Status of Education among Meitei Pangals

By – Dr. Makakmayum Baadshah
The focus of the study here is about the initiation of modern education among the Meitei Pangals (Manipuri Muslims) from the inception of modern or western education, not about the religious education in Manipur. It will be summed up here when Matriculation examination, 10+2 examination, B.A./B.Sc, L.M.P./M.B.B.S. examination etc. were first appeared and passed among the Meitei Pangals and this benchmark needs to be compared with examinees and successful candidates from other communities in the case of first matriculates for the case study here. This shows that higher education and employment is still comparatively lacking among the Pangals.
Before the coming of the British and start of modern education in Manipur, the patterns of education among the communities were not very systematic and up to date. Johnstone School was first established at Imphal in 1885 by Sir James Johnstone. The first Matriculate pass among all Manipuris was Wahengbam Yumjao Singh in 1909 from this school appearing under the Board of Calcutta University. The first Matriculates among Pangals were Dr. Abdul Ali Makakmayum of Lilong and Raushan Ali Nongjaimayum of Keikhu in 1920 who together appeared from Sylhet Government High School under the Calcutta University. Rungsung Suisa (1907-1971) from the Tangkhul Naga was among the first tribals of Manipur to have passed the Matriculation and went on to become a member of Manipur State Durbar.
Abdul Ali after passing the matriculate in 1920 went for medical education to Berry White Medical College, Dibrugarh where he got the admission in the same year and undertook a five year medical college till 1924 for what was then known as the License for Medical Practice (LMP) since MBBS was not existent till then which started from 1956 only. Thus Abdul Ali became the first Graduate in Medical Science in 1924 and became a State Doctor of Manipur in 1925 till his death in 1956, the year of his retirement. Dr. Abdul Ali established the Abdul Ali Middle English Junior Government Madrassa at Lilong Bazar in 1942 and was recognised and registered as such by the Inspector of Schools of Manipur in 1944. While Raushan Ali became a Veterinary Doctor of Manipur after further studies in this field.
The next Matriculate, i.e., the third Matriculate was Muhammed Waliullah Khutheibam of Khetrigaon who passed matriculate in 1923 and became the second Graduate among the Meitei Pangals in 1928-29 and Waliullah went on to become the Durbar Member of Manipur during the British Period. Waliullah also established the Faiza M.E. School at Minuthong in the year 1935-36.
Mirza Abdul Hakim Makakmayum of Lilong was the first Civil Engineer (B.SC.) from the Annamalai University in 1958-59. Abdul Hakim did matriculation in 1951 from the Churachand High School under Gauhati University, then completed the I.E. (Intermediate Education) or 10+2 from the Cotton College of Gauhati under the Gauhati University, further did one year B.SC. course from City College of Calcutta under Calcutta University in 1955, and completed the B.SC. in Civil Engineering from the Annamalai University in the year 1959, and during his student career received a scholarship from the Ohio University of United States of America in 1953.
The first I.A.S. officer of Manipur from the UPSC was from the Meitei Pangal community named Halim Choudhury who became the Deputy Commissioner (D.C.) of Imphal valley district (Central District) in the year 1974. Halim Choudhury mentioned that the first pioneers mentionable among the Pangals were four individuals namely Dr. Abdul Ali Makakmayum, Muhammed Alimuddin Phundreimayum (first became an MLA in 1948, became the first Chief Minister of statehood Manipur in the year 1972 till 1974), Muhammed Waliullah Khutheibam, Abdul Kadir Khullakpam of Lilong who worked hard to spread modern education among the community, uplift the society, encouraged girls and women to seek modern and higher education, to bring employment among them and they were also philanthropists.
Yet in the present time, as seen from statistical data and comparative study from various fields, it is very apparent that Meitei Pangal community are lacking in higher education and employments in various departments as compared to the Meiteis, Kukis and Nagas.
(The author is Ph.D in Management from JJT University, Rajasthan in 2022)