A guided tour to outer-India (I)
Have you heard place names like Somdal, Chapkikarong, and Soraphungetc? Some may have, most must not. Do not sound to be Indian names. Yet they are Indian name places in Manipur.
The Indian army and paramilitary forces took over three months (Nov-07 to February 08) to partially recapture the sensitive Somdal areas on Indo-Myanmar border from hoards of Meitei (Manipuri Hindus) rebel groups. Chapkikarong a cute valley near Burma border is still infested by the Meitei and assorted Kuki rebel groups. Soraphung on Manipur Nagaland border, close to Myanmar territory is a stronghold of NSCN (IM).
The Naga imbroglio is a short long story. Manipur, where I conduct your tour now, is a much more complicated long story. The kingdom of Manipur was merged to India in 1949 and since than the Jewel of the East has hardly witnessed peace.
Several complicated factors contributed to the rise and consolidation of separatist outfits in Manipur since early sixties. The valley (700 sq miles) was mostly inhabited by Meitei Vaishnavite Hindus. The hills were traditional homes of assorted Naga tribes (about 15) and tribes of Kuki-Chin-Lushai origin (about 20). It is a vast kaleidoscopic confluence of human and bountiful nature.
I cannot guide you to Loktak, Dal Lake of the east. The vastness, depth and rippling beauty of the water body have shrunk and very few Siberian and Chinese birds migrate in winter.
I cannot take you to Bishenpur (Vishnupur) to see the neglected 7th century Vishnu image crafted by the craftsmen of Hindu Abha kingdom of Myanmar. Some stray terrorist bullets might hit you and me.
It may be possible to guide you to Moirang Lakeview, if I can manage a police escort, where Netaji Subhash Bose had set up Azad Hind Government’s headquarters on Indian soil. The memorial lies in neglect.
Well! A drive up to Tengnoupal and Tamu, the border smuggling towns is rather risky. There are distinct possibilities of any Naga, Kuki or Meitei underground gang kidnapping us for hefty ransom.
Would you like to travel to Tussom Khullen, Chassad and Toipoi? Rather risky. These tracts in Ukhrul’s Tangkhul Naga areas are more administered by the NSCN (IM) than by the government of Manipur.
You might as well have to pay local taxes to the Naga rebels for a bumpy journey to the remote villages on Myanmar borders. However, the breathtaking beauty of the Ukhrul Naga Hills might allure you to drop in a village, chat with the khullakpa (headman), witness wonderful dances and listen to Church carols. I wish I could guide you through the beautiful terrains in Ukhrul as well as Tamenglong and Thanlon-Parbung Hills.
Anyways, I won’t suggest you to set up a business take a government job or set up a professional practice either in the valley or in the hills. The terrorists demand hefty monthly and casual “taxes” from all earning members. Ministers of the government, senior officials, professionals and traders are subjected to moral policing and heavy taxation.
During a recent visit to the valley an old friend whispered that Manipur, perhaps like most other states in India, have a unique system of wealth sharing. Out of rupees one hundred the political bosses take a cut of 25%, the bureaucrats about 10%, terrorists over 20%. The rest 50% do not reach the Aam Aadmi. Out of plan and non-plan budget the lowest creatures in the democratic system can expect only 15% of the allocated amount. The rest disappear in the jungles inhabited by animals called contractors, babus, local political dadas and fringe militants.
However, I would suggest a visit to the colourful “Ima Keithel”, shopping vends managed by women. The land of Chitrangada still practices steady participation by women in all spheres of life.
But I won’t dare taking you to Keisampat Leirak (lane) for a sumptuous Meitei feast, which often consists of 80 items of fish, vegetables and lentil eaten with sticky rice with the finale of a plate of sweet black rice pudding. Not that the Meiteis are not hospitable. They are an excellent warm hearted people. But, I and your Leirak host might not be able to assure your physical safety. You and I might end up at the nozzle end of a Kalashnikov, get shot or walk out after paying a hefty ransom.
However, I won’t disappoint you from having chance meetings with exquisitely beautiful Manipuri belles selling handloom products, going about in colourful dresses in their mopeds and bicycles.
In spite of multiple layers of dark clouds hanging on their heads and lives the Meitei women keep their cool and greet you with smiling faces. Don’t make unsolicited advances. Meitei women are known for their valour and fighting mettle.
I might remind you of the Second Nupi (women) Lan (war) of Manipur. Nupi Lan is one of the important movements in the history of Manipuri women. It sowed the new seeds of economic and political reforms for a new Manipur in the early 40’s. It was started in 1939 as an agitation by Manipuri women against the oppressive economic and administrative policies of the Manipur Maharaja and the British Political Agent –Mr. Gimson- (1933-45) in Manipur. The incident later evolved into a movement for the constitutional and administrative reform in Manipur.
