Lesser Whistling-Duck (Tingi)
Posted by admin in Biodiversity, Ecology and Environment on February 4, 2010
By R.K. Birjit Singh
The most abundant water bird in Loktak (Photo: R.K. Birjit Singh)
The Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica, locally known as “Tingi” is the most abundant waterfowl species in Loktak wetland (IBA) also known as Indian Whistling Duck or Tree Duck. It is a resident, small whistling duck which breeds in South Asia and Southeast Asia. In other classification, it is also known as Lesser Whistling Teal. Although the species is resident bird, local migration can be seen due to flood and drought sitution of the habitat. As per hard time census data made available by GENIM & MASS and IBCN(BNHS), the highest number of population of this species can be observed at Khordak and Nongmaikhong area (NS – 24.438020 ; EO – 93.852100 ) and Birahari pat –Ningthoukhong area (NS – 24.60330 ; EO – 93.82550) of Loktak lake. Interestingly, local fisherman in and around the lake started domesticating this duck species. Read the rest of this entry »
Insurgencies in Manipur: politics & ideology
Posted by admin in Politics & Perspectives on January 28, 2010
By M.S. Prabhakara
Source: The Hindu
The people of Manipur had ‘histories’ and ‘memories’ that were longer and deeper than those of most other Indians when India attained independence.
Every time one travels to Manipur, one returns humbled. This has been the case since my first visit in the late 1960s, long before becoming a journalist. Active insurgency was not even on the horizon then though some resentment against ‘India’ was evident. Between 1983 when I joined this paper and mid-1994, I visited the State at least once every year — more than once during some years. In the last eight years I have returned four times. The feeling of inadequacy to confront and understand the complex situation in Manipur, the whys and wherefores of the insurgencies (the plural is advisedly used), the resilience of the ordinary people whose amazing creative energies thrive in the midst of all the pain and violence manifest in every walk of life, has only increased. Read the rest of this entry »
The Waterfowl species of Loktak Ramsar in Manipur (IBA)
Posted by admin in Biodiversity, Ecology and Environment on January 22, 2010
The Waterfowl species of Loktak Ramsar in Manipur (IBA)
Purple Moorhen (Umu) By R.K. Birjit Singh
Purple Moorhen P.Porphyrio (Photo: R.K. Birjit Singh)
Phubala Tourist Home is some 36 kilometers away from Imphal, the capital city of Manipur in the vicinity of Loktak Lake located at NS – 24.5350; EO – 93.765650 with an elevation of 775 meters above sea level (MSL) and it is the richest home of the Purple Moorhen (Porphyrio Porphyrio) locally known as Umu. No other part of Loktak Lake has such a good number of Purple Moorhen as seen in Phubala although the number and population had been dwindled during the last two decades. During our childhood days local fisherman’s used to catch and trap this water bird by using nets and a beam of lights to attract and dazzle the species during the night in many parts of the villages surrounding the lake such as Thinungei, Phubala, Naraseinya and Toubul. Most handsome catch was recorded at Thinungei and the roasted bird was sold at the local wine vendors of Moirang and Ningthoukhong. Read the rest of this entry »
India: Is Manipur Less Important Than Andhra?
Posted by admin in Politics & Perspectives on December 22, 2009
Press Release: Asian Human Rights Commission
Manipur, a state in the northeast of India is in national news since the past two decades. The state remains in news for all the wrong reasons. Stories from Manipur are not that of the miraculous economic growth the country has been achieving despite the worldwide recession. They have nothing to do with the information technology revolution which has contributed immensely to India’s claim to become a future superpower. Neither do these stories have anything to do with the democratic experiment that the country has undertaken with élan.
