Manipur gi Puwari amasung Meeyam gi Puwari (People’s History)

“Puwari ayamba angam-athou singbu wangna thangatnaba amasung makhoigi kananaba eekhiba ngaktani.” (1)

—  Eric Hobsbawm (1998, 267) gi wareng “On History from Below”

Manipur gi puwari hairaga eikhoina ngasi khangnariba asi karamba Meitei ningthou amagi matungda karamba Meitei ningthou ama pankhi haibasini. Ningthou amagi matamda ningthou aduga mari leinaba karamba thoudok sing thokkhi, makhoi na leibakki damakta kari karamba thabak sing tourammi haiba aduni. Khudam oina hairabada meetingu Loiyumba gi matamda lallup pathap semlammi haina hainei, meetingu Pamheiba gi matamda Awa da landaduna lanfa kaya purakkhi amasung meeyam gi laining hongdokhankhi, meetingu Chingthangkhomba gi matamda Awa na chathakhiba meeot meenei singbu mahakna luchingduna thengnakhi amasung Hindu laining bu chaokhatnaba hotnakhi haibana chingba sing asina puwari gi tangkak sing oina eenari. Tangkak sing asida meeyam na kari charamee, meeyam karamna hinglamee, ningthou amasung angam athou sing duna meeyam da karamba lichat chatli, karamba meeot meenei chathei haiba na chingba thoidokna maru oina lounade. Meeyam amasung angam athou sing gi marakta muknaba, meeyam da chathakhiba meeot meenei sing, angam athou sing gi ludaba leechat sing adubu natheiba puwari ngaktana namna leibak asigi puwari oina eenari. Eeriba puwari sing asi ningthou amasung angam athou sing gi mityeng dagi makhoi gi nungai yaifa, matik mangam, awa ana neinabani. Puwari da maru oibani haiduna pallamliba thoudang sing, thoudok wathok sing asi angam athou sing gi mityeng dagi neinaba ngaktani, angam athou sing bu thagattuna eebana ayambani. Meeyam gi matang di eyao yaodare. Meeyam di adum makhoigi matung enbani haina louduna meeyam gi oiba mityeng adudi puwari eebada singthanade.

Manipur gi Puwari Makhal Ani

Manipur da eenariba puwari asi chaorakna makhal ani thokna khaidokpa yai — integrationist history amasung national history. Kun suba chahi cha da Bharat amasung Manipur ani asigi puwari sing asi punsinba yaanaba lamdam sigi lairik laisu heiba sing na hotnakhi. Makhoina Bharat amasung Manipur ariba matam dagi tatna thana yadraba mari lei haidana utnaba Manipur hairiba lamdam asi Bharat ki ariba puran singda yaowi haiduna eeba hourakkhi. Puwari makhal asibu eikhoina integrationist history haina kouba yai. Manipur bu Bharat ta tinsinba (integration) yanaba eekhiba history asi Manipur na India gi phibanungda changlaba matung da Manipur gi “official” oiba history oirakkhi (Parratt 2017, 157). Puwari makhal asigi matangda panba yabadi Meitei gi hourakfam neinabada Arjun na Manipur da laklami haina Mahabharata ta yaowi amasung Meitei sing Arjun gi chada nouda ni haiba asina yumfam oiduna eeba puwari sing ni. Panba yaba integrationist historian sing di Phurailatpam Atombabu amasung Rajkumar Jhallajit na chingba ni.

Integrationist historian singna eeba puwari gi yumfam oiriba Manipur amasung Bharat ki mari asibu lalle hainduna kun suba chahi cha gi anisuba tangkak ta thoklakkhiba historian singna yetpa hourakkhi. Matam aduda nouna thoklakliba historian sing asigi pandam di integrationist historian sing asina sagatliba Meitei gi hourakfam asi lalli, Mahabharat ki Arjun na Manipur da laklammi haibasi aranba wafam ni amasung Manipur asi Bharat ta tindringei mamangda maningtamba ningthou panba leibak amani haina utpa asini (2). Integrationist history gi mayokta lepliba puwari, Manipur asi maning makha tamna ningthou panlamba maromdom lepcharamba leibak ni haina utpa puwari sing asibu eikhoina national history kouba yai. National history eerakpana maram oiduna Manipur gi oiba toptoppa amasung Bharat ta gi tonganba saktam amadi puthokpa ngamle.

