculation examinations.

One noted educator of Modern Manipur, Shri ID Joshi from Nainital in his dual role as the secretary of the Ashram board and headmaster of the high school with all his might once tried to improve the Ashram founded by his mentor but luck did not favour him to prolong his mission in the campus.

All his efforts to upgrade the Ashram to a certain level and his several significant suggestions for improvement of the Ashram remained unheeded. Yet, even after his departure from there, he was neither frustrated nor totally alienated from life around the Adimjati campus; rather his services for any developmental works of the Ashram were always on offer.

At one point of time, Pabung Shonkhothang Ashon, Ex-Minister of Manipur patronised the Advisory Board of the Adimjati Shiksha Ashram as chairman and later as its secretary for many years.

He was the ardent patron whose initiative helped the Ashram get a place in the budget of the State Government of Manipur. He was influential, and always instrumental in linking the Ashram with the Government in succession. Such a nice old folk of a rare sort.

With the closure of one chapter of the history of 55 years old Adimjati Shiksha Ashram, the present board members are expected to be dynamic to keep the Adimjati land intact. Their abilities, integrities and sacrifices will be known only when the subsequent chapter is opened by the next generation.