The stories from Manipur are that of despair. They are of extrajudicial executions, abductions by state agencies and armed insurgents, of custodial rape and that of torture. These stories have turned the citizens into hapless creatures, caught in a ruthless cycle of self reinforcing violence. Read the rest of this entry »
Time to Hit the Headlines
Posted by admin in Biodiversity, Ecology and Environment on December 5, 2009
Water! Water ! everywhere, but not a single drop to drink
By R.K. Birjit Singh
It is said that future war will be fought over water and whether it is the sun or the rain, water only hits the headlines under two conditions. Number one, when there is not enough of it and secondly, when there is excess of it, what is known as flood and drought. Whenever, there is flood and it is to be followed by drought. In fact, water is not hitting the headlines, but rather management (mismanagement)? We have had the scientific evidence that life on earth originated in water. Man can survive for weeks without food but not for days without water. Water is the most crucial single resource for the survival of human life and it cannot be replaced or substituted by any form. Read the rest of this entry »
The Last Geese
Posted by admin in Biodiversity, Ecology and Environment on December 3, 2009
By R.K. Birjit Singh
The Last Geese
It is a gloomy early morning of the 1st week of November, 2008. A fine drizzle and low cloud cover the countryside. There is no sign of the moon or stars in the sky. Nothing is visible to the eye. Yet regularly, high-pitched sounds pierce the silence of the night. It is the sound of Barhooded Goose carrying winter in their back migrating from Siberia and Aral Sea through the routes of Mongolia and Chinese-Turkestan for wintering at Loktak lake. Every year they never fail to reach Loktak in this part of the month. The season is the good time for enjoying the meat of the migratory birds wintering in Loktak lake by the local people in and around the lake. Although the number is drastically reduced and some of them are included in the “Rare” category of the species survival commission of IUCN, it is still available in our flooding local wind vendors in and around Thinungei, Moirang, Kumbi, Nongmaikhong, Thanga, Keibul etc. The hectic activities of “AMADA”, “CADA” cannot stop these local vendors, and the young minds are determined to enjoy the petty flesh of these migrating birds. It becomes a trademark of “Owners Pride and Neighbours Envy”. “Come on Yaar, they have paat uchek and huisa”. They are popular as much as that of Chinese “Peking Duck” served at the various restaurants of Sanghai and Beijing. Secretly and silently a number of young customers are flocking around the local wine vendor where roasted Paat Uchek are available.Most of the time these birds are made available only to those recognized and trusted customers. Read the rest of this entry »
UPSURGING YOUTHS IN THE LAND OF DARKNESS
UPSURGING YOUTHS IN THE LAND OF DARKNESS
Games and sports as the saving Grace
By P. Milan Khangamcha
Source: Souvenir, published in commemoration of ‘All India Inter University Judo (M/W) Tournament 2008-09’ hosted by Manipur University.
Asian Boxing Championship gold medalist Mayengbam Suranjoy being received at the Tulihal airport in Imphal. Photo: IFP
In the light of the ensuing All India Inter-University Judo (MIW) Toumament-2008 – 2009, to be held during December 25-30, 2009 at the premises of Manipur University it is quite heartening to have given this opportunity to reflect upon the state of affairs pertaining to the contributions ade by various talented sports persons of this tiny state. That the said events are held every year under the aegis of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi and are hosted and organized by different universities, and this year end the above tournament is to be organized by Manipur University provide this writer certain foods for thought. Read the rest of this entry »
Waiting on grassy floats
Posted by admin in Biodiversity, Ecology and Environment on October 24, 2009
By N Kalyani
The Sangai is a unique and rare deer found in one place in the world — in the state of Manipur; in its wetland habitat, the Loktak pat, in the Loktak lake. An approximately 300 sq km waterbody, the lake is the largest fresh water source of the North East that was declared, in 1990, as a Ramsar Site, a wetland of international importance.
Imphal-based Thoudam Brajabidhu Singh captures the endangered Sangai, the Manipur brow-antlered deer, in the wild, in his documentary titled Sangai: A Vanishing Deer of Loktak. The director has to his credit more than 80 tele-plays and documentary films, and has won numerous accolades and awards.
The 23-minute film showcases Manipur’s picturesque landscape and vegetation and also portrays the cultural, social and economic aspects of the Manipuris that is yoked to the Loktak. The Loktak lake, 40 km away from Manipur’s capital city of Imphal, is fed directly or indirectly by about 45 rivers and streams that emanate from the nine hill ranges that surround Manipur, making it a perennial water body. Read the rest of this entry »
When We dead Awaken: Another Masterpiece of Ratan Thiyam
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on October 24, 2009
By Meghachandra Kongbam
Ratan Thiyam
Well-known theatre director-actor M.K.Raina once remarked, “ Ratan’s plays are strongly rooted in a local context. The classical Manipuri dance and tribal martial arts, accompanied by local costumes, have shown us that if we tap into our local traditions in the right way, the world will listen to us.”
