UCM seeks to revitalise relationship with B'deshi Manipuris
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 25 2024:
The United Committee Manipur (UCM) president Joychandra Konthoujam called on Chief Minister N Biren Singh today to revitalise blood relation between Manipuris in Bangladesh and here.
Meeting the Chief Minister at his Secretariat today, Joychandra submitted a three-point memorandum.
The memorandum urged the State Government to construct a guest house in the name of Maharaja Gambhir Singh at Rajbari in Bangladesh, install a statue of the Maharaja at the memorial site at Rajbari and establish a museum to preserve artefacts left by Maharaja Marjit Singh at Kamalganj, Moulvibazar.
The memorandum was submitted following UCM's visits to Tripura and Bangladesh where the committee held a series of cultural integration programmes under the theme "Eegi Khongul Leeba".
From May 10 to May 20, a 38-member team led by UCM president Joychandra Konthoujam visited several Meitei villages in Bangladesh and met with the descendants of Maharaja Gambhir Singh and Maharaja Marjit.
During the meeting today, Joychandra urged Chief Minister N Biren Singh to take up initiatives to preserve the Manipuri kings' palaces in Bangladesh and strengthen the relation between the Manipuris residing in the neighbouring country and here.
Maharaja Gambhir Singh is known as Hero of Manipur for successfully expelling the Burmese and ending the Seven Years of Devastation.
January 9 every year is commemorated as Chahi Taret Khuntakpa Ningsing Numit at the memorial complex at Rajbari, said Joychandra.
Preserving the palaces and artefacts left behind by the Manipuri kings in Bangladesh and building a guest house and a museum will help preserve the piece of Manipuri history in the neighbouring country and also help bring closer the people of the same community, said Joychandra.
Notably, UCM had met with RK Surjit, a 7th generation descendant of Maharaja Marjit at Moulvibazar during its Bangladesh tour.
RK Surjit had expressed his desire to the UCM to donate land for building a museum at Moulvi bazar to preserve artefacts left behind by Maharaja Marjit.