Okram Ibobi Singh asks Manipuris in Myanmar to preserve culture

IMPHAL: Expressing his happiness after meeting Manipuris settled in Myanmar, chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh has requested them to preserve their culture and live as Manipuris.

During the Burmese invasion known as ‘Cahi Taret Khuntakpa’ (seven years of devastation from 1819-1826), a large number of Manipuris fled their erstwhile “nation” and settled in several parts of the northeast, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

According to U Htun Shwe aka Sunder Sharma, a prominent Meitei elder of Myanmar, about 20,000 Manipuri Meities are living in Mandalay and its surrounding areas.

After meeting Manipuris on Thursday, Okram said his government, with the approval of the Indian government, would send a Manipuri cultural troupe in the region to promote the state’s culture. Stating that a centre of Myanmar studie has been opened in Manipur University, Okram invited the Manipuris in Myanmar to study in the varsity in Imphal.

Okram, who is on his Myanmar tour to promote business links, said the Mandalay-Imphal Bus service would start by 2016 and visa on arrival facilities for Myanmarese nationals would be made available at Manipur’s border town Moreh.

During the meeting, Sunder Sharma, on behalf of the Manipuri community in Mandalay, said, “In 75 years, it was the first visit of a top Manipuri leader in Myanmar. Hijam Irabot of the Nikhil Manipuri Mahasabha paid a visit in 1933 under the patronage of Manipur King Churachand Singh.”

There are about 20,000 Manipur Meitieis living in Mandalay and its nearby areas, he added. They organize all Manipuri festivals such as Cheiraoba, Kang (Rath Yatra) and Jhulon, he said.

Manipuris in Myanmar are occupying various important posts in Myanmar. Some of them are doctors, engineer and army officials, while others are employed in foreign countries like Singapore, Malaysia, England and USA. “But we are lagging behind in language, literature and cultural aspects. Most of the youngsters cannot read, write and speak Manipuri language. Our identity is absorbed in other communities due to the policy of our country,” he lamented.

Stating that they are committed to helping the Indian people to do their business in Myanmar, Sharma expressed after meeting Okram Ibobi Singh and his delegation. Noted film maker Aribam Syam Sharma’s award winning Manipuri film ‘Ishanou’ (The Chosen One) was also screened at the historic occasion. The film was the country’s official selection for the Cannes Film Festival in 1991.

Okram Ibobi Singh asks Manipuris in Myanmar to preserve culture