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Whither Manipur
By Lt. Col. H Bhuban Singh (Retd.)
There is an atmosphere of tension in Manipur regarding her territorial integrity. This has come about from the persistent demand like the May 2002 Senapati Declaration that all the Naga inhabited areas must be made to come under one administrative unit, which virtually means the merger of some districts of Manipur into Nagaland. There is nothing wrong in this, provided the Nagas belong to one tribe or community. The Tangkhuls are a tribe, the Koms are a tribe, and the Adanis are a tribe and so on, but they are all different tribes. According my knowledge, there is no tribe or community called Naga. The term Naga is the creation of the Imperial British. It is just like calling all outsiders as Mayangs in Manipur without specifying any community.
Culturally, linguistically and ethnically, a Tangkhul is quite a stranger to a Sema. Likewise, Tangkhuls have no cultural link and linguistic affinity to a Lotha or to an Ao. But on the other hand, Tangkhuls are very close to Meiteis in regard to blood-relation, language, culture and tradition. Legend says that the ancestor Tangkhul and ancestor Meitei were brothers. On the occasion of the marriage of the daughter of the younger Meitei brother, he invited his elder Tangkhul elder brother. The Tangkhul elder brother could not attend due to work pressure, but sent a Leirum, a distinctive Tangkhul blanket as a marriage present. Since then, a Leirum is a MUST as part of dowry of any Meitei bride. That is a very strong cultural link. As in the past, intermarriages between Meiteis and Tangkhuls are still prevalent.
Linguistically, Tangkhul language and Meiteilon are very close and similar. In Tangkhul language, numbers are counted as Akha, Khani, Khatum, Matih and Phunga for one, two, three, four and five respectively. Compare this with Meiteilon, in brackets–Akha (Ama), Khani (Anee), Khatum (Ahum), Matih (Maree) and Phunga (Manga). Six in Tangkhul is Thrunk, which is Taruk in Meiteilon. Ten is Thrah in Tangkhul, which is Tara in Meiteilon. Linguistically, we all belong to the same group. Such similarity is unbelievable.
It is now researched that mixing almost all tribal dialects created Meiteilon. For example, water is knows as tarang, laiza eesing to suit local conditions. In certain areas of Manipur, turrel (river) is easing. Hence, we have Iril, Ikop, Ithai, etc. from easing. In Tangkhul language, water is tarh derived from tarang. All our tribal people speak Meiteilon and the medium of transaction in Manipur Legislative Assembly is Meiteilon. The official language in government officers is Meiteilon. Actually, Meiteilon is the lingua-franca of Manipur. All tribal peoples of Manipur communicate with one another in Meiteilon. Language is a big integrating factor.
Culturally, the Koirengs, Koms, Kabuis, etc, worship Sanamahi and Leimaren deities in their dwelling houses just like in any Meitei house. They also observe 'Ningol Chakaoba' festival (feasting of sisters). Our cultures are so interwoven that in any Lai-Haraoba ceremony (worship of sylvan deity), a Tangkhul and a Kabui form part of the ceremonial contingent.
I venture to say that Meiteis were originally tribal people. King Mongjamba (1534) who assumed the name of Khagemba as conqueror of Khagi (meaning China, perhaps after defeating the ruler of a small principality of Yunan province of South China) was believed to belong to Anal tribe. King Pamheiba was perhaps a Chothe. General Thangal of Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891 fame was claimed to be a Thangal tribal.
When Maharaja Sir Churachand Singh died in November 1941, Yubraj Bodhchandra Singh became the Maharaja. But the coronation ceremony of Maharaja Bodhachandra
Singh and Maharani Ishwari Devi took place on April 1, 1942. Those of us, including the author, who had witnessed the coronation ceremony distinctly, remember having seen the Maharaja and Maharani attired in Naga tribal costume. At the end of the ceremony, the Maharaj and the Maharani did not go inside the palace but retired to a thatched hut, built on the lawns right in front of the now dilapidated Palace Durbar Hall. The bamboo and grass hut built for the newly anointed Royals was a typical Naga house with crossed eaves decorated with an imitation bison head. This clearly tells us that Manipur’s Maharajas and Maharanis were of tribal origins.