Ratan Thiyam himself strongly believed that aping western traditions in Indian theatre would not be called Indian theatre. Only regional performing arts traditions which were very rich in India could enliven Indian Theatre.
That is why he had intensified in inviting local performing arts Gurus from all nook and corner of the country to teach the local traditions to the students of National School of Drama, New Delhi while he was the Director of the premier theatre institution of India in 1987-88.
He is a great dreamer of aesthetics as well as a great communicator who is able to visualize the meaningful aesthetics to the varied audience with a great impact.
Ratan Thiyam once stated that he had always endeavoured to create all the pieces of local performing arts in a classic or refined form when it had been fabricated to his plays.
When we dead awakenNo one can stop his amazing visual aesthetics in the plays. His latest production-WHEN WE DEAD AWAKEN which was premiered on December 17 at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi here during the Delhi Ibsen Festival from December 10-20, 2008 has again proved his more perfection in the field. He created the production of Henrik Ibsen’s play as if an Indian production emerging from the Manipuri soil. It was another masterpiece which could give an impact to the Norwegian audience and Indian audience as well. Read the rest of this entry »
IN THE CONFLUENCE OF CULTURES
Posted by admin in Art & Culture on September 11, 2009
B.I. Sharma
Source: Northeast Telegraph, Guest Column
Termed by Nehru as a jewel state, Manipur has the rare dignity of being the first to be liberated from British colonialism & a unique cultural amalgamation.
RasLeela. Photo by Amal Sanasam
A small community, with their unique and distinctive cultural heritage, living in the remote eastern corner of India, surrounded by hills, is perhaps not very familiar with the people outside the Northeast. However, the world outside has been fascinated by this little hill state of Manipur. Enamoured by the natural beauty of the state, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once said Manipur is really a “jewel state” of India (mani meaning jewel). The aerial view of Manipur during World War II prompted the Japanese to describe the state as “a flower on a lofty mountain”. Read the rest of this entry »
RETHINKING COLONIALISM*
By Thingnam Kishan Singh
*The article is an excerpt of the book written by the author which bears the same title. The book was released by the Manipur University Research Club (MURC).
Human history has not been an amiable narrative of peaceful coexistence and development. Throughout the various epochs, many politico-cultural trends have emerged and disappeared only to appear again in subtler and more complex forms and then proceed towards other transformation. Colonialism has been regarded as one of the most important politico-cultural phenomenon which will remain central in the history of mankind. Latent or manifest, colonialism has affected and continues to affect in one way or the other the whole human population at one point of time or the other. Responsible for the making unmaking of the world order, political, territorial alignments, misalignments and realignments, mapping and remapping of the globe, colonialism, with implications for both the coloniser and the colonised, reveals itself as a stark and blatant form of exploitation in every sense of the term.’
Read the rest of this entry »
CHIKIM-MEITEI Relationship
Posted by admin in Conflict and Ethnicity on July 14, 2009
SOCIO-CULTURAL TIES AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HILLS AND PLAIN IN MANIPUR
By Dr.(Mrs) Priyadarshni M. Gangte
Chapter 4
CHIKIM-MEITEI Relationship:
Of all Tibeto-Burman peoples the Meitei of Manipur were the people linguistically closest to the CHIKIM and they settled together as one group in the Chindwin Valley. Historical materials of the Meiteis have shown the presence of CHIKIM people in the Chindwin Valley after the beginning of the Christian era. Lehman in his book – The Structure of Chin Society: Urbana, 1963, puts the CHIKIM’s occupation of the area well into the middle of the first millennium A.D., in which period the Meiteis conquered the Andro-Sekmai group of people, who were inhabitants of present day Manipur.
