HOI POLLOI & MUNDANITY by Yenning

  Mera Wayungba - In the month of Mera on November 17 2013 :: Pix - Ashok Ningthoujam Folklore plays a significant role in uncovering our origins by offering valuable insights into the beliefs, customs, and traditions of our ancestors. It provides a window into the collective memory of a community or culture, enabling us to comprehend their values, history, and worldview. Tangkhul folklore on the origin of the Meiteis holds significant insights into the historical connection between these two communities, as American folklorist Alan Dundes noted in “Interpreting Folklore” (1980). Dundes emphasized that folklore is not merely a collection of old stories and customs, but a dynamic process of oral communication that reflects the changing times in which people live. Tangkhul folklore, encompassing legends, myths, and proverbs, carry symbolic meanings and specific social functions, offering a deeper understanding of our origins and cultural heritage. In this edition of “Hoi Pollo...

We stayed at the IFAD Guest House in Chingjaroi Christian Village (CV) for a two-day heritage walk in October 2015. This cluster of three villages, Chingjaroi Khullen (mother village), Chingjaroi CV, and Chingjaroi Khunou, is in the Raphei (northern) region of Ukhrul district. We were drawn to its unique Tangkhul traditional house architecture and the blend of traditional and modern social structures, particularly in Chingjaroi Khullen, where the Chief of the sister villages reigns. The area also offers stunning attractions like Asezakasha Khra Waterfalls, Akarow tiger den, Chingjaroi Green Village of CV, and Japan Kafulokadeu, a hilltop used during World War II. Our main focus was the rock monuments exclusive to this Tangkhul village. From Khullen, one can enjoy picturesque views of distant Poumai villages like Pauma and Paomata. Legend says Chingjaroi was founded by Resu, who received revelations from Kazing Ngalei Kasa Akhava, the Creator of heaven and earth. In a dream, the Alm...

Despite the belief held by some Kuki intellectuals that the Meities are determined to bring destruction upon others (especially Kukis), historical evidence presents a contrasting narrative. The Meiteis have a lengthy history, although not since ‘time immemorial’, of assuming the moral responsibility to resist unjust Governmental policies or practices that affect the Manipur society. It is important to note that there is no historical record of the Meities purposefully engaging in ethnic cleansing or acting against the interests of other communities in Manipur. Collective existence is what the Meiteis stands for. That’s why they prioritise Manipur’s integrity. Let’s revisit the Naga-Kuki clash from 1992 to 1997, during which violence literally obliterated the two communities’ existence. In that humanitarian crisis, Meities made efforts to save lives. They organised the COFPAI (Committee for Peace and Integrity, Manipur), where several Meiteis joined forces and ventured into the remote r...

Today, I met an elderly lawyer, Ukil Tangang, from Imphal, to discuss a case related to sedition concerning one of my friends. Folks call him “Sedition Expert”. He humbly admitted that in the 1980s and 1990s, there were very few lawyers in Manipur who would represent the para-military forces and the State police in human rights violation cases. He shared, “Cases trickled to us only by the grace of close friends, mostly police officers. And every Sunday, we had to treat them at Kakhulong – Yu, Ouk and other sundry items – costing us about Rs 20 to 40 at the most. Nevertheless, we owed them for the meagre cases. Since then, we’ve been representing the forces when they’re cornered”.  A thin and lanky man, he had a soothing voice but shrill enough to beat the rhythm of the tempestuous June rain falling over his family’s 100-year-old Man-dop (so he says). I could visualise him in a Courtroom arguing cases passionately, at times waking up the Magistrate with sonorous shrills. Covering hi...