By- Prof. M C Arunkumar
The taste of colonialism is not always limited in the political circle, it is available in all the aspects of colonial society and colonized life. The colonialism is not only subjugation of the peoples but also of their mind and evaluation. The bitterest aspect of the taste of colonialism is accepting ‘everything of the colonial master is superior to our own’. Shakespearian stories became sweeter to the ears of spoiled children of colonialism, than the Moirangshai. Colonialism is not merely subjugation or conquering states; it is a process of reshaping the mind of the colonized peoples so that the latter accept themselves as inferior to the colonializing peoples and take themselves as a weak peoples who need protection of the colonial masters. This acceptance makes the colonized people accept every day the defeat of war which is not yet started. As a politically defeated people, the first generation of Manipur in colonial period did not accept that the British was a superior people. To the eyes of the Manipuris at that point of time, the British was inferior people occupying the status of being lower than the insects. Their sacred temple was abandoned because a couple of British officer entered the compound of the temple.
The study of Manipur Study was seriously started in a scientific way in and around the establishment of JNU, Imphal Centre (later converted to Manipur University in 1980). The first PhD thesis on a topic of modern Manipur was submitted by Dr L Chandramani to Guwahati University for PhD degree. Since then, many PhD theses were awarded; various scientific historical writings have been published by a number of historians, social scientists and many others. The sharp change in Manipur historiography is observed at two levels: one from historiography of traditional scholars and from Manipur’s mainstream history writing to periphery.
One of the authors who constantly writing on different aspects of Manipur history is Professor (retired) Naorem Joykumar Singh. He started working on the political status after the Chahi Taret Khundakpa, one of the debatable areas of Manipur history for his M Phil degree from JNU, Imphal centre. The limited sources of the time, though gave difficulty, could not defeat the young student of history in explaining the historical situation of Manipur just after the Khundakpa and beginning of British Political Agency. The work was opening of new horizon of historical research. In due course of time, he started to examine aspect of social and political problems such as insurgency, question of revitalization, Manipur as a nation state. Though started from the historical study of modern Manipur, Professor (retired) NaoremJoykumar felt the need of looking back to medieval and ancient Manipur in explaining various social and political realities of modern Manipur.
While explaining and interpreting the most ugly part of modern history which the State is undergoing since 3 May 2023, Professor (retired) Naorem Joykumar, with a heavy heart reading and re-reading the entire history of Manipur; the oral and written texts that tell the process of making Manipur through ages. With the want of a central authority, the nation is reduced to fragments of ethnic groups. His earlier work on ideas and history in Manipur was re-examined by himself. This explanation and interpretation of this ugly phase is written in his recent book, The Scribe and the Seeker.Like sociologist who described himself as “socialist in economics, a liberal in politics, and a conservative in culture,” Daniel Bell, Professor (retired) NaoremJoykumar who may be described as “a nationalist in commitment, federalist in politics following the idea of his guru Professor (retired) Gangmumei Kamei. Daniel Bell used the phrase “end of ideology” in describing the end of 19th and early 20th century ideologies and in explaining the necessity of new ideology for the world to come. Professor (retired) NaoremJoykumar pointed used the phrase “end of an era” after a series of question and answer on Manipur history. An era ends; subtly Professor (retired) Naorem Joykumar hints to start a new political arrangement as the older system is no longer suitable for Manipur’s ongoing problem.