Manipur News

The post Meitei Manipuris in Tripura: lost moorings and old ties appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

By Okram Bimol
IMPHAL, March 25: The Meitei Manipuri population residing in Tripura is facing problems due to their dwindling numbers, making them a minority group in the state. In light of the other majority communities in the state, Meitei Tripuris are in a struggle of sorts for the survival of the group in terms of its identity, social and cultural status and condition.

During an interaction with visiting journalists of the All Manipur Working Journalist Union (AMWJU), Meitei Tripuris talked of how it was not an easy task for the community  to make Tripura their homeland and to keep alive their own cultural heritage. 

One Meitei Tripuri told the group that most of the Meitei Manipuri people in Tripura have sold out their land and other properties and shifted to other states like Assam and Manipur.

Adding that a majority of the Meitei Manipuris in Tripura are engaged as daily wage earners who take up various odd jobs like construction of houses, farm labour , auto driver etc., he further added that Manipuris in the state are included under the OBC category in Tripura.

Manipuris in Tripura are further not able to read Manipuri language properly because the language in Bengali script is taught in schools only from class 1 to 5 or 6 and because no examinations are conducted using the language. Additionally, Meitei Manipuris in Tripura speak Bengali fluently.

Many Meitei villages in Tripura are also gradually being replaced by different communities and the names of Meitei inhabited villages are changing. An example of this change can be seen in Mekhli Paar, a village not very far from Agartala which was once settled by Meiteis but which is now being occupied by Bengalis and turned into a tea state. But old ties still linger as evident from a pond called “Chandrabali Pukhri” which is reportedly named after a Meitei queen Chandrabali by the King in 1898. The pond still exists till date.

The post Meitei Manipuris in Tripura: lost moorings and old ties appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

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The post Trespassing at CAU girls hostel appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

IMPHAL, March 25: Students of Central Agricultural University, Iroishemba has called a college strike today protesting against alleged trespassing by unknown individuals at the girls hostel of the college repeatedly.

Speaking to the media, a girl student studying in her 4th Semester at the college, said two hostellers saw an unknown person roaming inside the girls hostel today morning at around 12:10 am following which, the two informed other students in the hostel through SMS.

After sometime, the hostellers saw a man coming out from a bathroom of the hostel and heading towards four students who were standing at the corridor of the hostel building. The girls ran inside their rooms and locked themselves after seeing the man. The man even tried to force one of the doors, the student said.  

When the students tried to inform Warden Rk Tombisana, her phone was switched off, the student said.

While complaining that this same case had earlier happened on February 14 last, a hosteller said that college authorities stopped them from taking up the matter to the police saying it will bring a bad reputation to the college.

The hostellers said that yesterday, there were three people who were trespassing inside the girls’ hostel and that on another occasion on March 14, there were five people.

Clothes of the hostellers which had been stolen on March 14 were brought back and left  today, which proves that  the same people are trespassing repeatedly, the hostellers said.

One of the trespassers today was seen wearing a black jumper when the hostellers first saw him but later, he went inside the bathroom and came out wearing women’s attire. He was also wearing eye liner and was heading towards the new campus construction site, a hosteller said. 

Another hosteller said that the trespassers stole only ladies inner garments and nothing else was stolen, adding that the clothes which were stolen last time were brought back and left at the hostel this time.

Following the student agitation today, police picked up four workers who are engaged in the construction works of the hostel building for interrogation in regard with the incident.

The post Trespassing at CAU girls hostel appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

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The post Locals protest against proposed surrenders rehabilitation center at Chothea village appeared first on  KanglaOnline.com.

IMPHAL, March 25: Locals of the Laalahchupi Chothea and surrounding villages today staged a sit in protest at Bishnupur bazaar against the proposal of the State government to set up a rehabilitation center at the village. The protest was organized by the women subcommittee against the proposed surrender rehabilitation center in the area.

Speaking to the media, one woman protestor said that the state government had proposed the use of the place where a post of the village defense force (VDF) is posted at Laalachupi Chothe village under Henglep assembly constituency on the day of visit by the State Home Minister along with the Deputy commissioner and the Superintendent of Bishnupur district on 1st march when it was announced that the place would be used as a rehabilitation centre for around 200 surrenderees to the government, she said.

She further said that regarding the announcement,  locals of the surrounding villages held a meeting at the Chothea village on 8th March where, a resolution was passed not to allow the proposed surrenderees rehabilitation center in the Chothea village. The villagers had also  earlier submitted a memorandum to the state Chief minister, Home minister ,T Manga Vaiphei, MLA of the Henglep Assembly constituency and Govindas Konthoujam MLAof  Bishnupur assembly constituency . But till today, the state government has not given any positive response over the matter,  she said.

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