TSA-GHQ seeks clarification over participation of Manasseh troupe in Sangai Festival
Source: The Sangai Express
Sadar Hills, November 23 2016:
Expressing surprise on finding a Manasseh Cultural Troupe, Churachandpur, an alleged non-recognized Indigenous Tribe of the State for a cultural performance tomorrow in the ongoing Sangai Festival, Thadou Students' Association-GHQs has sought clarification from the State Government and immediate action to right the wrong.
The student body said that even as it welcomes the festival, it is totally perplexed to learn that while Thadou or many other indigenous tribes of Manipur have been excluded from the list of cultural troupes to perform at this year's Sangai Festival, the tentative cultural programme for the event, a copy of which is available with them, has a cultural performance by Manasseh Cultural Troupe, Churachandpur, scheduled for November 24 .
In a statement signed TSA said that the term Manasseh, a historical Israeli tribe, is claimed by certain people to be a nomenclature of more than 70 ethnic groups, many of them in different South East Asian countries.
It also said that Manasseh is a misnomer to be used while referring to any indigenous community of Manipur as it has no record of existence in the history of Manipur or in the list of recognized tribes of India or Manipur.
Given this, it is a mystery as to how Manasseh managed to appear in the list of cultural troupes to participate at the State's biggest official tourism festival this year, added TSA.
It further said that if at all Manasseh cultural troupe is to be given an opportunity to make a presentation, to which TSA has no grudge, it (Manasseh) should be included in the list of participating foreign cultural troupes, not as a local cultural troupe, for the simple fact that it is not a local indigenous community or tribe of Manipur.
At a time when there is an unprecedented movement for implementation of inner line permit system or a similar protective system to safeguard the indigenous people of Manipur and their identity and culture, portraying a non-indigenous community such as Manasseh to represent themselves as an indigenous tribe of Manipur is tantamount to making a mockery of the people's sentiment and distorting history.
One wonders if this is a conspiracy for non- indigenous or foreign people to gain access to the land in Manipur and eventually dominate the State, it added.