Nupi Landa Thaunaphabishing :: Book Translation
- Part 10 -

James Oinam *

Nupi Landa Thaunaphabishing: Part 10
(Brave Women During the Nupi Lan)
Publisher: Lamlai Area Nupi Marup
Cover illustration by: Singh Publicity, New Checkon
First print: December 1991
Copy: 1500
Printer: Haobam Printing Works, Etam Nungoi

Ayekpan ongbi Rajini

Ayekpan ongbi Rajini in Nupi Lan

Thokchom Nabakumar
Lamlai

Rajini of nupi lan was born in 1908, on Thursday in Laukrakpam leirak, Tera keithel (bazaar). Her parents were Haorokcham Chaoba and Haorokcham Muhi Devi. Being born to a poor family, she faced difficulties from early childhood. This hardship made her strong. Because of poverty and social mores of not educating girls too much, she did not get much education.

As per king’s order, for putting chandan on face tax would be collected, for ear and nose piercing ceremonies also money was taken. If fruits and flowers (cotton ball seeds?) of tera (Bombax ceiba) growing on roadside gets blown by wind into someone’s courtyard, they could be punished. Women objected to such cruel measures. However, people had to keep mum otherwise they would be punished.

Lives of the people of Manipur were in the hands of businesspeople. The king of Manipur was no longer king of the people but a puppet of the businesspeople. The rich businesspeople could make the people eat in the morning, at night, or starve them at will.

In the rain the farmers worked on the paddy among the leeches, forgetting tiredness and sickness mended the barrages and women tying cloths in their waist looked after the paddy in the summer in the hope harvest later. However, these farmers did not see the paddy in the month of Poinu in 1939.

Towards the end of Hiyangei and beginning of Poinu in December 12 it will be written in blood in Cheitharol Kumbaba. It was evening, people queued in front of Marwari shop for rice. Pot-bellied businesspeople pretending not to see the people laughed. They refused to open the shop. Kasturi(?) and his younger brother Phulachand and other main shops remained closed.

From many directions women came and shouted to open the rice shops and not to hide rice. Kasturi was no longer visible. His son Yuriya, not knowing how tough Meitei women could be, shouted derisively, “Meitei women, this year you might get broken rice (chagem), next year you might not even get chengkup (bad quality broken rice mainly used for poultry). Your lives are in our palms.” This inflamed the women.

Boro sahed, chhoto sahed return to your lands. We are unable to tolerate your exploitation. It is because of you that we could not see any paddy in Poinu. When women marched to bungalow of Saheb to ask them to go back, the police kicked the women. Rajani fell on ground beaten by police with sticks.

Although people like Khomdram Ghanachandra kicked the women, some newly recruited police refused to do the same. They declared that the women’s demands were for them also. Not just within Imphal but also in Pukhao Sagolmang, Rajini organized her friends walking long distances.

Whenever she heard that houses were about to auctioned off for not paying “pangsel” (some kind of tax?), she went there to stop them. Women gathered and held meetings. Rajini herself shouted not to give pangsel.

As soon as meeting was over, the police arrested them like cattle. Rajini was arrested from her house. Rajini was involved in destroying masun located in Sawungbung. She took part in meetings held at the home of Kameng Jati. She was an active member of Nikhil Hindu Mahasabha. She was jailed for 6 months.

Former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on May 27, 1958 in an order issued by Home Minster (order no. 301/R/RPC/3246-69) recognizing Rajini as freedom fighter gave an award of Rs 500/- and gave her Tamra Patra award. She narrated the story of nupi lan to her son which was published by her son Longjamba Meetei (Netaji) as “Manipurda Nupilan.” Ayekpam ongbi Rajini died at the age of 82.

To be continued .....