The role of Manipuri women in the agrarian economy of Manipur is crucial, right from the involvement in the production to the selling and marketing of food grains. They manage most of the internal trade of food and clothing and they hold a free standard of living in the society. They are the most important buyers and sellers in the main market Khwairamband Bazaar – a bazaar which was founded by Khagemba Maharaj in 1580, and which is also known as Ima Keithel. This bazaar was also ‘the place’ where Nupi Lan had initially started.
The Meitei women still maintain the tradition of Chitrangada, who had humbled the third Pandava, Arjun. I would advise you to be especially respectful to Meitei women and not treat them as chattel, as is the wont in other parts of urban-rural India.
That is the precise reason, besides the fear of insurgents, that prevents me to take you to some picture postcard village in Thoubal or Angou foothills to witness fabulous Manipuri dances like varieties of Pung Cholom (Ras Lila), Achouba Bhangi Pareng, Khrumba Bhangi Pareng, Lai Haraoba and Natrasankirtana etc. Manipuri dances have attained classical perfection and folk innovation. However, if you are lucky I can guide you to the Gobindji Temple, where traditional dances are performed during Basant Ras and other festivals.
It might be possible to guide you to Mao Songsong and the mountain heights below Japhu Hills, which often have fine layers of snow in the winters. The Naga tribes of Mao, Maram are very hospitable and you might be able to share a fine dinner of roasted pork, spicy venison, chunky beef, roasted bee larva, rice cooked inside hollowed bamboo stocks served with madhu (mild rice beer) and ruhi (strong rice or millet beer). If you are lucky the village belles of Ruvunamei and Kalinamei might stage a colourful Naga dance in the courtyard of the village Church.
Dear visitors don’t think I am alluring or frightening you. Manipur indeed is the Kashmir of the East, though several layers of luster have peeled of during last 60 years. My hesitation in taking deep into the beauties of Manipur arises out of raging insurgency/ terrorism in the valley and the hills.
There are nearly 25 insurgent groups in the tiny state, including three headed by valley Muslims. Important Meitei insurgent groups are, Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF), People’s Liberation Army (PLA), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), and United National Liberation Front (UNLF).
The Meitei outfits demand back Manipur’s sovereignty and they carry out their activities from bordering areas of Myanmar. They are well entrenched in the pats (villages), leikais (areas) and leiraks (lanes). They flourish in the heart of the state capital. Incidentally you might have read the news item of explosion caused by the KYKL inside the state assembly, arrest of a few insurgents from the residence of a government minister etc. Perhaps you have not read. Who bothers about a part of OUTER INDIAN territory called Manipur?
I don’t think your editor would spare more space to me to elaborate the deep rooted reasons for a Hindu Vaishnava community taking up arms against a Hindu majority India.
These are very complex issues which arose out of big brotherly attitude of the “mayangs” (outsider Indians), non and bad governance, economic imbalance, inability to strike balance between the Valley Hindus and Hill tribals and to adequately and satisfactorily remove Meitei fear of creation of a greater Nagaland (Nagalim), as demanded by the Naga insurgent outfits.
Most of the complexities arose out of Indian unconcern about the OUTER INDIAN territories and lack of conscious efforts to integrate the remote areas with the mainland, while preserving the exquisite uniqueness of the civilisational, cultural and traditional legacies of the people of Manipur.
Are you wiser? This is the simple reason that inspired me to give you a short guided tour of one tiny part of OUTER INDIA. Your editor consenting, and you willing, I would offer my services to take you to other parts of the OUTER INDIA like -Nagaland, Arunachal, Assam including Karbi Anglong etc regions.
Would you not like to make conscious efforts to convert the OUTER territories to CORE-territories of India by visiting these places instead of mad-rushing to Kullu, Manali, Rranikhet, and Srinagar and may be Ooty?
Perhaps new generation Indians might try. My generation of Indians is guilty of converting the integral parts of India to OUTER INDIA. Let’s fly to the alluring eastern destinations.
Welcome on board!
May 30th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
I feel tempted to visit the exquisite places in the outer India (Manipur in particular)even at this advanced age of mine. But the safety factor scares me.
I wonder whether tourism can develop here.
Safety/ security of the tourists, paying guest facilities (rather than hotel establishment which may not run economically to begin with), safe roads and safe transport facilities are essential for any industry to develop. Without these, this part of India will remain as dark as the dark continent of Africa. Some law and order can be established by force. But it cannot last long. People have to realize the benefit of it.
If the people can be made to realize that it (tourism) can be a source of income to a good number of people there, they may welcome the idea one day and resist the extremists themselves from creating a lawless situation. But good sense prevails very rarely.
Let us keep on hoping for the best.
May 31st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Come and visit us in Manipur hills. We will receive you with open mind.
June 15th, 2008 at 8:36 am
An excellent exposition of the real ground situation. mainland India does not bother about the peripheral areas. It is deploring and can lead to huge problems.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:11 am
I am impressed by the simplicity and stinging humour in the article. People are so ignorant in main India about northeast. I thnik we are gradually losing the war of minds. Pity!