ST Status Issue Reaches Manipur
Sanamahi Meeteis to demand ST status:
Imphal, Dec 16: A demand for granting of Scheduled Tribe status to the practitioners of the Meetei Sanamahi faith has now come up among a section of the community.
Resolutions to this effect were adopted during a general discussion organised on Sunday by the Lainingthou Sanamahi Thougal Kanglup, Mayai Loishang, Imphal, on the theme of “finding an appropriate description for the people’s self-understanding and identity of Meitei Sanamahi believers’’ held at the premises of Lainingkol Sanamahi Sanglen, Imphal.
The meet, following intense discussions, adopted the view that Sanamahi believers, being practitioners of indigenous religious traditions that go back to antiquity, should be properly treated as tribals, and resolved to pursue their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe list under the Constitution of India.
In this connection, it was also decided to submit representations to the President of India, the Prime Minister, and other concerned Central authorities, as well as the Governor of Manipur, the chief minister, and concerned state authorities.
An adhoc working committee has also been formed to pursue and coordinate efforts in this direction.
It was also resolved that in order to to spread awareness and build public support on the issue, various seminars, workshops and discussions should be organised. A people`s convention is to be also to be organised in this connection.
The discussions were presided over by O Menjor Khuman, luchingpurel, Lainingthou Sanamahi Thoubal Kanglup, while Ibotombi, amaiba ahal, Laishram Birachandra, donor, Foundation for University of Sanamahi Culture, Tongbram Wangambam, of Sanamahi Thougal Kanglup and L Umakanta, chief secretary, Foundation for University of Sanamahi Culture were also present on the dias.
Laishram Babloo of the University of Sanamahi Culture, gave the key note address, in which he noted that the north east region including Manipur is situated between two great traditions of Aryan Asia and Mongoloid Asia which is a major factor for the crisis of identity facing many of the communities.
He further noted that it was only since the British period that the region came to be associated with India politically, and lack of cultural relatedness, especially of ethnic culture, weakens the new political association, and racial and cultural differences have come to play a vital role in defining self identity.
Meitei Sanamahi believers are especially caught between the racial-cultural definition and the politico-administrative definition of their identity, being politically Indian and racially and culturally Mongoloid, and consciousness of the two differing identities is pulling on the people.
The problem of acceptance on the part of Aryan culture, and its socio-political system, and the problem of identitication on the part of the north easterners because of the underlying cultural diffrences underpin the identity problems, he said and asserted that Meetei Sanamahi believers may be rightly considered as tribals because of their cultural foreigness to Aryan cultural system.
Kangjia Gopal, W Chandrakumar, S Tomba Luwnag, Nongren Khomba, Oinam Nabakumar, S Pari Ahan, M Doren and S Taibanganba among other speakers also addressed the changing scenario of Meitei Sanamahi religion in the state.
Source: The Imphal Free Press
Another Story:
Imphal, Dec 16: A demand for granting of Scheduled Tribe status to the practitioners of the Meetei Sanamahi faith has now come up among a section of the community.
Resolutions to this effect were adopted during a general discussion organised on Sunday by the Lainingthou Sanamahi Thougal Kanglup, Mayai Loishang, Imphal, on the theme of “finding an appropriate description for the people’s self-understanding and identity of Meitei Sanamahi believers’’ held at the premises of Lainingkol Sanamahi Sanglen, Imphal.
The meet, following intense discussions, adopted the view that Sanamahi believers, being practitioners of indigenous religious traditions that go back to antiquity, should be properly treated as tribals, and resolved to pursue their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe list under the Constitution of India.
In this connection, it was also decided to submit representations to the President of India, the Prime Minister, and other concerned Central authorities, as well as the Governor of Manipur, the chief minister, and concerned state authorities.
An adhoc working committee has also been formed to pursue and coordinate efforts in this direction.
It was also resolved that in order to to spread awareness and build public support on the issue, various seminars, workshops and discussions should be organised. A people`s convention is to be also to be organised in this connection.
The discussions were presided over by O Menjor Khuman, luchingpurel, Lainingthou Sanamahi Thoubal Kanglup, while Ibotombi, amaiba ahal, Laishram Birachandra, donor, Foundation for University of Sanamahi Culture, Tongbram Wangambam, of Sanamahi Thougal Kanglup and L Umakanta, chief secretary, Foundation for University of Sanamahi Culture were also present on the dias.
Laishram Babloo of the University of Sanamahi Culture, gave the key note address, in which he noted that the north east region including Manipur is situated between two great traditions of Aryan Asia and Mongoloid Asia which is a major factor for the crisis of identity facing many of the communities.
He further noted that it was only since the British period that the region came to be associated with India politically, and lack of cultural relatedness, especially of ethnic culture, weakens the new political association, and racial and cultural differences have come to play a vital role in defining self identity.
Meitei Sanamahi believers are especially caught between the racial-cultural definition and the politico-administrative definition of their identity, being politically Indian and racially and culturally Mongoloid, and consciousness of the two differing identities is pulling on the people.
The problem of acceptance on the part of Aryan culture, and its socio-political system, and the problem of identitication on the part of the north easterners because of the underlying cultural diffrences underpin the identity problems, he said and asserted that Meetei Sanamahi believers may be rightly considered as tribals because of their cultural foreigness to Aryan cultural system.
Kangjia Gopal, W Chandrakumar, S Tomba Luwnag, Nongren Khomba, Oinam Nabakumar, S Pari Ahan, M Doren and S Taibanganba among other speakers also addressed the changing scenario of Meitei Sanamahi religion in the state.
Source: The Imphal Free Press
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