Hudson has maintained that the Meiteis were descendents of surrounding hill tribes (T.C. Hudson : Op. cit; p.9). Their traditions have remained similar and even today they retain many customs of the hill people. He wrote, in 1900 that the organization, religion, habits and manners of the Meitei of two hundred years before were the same as the hill people (CHIKIM and Naga) of his own era. It is indeed an important observation and demands critical appreciation.
Some aspects of homogeneity between Meitei, Kuki and Naga
Posted by admin in Conflict and Ethnicity on July 13, 2009
SOCIO-CULTURAL TIES AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HILLS AND PLAIN IN MANIPUR
By Dr.(Mrs) Priyadarshni M. Gangte
Chapter 3
Some aspects of homogeneity:
In confirmation, their close affinity is still in manifestation in many aspects of the life-style of these people but for professing of Hinduism by the Meiteis which seemed to have pushed apart these homogeneous groups of Meiteis, Nagas and Kukis. Yet, it would be interesting if we can highlight some such life-cultures of affinity among them.
(1) Attention to genealogy : McCulloch, M. (1857 : pp.56-57 : Valley of Manipur) said,
“I have before noticed the circumstance of the Koupooees believing themselves to be occupying the sites of villages which once belonged to the southern tribes, and as this belief tallies with the Khongjai (Kuki) idea, … the latter had formerly occupied the position now occupied by the Koupooees (Kabuis). …They pay great attention to their genealogy, and profess to know the names of their Chiefs in succession from their leader out of the bowels of the earth…”
Similarly, he said of the Meiteis that the attention of these tribes to their genealogy is curious, and the circumstance of “… the Munniporees preserving in each family a “Mei-hou-rol” or genealogical tree is a coincidence of custom worthy of notice”. Such is an instance of cultural relationship of the people of Manipur without explanation in detail.
Meitei, Kuki and Naga Ethnonyms
Posted by admin in Conflict and Ethnicity on July 12, 2009
SOCIO-CULTURAL TIES AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HILLS AND PLAIN IN MANIPUR
By Dr.(Mrs) Priyadarshni M. Gangte
Chapter 2
Meitei, Kuki and Naga Ethnonyms :
Jhalajit, (Jhalajit, R.K., 1964 : p.14: A short history of Manipur, Imphal, 1964, p.14) said that whatever be the genesis of its derivation, the ethnonym, Meitei, was historically found to have been applied to the Ningthouja clan-dynasty founded by Nongda Lairen Pakhangba and other groups absorbed by this dynasty politically and integrated into its social structure.
It is interesting to note what Shimray has maintained, regarding the term, MEITHEI, it is derived from the Tangkhul dialect Meithei (Mei = fire, Thei = saw) (Shimray, W.A. Sothing: The Tangkhuls, Imphal, 2000, p.10). The Tangkhul legend indicates that at one point of time, one younger brother from the Tangkhul country retracted back to the valley (Shimray : Op. Cit; p.11) his departure from the hill the elder brother asked to signal his existence in the valley by lighting up a fire. So whenever the elder brother looked down from the hill and saw the fire in the valley he used to think of his brother and knew that his younger brother was still existing in the valley. And in course of time, the elder brother nick-named the people of his younger brother MEITHEI people (the letter ‘H” later omitted due to phonetical convenience). (Ibid).
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SOCIO-CULTURAL TIES AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HILLS AND PLAIN IN MANIPUR
Posted by admin in Conflict and Ethnicity on July 11, 2009
By Dr.(Mrs) Priyadarshni M. Gangte
Chapter 1
Introduction:
Lapiere R.T.(Sociology, McGraw, New York, 1946; p.68) said,
“Culture is the embodiment of customs, tradition, etc. of the learning of a social group over the generation”,
and so said, Melville F. Herskovits in his book on Cultural Anthropology (1955: p.3),
“Culture is the ways man has devised to cope with his natural setting and his social milieu; and how bodies of custom are learned, retained and handed down from one generation to the next”.
We may examine as to how far are the people of Manipur who can be broadly divided into Meitei, Kuki and Naga, living in the valley and the hills surrounding it are related or otherwise in consideration of their culture, tradition, customs, etc., more particularly so in view of the fact that while the Meiteis living in the valley profess Hinduism, the Kukis and the Nagas living in the hills surrounding the valley embrace Christianity.
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