IT News
Imphal, June 15:
Member of Parliament from the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency today assures to urge the Ministry of External Affairs to take up schemes and projects for promotion and revival of the Manipur’s culture, traditions and language among the Manipuris who are now settling in Myanmar and have been treated as a citizen of the neighbouring country.
Talking in the webinar meet under the Title “International Webinar Manipuri Diaspora in Myanmar”, which begins from 9 am today, the MP from Inner Manipur MP, Dr. RK Ranjan shared his experiences with the Meiteis who have settled in the periphery of Mandalay city. According to him the Meiteis, who are now settling in parts of Myanmar, were talented artisans who were taken as war-captive by the Burmese army during seven years of devastation of Manipur (1819-1826).
Sharing his experienced while visiting Burma in the mid-2000s, RK Ranjan said that he had been told about the existence of 15 Meitei villages in the surroundings of Mandalay town. When visited the villages he found out that 11 villages had converted into Muslim village however, he could recognise the Meitei blood in them as, idol of lord Pangkhangba were seen worship by them.
“They could only said they are Meitei , but they have completely forgotten the Meitei language”, RK Ranjan said.
He added that at during the then general Newin, Meitei who are following Hindu religions are allowed to reside and when visited he witnessed the Meitei villages following the Manipuri Vaishnavite culture and also some working for culturing of the Meitei language.
Today, there are certain schemes and projects in the Ministry of External Affairs for the promotion of the Indian indigenous culture in other foreign countries and he appealed the Manipuri Diaspora to have a dig on it so that he at the capacity of the member of parliament will pursue the matter with the External affairs Ministry.
He further said that under some programme of the External Affairs Ministry University for promotion of the Indian culture can be established and such a move will not only benefit those Meitei but also will strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
Various cultural activists both from Myanmar and Manipur as well as from Tripura and other parts of the world joined the webinar. Myanmar intellectuals who spoke on the webinar share how they have been living in the country.