Manipur gi national history sida eikhoina neinaribasi Meitei gi hourakfam amasung Meitei emung amana ningthou oina panduna leibak asi karamna semgatlakhi haibasini. Manipur da leiriba phurup ama ani gi matang da pallabasu leibak asigi national history da thoidokna makhoi gi matang da neinaba thengnade. Maram asina national history asisu Meitei phurup na yumfam oiduna (Meitei-centric oiba) leeba puwari oina ngasisu adumak touri. Matang asida panba yaabadi  puwari gi machak oiba yaaba ayeeba langla langjin leite haiduna  phurup kharadi makhoigi puwari leite haibana chingba wafam su leitaba natte. Meitei gi oinadi areeba lairik, puya, sing leibana maram oiduna puwari leiba haibasi ayeeba langla langjin sing leiba haina khannei. Puwari leite haibaga puwari gi machak oiba yaaba ayeeba langla lanjin leite haibaga khennei. Puwari leitaba phurup amafaoba leite.  Phurup amagi chinhai wari (oral literature) singbu neinaduna masidagi karamna puwari gi langla langjin oiba yaba machak sing louthokani haiba adu Jan Vansina (1965) hairiba Belgian historian asina magi lairik Oral Tradition: A Study in Historical Methodology asida kupna sugaina takli. Masida natte matam amada Manipur gi yelhoumee phurup pangal sing asi Manipur leibak asi semgatlakpada  karigumba thoudang amata loukhiba leite haiba wakhalon amaga loinana yengbasu leitaba natte. Leibak asi sembada pangal gi thoudang sing adugi masing thiduna takpa lairik kaya ama phongduna makhoina leibak asigi damak kari tourammi haibadoh utkhi. Leibak asida kuina khundaduna leiriba phurup pumnamak lamdam asigi puwari da makhoi gi saruk adumak yaoragani haiba wakhal asi khanba ngamdaba historian sing su adumak leitaba natte.

Pabiyu: Notes on Cheitharon Kumpapa, 1500-1550 CE

Meeyamgi Puwari amasung Manipur

Mathakta pankhiba puwari makhal ani, integrationist history amasung national history, asida leibak asigi sotharaba phurup sing amasung chahi cha kaya dagi ningthou, angam athou, meetop singna namthaduna lakliba meeyam sing asigi matangda kari yaobage haiba wahang asini. Winston Churchill na matam amada hairamba puwari haibasi athoiba singna eebani (history is written by victors) hairiba wafam asi ngaihak leitana puwari gi wahanthok oina panbasu  thengnadaba natte. Makhoi na hai puwari asi athoiba meeyoi singna makhoi gi mityeng adubu ethokpani. Masina puwari gi achumba wahanthok oiba yarabara ? Madu oirabadi Manipur gi puwari India gi puwari da yaode haidana ningdon pomningai maram leite. Matam amada maithiduna punsi lomkhraba meeyam gi lamyanba sing gi khongjang sing neinarubagi mathou tabara haibagi wahang ama lakadouri. Maithikhraba, namthabikharaba meeyoi sing gi puwari leite, puwari haibasi athoiba singna eebani haina khannaramba wakhanlon adu hongdoktuna meeyam gi puwari (people’s history) haina khangnaba tonganba makhal gi puwari ama kun suba chahi cha na tangkhai challakpa matung da eeba hounarakkhi. Meeyam gi puwari di angam athou sing gi mityeng da gi eeba puwari natte, meeyam gi mityeng da gi, makhoigi maikei da leptuna, makhoigi michang da eegadouribani. 

