Manipuri Society and Its Art & Culture
Contemplation of a Victim Artist
- Part 1 -

Heisnam Kanhailal *

4th Dr Thingnam Kishan Memorial Lecture by Padmashree Heisnam Kanhailal at Hotel Imphal on June 30 2013 :: Pix - Sanjeev Thingnam

In the year 1891 the British colonised Manipur, since then the ancient civilization started to exist as a colonised nation. British army undertook numerous repressive measures to subdue the nation so that it could not rise up again. While the British took the positions of Boro Saheb and Soto Saheb, the Bangalis took the positions of Boro Babu and Soto Babu, and ruled over Manipur. From the legitimate Ningthouja clan of the Meiteis, who could be king of the land, the British handpicked a titular ruler.

And thus, Churachand was made the king of Manipur. The responsibility of looking after the affairs related with Meitei culture and religion was handed over to the king. Bangali was introduced as the medium of learning and instruction. Those who were acquainted with Bangali and English were considered to the learned of the society. What characterised Manipur was that of colonised society wherein one witnessed the operation of middle class sensibility (Babu Culture) at the core and entire traits of feudalism engulfing the body politic.

Subjugated subjects of the time silently bore the smoldering anguish. In 1903 almost after 10 years, the flames of anguish and pain flared up into an inferno. One fateful mid-night, disgruntled males of the land burned down the residence of Boro Saheb. Following morning, there was a proclamation, which ordered a male member from every household to bring along with them thatch and bamboo and reconstruct the burnt down house. Simultaneously, women-folk erupted into action, declaring, "Our men cannot be used as slaves". In this manner, the first Nupi Lan took place.

Second and a more defined Nupi Lan against the export of rice and paddy occurred in 1939. It has a long story. The said incident was not a mere act of andolan (agitation or disturbance). What the nation popularly remembers as Nupi Lan is in fact a resistance movement. However, it was not born out of any form of politicking or under an ideology. It was an instantaneous movement that originated from the instinctive nature of women of the land. The sheer virtue of being a mother and from a soul thus far concealed by internal femininity, it exploded in a very natural and spontaneous manner. Wise men say, "Nupidi keishalga chatminnabani" (sic. women dance with the wolves).

In this context In the year 1891 the British colonised Manipur, since then the ancient civilization started to exist as a colonised nation. British army undertook numerous repressive measures to subdue the nation so that it could not rise up again. While the British took the positions of Boro Saheb and Soto Saheb, the Bangalis took the positions of Boro Babu and Soto Babu, and ruled over Manipur. From the legitimate Ningthouja clan of the Meiteis, who could be king of the land, the British handpicked a titular ruler.

And thus, Churachand was made the king of Manipur. The responsibility of looking after the affairs related with Meitei culture and religion was handed over to the king. Bangali was introduced as the medium of learning and instruction. Those who were acquainted with Bangali and English were considered to the learned of the society. What characterised Manipur was that of colonised society wherein one witnessed the operation of middle class sensibility (Babu Culture) at the core and entire traits of feudalism engulfing the body politic.

Subjugated subjects of the time silently bore the smoldering anguish. In 1903 almost after 10 years, the flames of anguish and pain flared up into an inferno. One fateful mid-night, disgruntled males of the land burned down the residence of Boro Saheb. Following morning, there was a proclamation, which ordered a male member from every household to bring along with them thatch and bamboo and reconstruct the burnt down house. Simultaneously, women-folk erupted into action, declaring, "Our men cannot be used as slaves". In this manner, the first Nupi Lan took place.

Second and a more defined Nupi Lan against the export of rice and paddy occurred in 1939. It has a long story. The said incident was not a mere act of andolan (agitation or disturbance). What the nation popularly remembers as Nupi Lan is in fact a resistance movement. However, it was not born out of any form of politicking or under an ideology. It was an instantaneous movement that originated from the instinctive nature of women of the land. The sheer virtue of being a mother and from a soul thus far concealed by internal femininity, it exploded in a very natural and spontaneous manner. Wise men say, "Nupidi keishalga chatminnabani" (sic. women dance with the wolves). In this context numerous psycho-analytical stories can be mentioned. Precisely, at this juncture, the Meitei civilization came to revere the woman as "Mother".

Contemporary India's wind reached the emerging intellectuals of the pre-World War II. India became the ideal of their lives. Irabot whom we regard today as Janneta (leader of the mass) stood staunchly against it. Even if Irabot was with the Hindu Mahasabha in the beginning and towards the end with the Communist, he was a leader who never compromised with his individuality, and sticking with the cause of Manipur he provided leadership to the masses.

Today's generation can see in him the true spirit of sacrifice and martyrdom. He was the embodiment of a true leader. On one side, the fervour of Bande Matram swept over Manipur. A group of people began to revere Gandhi as God. Another group joined Subhash Chandra Bose's INA to fight for India's independence. Desire on the part of the first generation intellectuals of the 20th Century to be submerged in India's mainstream made them forget a sovereign Manipur. Therefore, after British left when sovereign Manipur was immediately colonised by India through the instrument of Merger Agreement, the first generation intellectuals welcomed it with glad hearts. The larger society remained silent. Second generation of the post-World War II looked back to historic incident with remorse. Once again Merger Agreement became the centre of fresh debate.

