In response to Lin Laishram’s irresponsible statement

By – NGAMKHEINGAKPA LUWANG

Secretary General

KANGLEIPAK KANBA LUP

It is with a heavy sense of disappointment that we are coerced to issue this Statement. It pertains to the recent statement issued by Ms Linthoingambi Laishram aka Lin Laishram daughter of Laishram Chandrasen Singh of Palace Compound, Wangkhei , Imphal. In a film  event hosted at Pune recently she had stated that the Manipuri Meiteis are also “Racists” by their own right. With this one statement she has justified the over 70 years of Cultural subjugation and racial attitude of the Indian Mainlanders towards not only the Manipuris but to the people of the entire North Eastern region of India. Her assertion was that the Meiteis are “Racists” because they use the term “Mayang” to describe “Mainland Indians”.

It is most unfortunate that she not only failed to understand the term Mayang but went further to misinterpret the meaning to heap insult upon the entire race into which she was born into.

For the kind information of Ms Lin Laishram Mayang is a collective term used by the Meiteis of Manipur to describe any Indian Mainlander  be it a Tamil from South India or a Sikh from  the North or a Maharashtrian from the West or a Bengali from the East. The term applied by the Mizos of Mizoram is “ Vhai” to connote the same meaning. The individual reference to a “Mayang” or a “ Vhai”  in person is Bhaiya or brother

What connotes racism is the fact that the  “Mayangs”  ranging from Bangalore to Delhi has been constantly using the term “ Chinky” ,”Momos” and more recently “Corona “ to describe the North-easterners. Perhaps if she had read the Newspapers she would have realised that a Manipuri Lady studying in Delhi University was spat upon with Pan( Kwadang) by a Mayang calling her Corona.. Will she justify this insult on the collective body of the North Easterners because she believes that we are “Racists”.

Racism as understood by sociologists is a specific cultural ideology invented to justify slavery  and other forms of systematic institutionalised inequality. It’s a very powerful instrument to frame a particular cultural group of race as superior to others. E.g. framing of Aryan race as  superiority to others such as Hitler’s Nazis upon the Jews in Germany, the Dravidians or Mongoloids in India. Racism   manifest in a variety of ways differences in culture perceived as superiority and inferiority, imperialism and political subjugation of a community in the name of law and order. E.g.. AFSPA Act in North East India.

We would like to inform Ms Lin Laishram that the Manipuri Society although conservative in nature is indeed very tolerant and that is the reason that no one murmured a word of protest when she exhibited her body almost full naked on the ramps of her modelling shows and silently we were proud of the fact that she got two supporting roles in the Bollywood productions of “Mary Kom” and “Rangoon”.

But that doesn’t mean that she can cross the line.It is akin to the Blacks of South Africa being termed as “Racists” or that of the Jews six millions of which were killed by the Hitler and his Nazis trying to establish Aryan Supremacy over them as also being Racists.

Having failed to get a response from her, we would like to inform Ms Lin Laishram that she should give an Unqualified apology to the people of Manipur and the rest of the North Eastern region within a week from now, failing which we regret to inform her that she would not be allowed to return to Manipur again till further notice. And she should also be prepared for a possible Police case to be filled against her for her  demeaning an entire race of people, namely the Manipuri Meiteis and the entire North Eastern people of the region as a whole.