Pabiyu: Review of N Birachandra’s Seven Years Devastation

Puwari eeba singna achumba langla langjin thidoktuna maduna machak oiduna puwari ama semgatkadouribani adubu eeriba puwari asi kanagi mityeng dagi kanagi michang da leptuna eeribano haiba wahang sing su khannaba hourakkhi. Leiriba machak (sources) sing amasung karamba thoudok wathok singna maru oina lougani, karamba mawong da puwari eegani haibadudi puwari eeriba meeyoi aduna kanagi maikei da, kanagi mayokta leptuna puwari asi ee haibaduna lepkani. Manipur da eenariba puwari sing asigi matang da panba yaba, hanjin hanjin na yaoba wafam, amadi leibak asida honglakkhiba sing asigi maru oiba maramdi ningthou gi emung manung, makhoigi machin manao khatnabanani haiba asini. Khudam oina hairabada Manipur da pangal phurup lakkhibagi puwari da meetingu Khakemba gi macha nupa ani, Chingsompa amasung Sanongpa ani khatnabagi wari aduna maram oiduna lakkhibani haina hainei. Matam aduda lakkhiba mayang (cachar) lanmee marakta yaorakpa pangal khunek lanmee ( mercenaries) sing adugi punsi marel, makhoi gi awa ana, makhoina khunek lanmee oirakhiba gi maram, mayang singna makhoida yengba mityeng gi matangda neinabadi puwari sing da ewat watpadouna ngasisu touri. Khudam amana tara mapal suba chahi cha da Awa na thokhankhiba khuntakpa adugi matangda neinabadasu adumak Meitei ningthou macha sing muknaba na maru oiba maram oina adumak lounari. Mayam na khangnaribasi meetingu Pamheiba na Awa da landarubagi makhoina amuk ngamlakpa matamda laman khumlakpani haiba asini. Meeyam gi oiba mityeng da gi yengba matam da thokliba khuntakpa sing adugi top toppa maram sing chongthoklakani.  Awa lamda meenai naithang oikhraba meeoi sing adugi punsi marel dusu enei neinabide. Matam duda Awa leibak ta chatnaramba Ahamudan hairiba pathap asida , lallup pathap kumna, meenai loiba mathou tai, maram asina Imphal tampak ki meeyam bu phaduna makhoi gi lamda meenai naithang oihannaba landarakpani haiba asina khuntakpagi khwaidagi maru oiba maram ni haina louba yai. Imphal tampak ki meeyam singbu faaduna puraga Awa lam da meenai oihanduna makhoi gi senmitlon chaokhatnaba hotnabani haiba hiram asidi thoidokna neinaba thengnade. Awa na landarakliba asigi senmitlon gi oiba maram sing adu natheiduna yengbagi hounabi asi puwari eeba singda ngasisu leiri. Adubu masi natheiduna ningthou masen muknaba, makhoigi machin manao khatnaba na  khwaidagi chaoba maram oina puthoklaga neinari. Matang asida panba yaba amana, Howard Zinn (1980, 9 ) na mahakki A People’s History of United States ta asumna eeri: 

Leibak amagi puwari bu emung amagi puwari oina puthokpa asina leibak adugi manungda leiriba, mapu amasung meenai sing, senjao paiba amasung lairaba, phurup singi marakta leiba muknaba sing, yanadaba sing adu namsinduna lotsilli. (3)

Ningthou gi emung manung khatnaba asidi Manipur da pallamba ningthou khaktagi wa natte. Mafam pumnamakta ningthou gi emung manung amasung angam athou sing thang satnakhidaba leite. Matang asida eikhoina ningsingadabadi Manipur haina eikhoi na houjik khangnariba lam asi kun suba chahi cha gi mamangda Meitei ningthou gi emung manung-gi maranai gi oiba lan (private property) ni. Makhoina tanthokningba mee tanthokpa yai, hatningba mee hatpa yai, muthatningba phurup sing tumna muthatpada, mee-ot meenei chathabada kananasu laklaga thingbigadouba natte. Matam adugi leingakon adubu yengduna puwari neinabada eikhoina khangba mathou tariba machak sing adudi: Leiramliba asi meeyam gi leibak natte, Meetingu gi maranai oiba lan ni. British na laktringei mamangi oiba meeyam gi puwari ama sagatke hairabadi ningthou panba khunai gi mawong amasung angam-athou amasung ningthou sing gi mayokta leikhiba ehou na chingba sing adu puthoktuna neinaba mathou tai. 

Notes:

(1)   Eric Hobsbawm (1997, 267) na asumna hai “most history in the past was written for the glorification of, and perhaps for the practical use of rules.”  

(2)   Naorem (2015, 14-17) amasung Kamei (2015, 17-19)

(3)   Howard Zinn (1980, 9) na asuma hai “the history of any country, presented as the history of a family conceals fierce conflicts of interest (sometimes eroding, most often repressed) between conquerors and conquered, masters and slaves, capitalist and workers, dominators and dominated in race and sex.”

Reference

Parratt, John. 2017. “Atombapu Sharma and the Religious Roots of Integrationism in Manipur.” In Collected Papers on the History and Culture of Manipur. Patriotic Writers Forum Manipur. 

Hobsbawn, Eric. 1997. “On History from Below.” In On History. Abacus. 

Naorem, Joykumar. 2015. Emergence of Manipur as a Nation State. Akansha. 

Kamei, Gangumei. 2015. History of Manipur: Pre-colonial Period. Akansha.