Simmering discontent that started from around 1960 finally erupted into a war of independence against India in the 70s. Manipur became a contested land for both the Indian army and the liberation army. Even today, the Manipuri society exists amidst confusion and mayhem. Government's imposition of various types of laws to subjugate the people has become the burning issues and resulted into existential crisis. It has been nearly 50 years since people have been living in this manner.

News about how the Indian army has turned the lives of the common people into playthings have reached far and wide (within India and outside). However, even those who are sympathetic remain helpless spectators. Brutal oppression continues. World has come to know about Sharmila's resistance. But other than rewarding the courageous Chanu (lady) in terms of recognition, Indian Government has been keeping her like a prisoner.

Looking from another perspective, the second generation of the land strongly reacted against the theory of Indian nation-state. Orthodox and obscurantist bookish individuals riding on the thought pattern of the east contributed in making the Indian-nation state. Moreover, the way they view Manipur and the North-East from an outsider's perspective is based on ignorance and half-baked knowledge. In other words, always, they, as an outsider, continue to gaze from a distance. They do not completely understand what is inside our society, the society's perspective and perception. They don't even try. Therefore, they cannot honestly respect the underlying differences between them and us.

They still regard us as strangers. Simplest example is the discrimination meted out against the Northeasterners in Delhi, which is the capital city of India. It is not that there are not people who know us, who respect us as human beings. But they are helpless in doing anything. They, too, are completely submerged in the Indian mainstream.

Each one of us, the multiple ethnos, living in the North-East, our origins are Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman. What is interesting is, we, the diverse ethnos, do not give a damn about each other. It is precisely because our ways of living are totally confined within our own rigid cell of identity. We raise our necks from the cell and look around, then, the moment another group does the same, suddenly we withdraw back inside the cell. We never move outside our worldview. Finally, all of us become egocentric – this is the outcome of being ethnocentric. We lack understanding; we lack affection simply because we fail to look with respect at the differences. We cannot live together. Keeping each one's priority in the front, we just co-exist on the surface of the earth; essence of living together is devoid of meaning.

In this midst, we are facing the challenge of numerous political aspirations. In the name of Naga-Kuki, territorial demands are made. Everyone is targeting the Meiteis. Based on historical accounts Meiteis are resisting for Manipur's territorial integrity and firmly voicing to live together like the olden days. At this juncture, some are demanding the inclusion of Meiteis in the category of schedule tribes. What I feel is that the movement undertaken by the tribal brethrens has sidelined culture and is deliberately making an attempt to construct tribalism as a political entity. Every tribal brother has started to move around with a placard on his chest, declaring, "I am a tribal".

Taking the benefits bestowed by the constitution, I guess it is the aspiration on their parts to build an unfettered and a larger tribal nation rooted in a political foundation. I do not know whether that will be possible or not; I cannot even say.

All this time, Delhi has been watching the spectacle; playing a mischievous game by taking sides and acts as if all are its loving friends. By instigating to fight one another and creating chaos, it is ruling over the land. This clearly illustrates Delhi's lack of honesty, its inability to accept us as one of them, and above all a timeless perception about us as aliens. That is why an inescapable feeling has been instilled in our hearts that we are under colonial rule.

Another issue relates to the ways of life of this land. A virus known as corruption has conquered every section of the society, starting from the lowest to the ones holding the reins of power. We have utterly forgotten, to the extent of not even remembering, the vitals of social ties. It has been broken – starting from family to village and from village to the state. Corruption per se cannot be blamed, there are also other powerful forces hitting us from different directions. It is also on account of the failure on their parts to devise a mechanism to confront the problems.

We let ourselves be blown away by the winds of the time. Virus of corruption has infected our blood and nerves thereby paralyzing the vital cells of the body. The soul is as good as dead. It seems in order to survive there are no alternatives to corruption. Even if the likes of Anna Hazare undertake Satygrah and the country legislates the strongest law to fight corruption, I don't believe corruption can be wiped out, especially from the soil of Manipur. It is precisely because in our society corruption has been accepted as a bare fact of life. From the bottom to the top of the social order, corruption has become ingrained in any endeavor that we undertake.

In my opinion, the virus known as corruption was not imported from outside. Practice of haija chatpa (seeking favour) in any activity, which was sanctioned by the prevailing culture of feudalism in Manipur has taken firm roots as the utmost necessity in our society. "Mine and thine" acts as the barrier in any activity that one undertakes. This leads to "achan mirai" (cronyism). Another important element is that the sudden jump over to a new form of economy (monetised) occurred in the absence of a transitional preparation without making systematic changes to the existing system. It's everyone's dream to emulate the lazy son of a widow in the fable, how with the help of a magic ring a palace was built overnight and married to a princess.

India, too, is infested with the virus of corruption. Yet, when compared to it, the virus of corruption has chronically afflicted Manipur by more than 70 percent.

To be continued...