Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 09:
Organised in connection with the 150 birth anniversary of Bir Tikendrajit by the Bir Tikendrajit Memorial Trust, the Barak valley expedition team set off from Kangla on October 27 arrived at Imphal on November 7.Interacting with media persons at the Trust office at Lamsang today, its chairman RK Ranendrajit said that the expedition was undertaken by 35 members including 5 women under the theme "The Spirit of Freedom".
After reaching Jiribam on October 27, the team organised a brainstorming session under the theme 'Future of Jiribam'.
The team then visited tea estates, rubber plantations and bamboo chipping plant located there.
Together with 150 youths from Jiribam, the 185 strong expedition team headed for Karimganj, Assam on October 29.There, the team had a close interaction with the Meiteis settling at Awa Palli of Karimganj where a memorial tomb of Maharaja Gambhir Singh is still standing.
The Manipuris expressed their strong desire to install a statue of Gambhir Singh there, conveyed Ranendrajit.
From their side, the expedition team proposed establishment of a cultural complex there including a statue of Gambhir Singh.
Even though there are more than 200 Manipuri settlements spread across the Barak valley, the team could visit only 60 villages.
In addition to taking the message of unity and love, the team organised medical camps at Jiri, Karimganj, Hailakandi and Silchar, Ranendrajit said.
To facilitate successful organisation of the Barak valley expedition every year with the objective to reinforce the blood relationship between the Manipuris settling within Manipur and beyond, necessary work will be initiated to set up a Barak Valley Expedition Academy, the Trust chairman said.