It is believed that the ancestor Haobam, which is my family name, was a Kom tribal. I beg to be pardoned if I hurt the sentiments of the entire Haobam family by the story I am telling now. The story goes like this. The original Haobam was one Akom Kom who was a very powerful man. He was instrumental in making Pamheiba the King of Manipur. The families of Haobams and Angoms were kingmarkers and they used to protect the kings. That is why the two families used to occupy high places in palace hierarchy. This ancestor Kom became hill Minister and Aya Purel (External Affairs minister). Because he was hill minister, he was known as Haopham, the person who holds the post (pham) of hill administration. Then, Haopham because Haobam. This story is what I am told and if true, I am proud of my Kom ancestry. Are you listening please, my Kom relatives?
There is a lot of insinuation against Meiteis regarding ill treatment of tribals. The tribals were considered as untouchables and no Meitei would partake of food together with tribals. This was unfortunately true. It is also true that when tribal people were thirsty, they were given water to drink by local Meiteis by pouring water through their cupped palms and they were not allowed to touch their lips on the utensil. For this kind of ill treatment, the tribals felt offended. However, the Britishers were more gentle and understanding. When McDonald was the PMSD (President, Manipur State Durbar) in the 1930s, he used to go to villages in rural areas for official work. When thirsty, he was offered water in a metal utensil. But the mighty British officer refused to drink water by touching his lips on the utensil, saying that the utensil would become impure. He cupped his palms and drank water from it. This Britisher McDonald wanted to respect Meitei sensibilities.
During the early reign of Maharaja Churachand Singh (1904), the Maharaj himself used to preside over durbar sittings with Cosgrave, ICS as vice-president of the Durbar. Maharaj Churachand Singh being a man found of fun and frolic, considered the long drawn deliberations of the Durbar as boring. During a long morning session, he suggested the sittings to be closed and meet again in the afternoon.
The kind-hearted but tough Cosgrave said that it was okay with him. He was however worried with the fate which would befall on the Maharaja. The Englishman Cosgrave explained that the Maharaja being a Hindu had to take bath to purify himself after mixing with the impure Malecha British after the morning Durbar.
Now, if the Durbar session was held again in the afternoon, the Maharaja had to take bath again which means taking bath twice, which was an inconvenience. The wily British officer knew the custom of the Meiteis and he did not feel offended, but converted the behavior of the Hindu Maharaja into a joke. As recent as twenty years ago, a thourani (brahmini) selling pakoras by the roadside used to serve her Meitei customers by dropping the pakoras which was wrapped in paper, on the outstretched palms of the Meitei customer. The non-Brahmin Meiteis were not permitted to touch the thourani lest the entire stuff would become impure. In Govindajee temple, ordinary Meiteis are not permitted to climb the temple varandah whereas in Jaganath Puri or in Mathura, we could pray by touching the feet of the idol. These cultural barriers are to be accepted till slow reformation takes place.
What is the point of punishing the present day generation of Meiteis for the wrongs committed by our forefathers? We should not repeat the wolf and the lamb story. Can we now think of punishing our Muslim brothers for the killings and the destruction perpetrated by Md Ghazni, Nadir Shah, Ghori, etc? After all, our Muslim brothers and sisters are now our blood relations. Our tribal brothers and sisters must pardon the Meiteis for our past mistakes of social
discrimination. It is now time to forget and forgive.
In the fast changing world in which we now live, there is no country exclusively for the English or Arabs or Chinese. The United Kingdom has a mixed population with about 5% colored race. There are 6 or 7 British MPs of colored descent in the House of Commons. There are more than 3 or 4 MPs in the House of Lords like Lord Swraj Paul. If I am not mistaken, Kenneth Vaz of Gaonese Indian descent was a minister in Her Majesty's government of United Kingdom. Secularism and broad-mindedness are the order of the day. Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country where Muslims play the epic Ramayana. Indonesian Reserve Bank is known as Kuber Bank and their airline as Garuda Airline. The name of the current Indonesian President is Sukarnoputri Megawati (a Hindu name), which was given to her by Biju Patnaik, father of Naveen Patnaik, the present Orissa CM, on the request of her father Dr Sukarno.
Therefore, if different peoples of the world in other countries can co-exist happily with composite societies and cultures, I see no reason why our Naga brothers and sisters who are closer to us culturally, linguistically and ethnically cannot stay with us in Manipur. In the matter regarding preservation of the territorial integrity of Manipur, their voice matters MOST. I on behalf of the entire Meitei community, sincerely appeal to our tribal brothers and sisters, to say loudly that we will build together a prosperous, integrated and peaceful Manipur.
(Courtesy: The Imphal Free Press)
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