Manipur is more than a name

Kongbrailatpam Rajeshwar Sharma *

The Mahar Regiment incident at Gwaltabi on 20 May 2025 :: Picture Courtery - TSE

In William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', Juliet asks, "What is in a name?" It may be answered in the words of Walt Whitman an American poet: "I am large, I contain multitudes" writes Walt Whitman in his poem 'Leaves of Grass'.

So is Manipur. It contains multitudes of people who share the same sentiments and ethos, and who take pride in their rich culture, their rich heritage and proud history. Not only are they proud of their history and culture but they are also brave and very sensitive to anything that might undermine Manipur, its history and culture.

To defend and protect Manipur, the people are ready to stand up and fight against any power. The battle of Khongjom of 1891, where many a Manipuri sacrificed their lives for their motherland, is a glaring testament to their courage and sensitivity.

Even though the soldiers and generals of Manipur knew well that they were no match to the might of the British Empire, instead of giving up, they fought against the British to show to the world that they would rather die than live under the colonial masters. And at the end, the Manipuris won the moral victory.

Just as Bharat, Manipur is not only an identity of a State but it is also a symbol of unity, its history, heritage and culture. Manipur belongs to the Nagas, Kukis, Meiteis and others bound by a geographical boundary that has been recognized not only by the Constitution of India but also by the International Law.

The treaty of Yandaboo of 1826 gave Manipur the legitimacy of a proud independent kingdom and its geographical boundary. Like conjoined twins, the different communities and tribes have been living together since the time before the word "India" was coined, and they cannot be separated even though there have been futile political attempts to divide them.

As there are no valleys without hills, there will be no hills in Manipur without Imphal valley. Moreover the three million strong people of Manipur share a common destiny. They are bound by a history that spans more than two thousand years. They fought together against the Burmese and the British.

Together they stood up against the infamous AFSPA the draconian law that left thousands with indelible scars of torture and many young women as widows. Though Manipur is comparatively small in size and population, it contributes a large number of sportsstars and brave military officers to the Nation.

They were born and brought up with the air and water on the soil of Manipur but played and fought and even died for India Major Laishram Jyotin Singh of the Indian Army was the son of Manipur. On 26th February 2010 he sacrificed his life to save his fellow soldiers from a terrorist suicide-bomber.

When the suicide-bomber entered the residential compound, where he was staying, at the Indian Embassy in Kabul, Major Jyotin confronted the terrorist who detonated the bomb hidden under his vest. This resulted in the death of the brave Manipuri. On 26th January 2011, Major Jyotin was awarded Ashoka Chakra the highest peace time gallantry award for his supreme sacrifice.

Recently another Manipuri, Chingakham Deepak Singh a BSF jawan who was posted in Kashmir, gave his life for India during the four-day Operation Sindoor. On the other hand, there is hardly any Indian team without a Manipuri at an international sports event.

Kunjarani, Mary Kom, Santa Devi, Tiken, Thoiba, Neelkamal and Nilakanta Sharma are all Manipuris who not only brought medals and laurels for India but they also made India proud. Kunjarani Devi, a weightlifter, was awarded Arjuna Award in 1990, and in 1996 she shared India's highest sporting honour—Rajiv Gandhi Khel Rataa—with Leander Paes. Mary Kom, a boxer, won the Bronze Medal in boxing at the London Olympics in 2012.

Others are hockey players who represented India in the Olympics and other International Tournaments. Despite all their contributions to Indian defense and Indian sports, Manipur and its proud sons and daughters are being treated with prejudice and looked down upon by Delhi. At the same time, the name of the State is ridiculed and reduced to nothing.

The Gwaltabi incident of 20th May is one of the glaring examples that show the attitude of Delhi towards Manipur. Their sentiments are tested time and again to see how the Manipuris react to certain moves. The Gwaltabi incident is also one of the moves to test the sentiments of the people. Manipuris are not Delhi's political guinea pigs.

To describe them in the words of Alfred Lyall, they are the proud sons of "an oasis of comparative civilization...." The Gwaltabi incident of 20th May speaks volume. Concealment or erasing the name "Manipur" in the State of Manipur is nothing less than erasing the name "Ram Mandir" at the Ayodhya temple.

One cannot help but wonder how the Hindus and the people of Ayodhya would react if it ever happened to the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. Manipur is not only the name of a State of India but it is also a Mandir to the people of Manipur just as much as Ram Mandir is to the Hindus. The people of Manipur literally worship it and sing everyday in praise of it.

One can hear the popular song "Sana leibak Manipur/Koloi nang gi Manipur (It is a golden land/Thy name is Manipur)" of Roop Raag at every State function and at other occasions. Not only did the incident hurt the sentiments of the people but it also alienates them.

Moreover the very act of concealment or erasing the name of Manipur from a State transport bus run by the Government is not only an act of disrespect to the people of Manipur but it is also unconstitutional. India is a Union of States.

Manipur is one of them. In the First Schedule of the Constitution of India, Manipur is defined as "The territory which immediately before the commencement of this Constitution was being administered as if it were a Chief Commissioner's province under the name of Manipur."

No one can remove the name "Manipur" either from the Constitution of India or from the State Government except by a Constitutional Amendment Act of the Parliament of India. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Gwaltabi incident of the 20th May is a blatant violation of the Constitution of India.

At the same time in the eyes of law, concealment or erasing the name of Manipur from the State transport bus of the Government is also a criminal act of forgery because it was done with the intention to deceive the people. However powerful a person may be, the law is always above him. Let the law take its own course and restore peace in Manipur.