Bishnupriya Manipuri Online

By  Ramlal Sinha Guru Hari Charan Singha At the age of 78 with perforated eardrums (due to old age), he still browses through books and writes day in day out as he is determined to write a complete book on Classical Manipuri dance and music including all its aspects and forms. His yet-to-be accomplished mission prevents one from terming this period of his life as a fag-end as he is very much on the job for which he had dedicated his entire life. He is crystal clear when he says: "Throughout my over 50 years of teaching, I badly felt the necessity of a complete book on classical Manipuri dance and music. I don't want students pursuing this classical dance form to suffer any more." The great personality I am talking about is Meghalaya Day-cum-U-Tirhot Sing Award winner Guru Hari Charan Singha who had made deep inroad into his life-long teaching & research of Manipuri dance. In an interview with The Sentinel at his rented residence at Lower Nongrim Hills in Shill

Special Correspondent SILCHAR, Aug 17: Bishnupriya Manipuri Farmers’ Association (BMFA), Cachar district, has demanded inquiry into large scale malpractices involved in the selection of beneficiaries for distribution of government grant in aid provided to Bishnupriya Manipuri Development Council in a memorandum addressed to the Minister of WPT and BC, Guwahati, and submitted through the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar on Tuesday. The catalogue of allegations as detailed by the president Ranjit Sinha of the Association included the government fund to the council to take up socio-economic development works. Besides, the memorandum alleges that under this grant in aid, beneficiaries were selected showing different schemes without making any announcement in this regard in the local media in accordance with the government guidelines. This violation of the norms deprived a large number of people belonging to below poverty line from availing themselves of the grant. The selection list, it fur

By our Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, Aug 16: The Bishnupriya Manipuri Writers’ Forum (BMWF), Guwahati, has decided to hold the International Bishnupriya Manipuri Literary and Cultural Festival in Guwahati in September this year. The decision was taken at the general meeting of the Forum held on August 15, 2011 with its president and noted writer DILS Lakshmindra Sinha in the chair. The meeting was hosted by Forum’s advisor Advocate Bimalesh Sinha. According to BMWF acting general secretary Sanjib Sinha, the two-day international festival will be participated by a number of litterateurs and a drama troupe from Bangladesh, besides writers and artistes from Tripura and Assam. The Forum has decided to meet again on August 21, 2011 in order to form the reception committee for the festival. BMWF’s acting general secretary further said: “The meeting had a detailed discussion on various issues concerning the Bishnupriya Manipuri community. In a resolution taken at the meeting, the Forum has than

Tushar Arjun “ Mera nam hein Tushar Arjun, mein Gauhati se hu ” said playback singer from Assam Tushar Arjun in Colors TV programme India's Got Talent Season 3. Donning a jeans and a trendy T-shirt with gamocha around his head, Tushar Arjun appeared in front of celebrity judges Dharmendra, Kiran Kher, and Sonali Bendre. He seemed to be very pleasing with his smile and started singing the hit Hindi song of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan “ Tu na jaane aas paas hai khuda ” from the movie Anjaana Anjaani, a Hindi romantic film directed by Siddharth Anand, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Zayed Khan. [Watch Tushar Arjun Performance in India's Got Talent Season 3 ] Though he failed to give justice to the Hindi song, his Assamese song was well appreciated by the judges and the public alike. Tushar broke out into tears when Kiran Kher while replying to Sonali Bendre’s observation that children perform better than him, said ‘ baccho mein confidence hota hein,…zindagi ne unhe

By RK Rishikesh Sinha (views are personal) The greatest advent of the 21st century is that all and sundry Ram, Shyam, Jodhu, Modhu questions, criticise, likes, and comments relentlessly. However, in this cacophony, things become distasteful when he or she fails to respect the intellect of our ancestors. You and I have heard; even read innumerable times, that due to our ancestors inherent problems like dola-doli, lack of unity, weak role in the then political set up, lack of historical records, we the Bishnupriya  Manipuris, are counted in the backward community bracket in India. In opposite to it, in this hullabaloo, we forget that it is due to our ancestors’ farsightedness, ingenuity, and intellect, that we, the Bishnupriya Manipuris, are still thriving (‘existing’) and progressing. It is only due to their better understanding of the time in which they lived, that today I am writing, and you are reading this piece. Things get more bizarre and painful, when the comparison parameter

By RK Rishikesh Sinha (Opinions are personal) The linguistic and ethnic minorities occupy a significant place in democracy. Their empowerment in terms of participation in political processes, ability to avail of the distributive justice, security, freedom, equality, etc., is indicative of level of success of a democracy. And north-east India, which have been witnessing the political movements for self-determination — autonomy movements, secessionist movements, insurgencies — assume special significance. In this context, Bishnupriya Manipuri group, whose population is smaller in comparison to the other majority group both in Assam and Tripura, is a case in point— as members of the group doesn’t speak the language of majority in both the states, lack the power of political mobilization, and fear extinction of their cultural and linguistic identity. In the mainstream India, where north-east struggles to find a place, the state and affairs of the linguistic minority, the Bishnupriya Ma

By Rebati Mohan Sinha To the news report, “ Bishnupriya Manipuri bodies NBMSU & BMSP call for Consensus on formation of BMDC ”, I reserve some opinions. Since the BMDC came into being and this group did not get even a membership in the ten-member committee, they are now desperate and running from pillars to post for their own benefit, even they went and shook their hands with their rivals like Mahasabha.  Although nothing was written about consensus in this news item and at the same time NBMSU and BMSP cannot be termed as Bishnupriya Manipuri bodies as they claimed. These, so-called organizations never had even their Annual General Meeting (AGM) any time with an Audited Report, and simply managed by a very few individuals, namely Shri Anil Krishna Rajkumar, Shri Gopidas Sinha, Shri Sameer Sinha and Shri Subal Sinha. During the year 2010 and first half of 2011, their names were never been appeared in print media, due to BMDC’s ongoing feud. Now, they have raised again

Ritwick Sinha Children's Corner Ritwick Sinha, a student of class-V, Don Bosco Senior Secondary School, Guwahati, has bagged the third rank in Assam in the 4th International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) organized by the Science Olympiad Foundation. With an international rank of 338 in the Maths Olympiad held in 2010-11, he was awarded a medal, a certificate of appreciation and a T-shirt with the organiser’s logo. He is the son of Ramendu Sinha and Rina Rani Sinha.

By Rebati Mohan Sinha Bishnupriya Manipuri Development Council (BMDC) celebrated year’s achievements on July 31st, 2011 at Srilo Bhubaneswar Sadhuthakur sevashram at Tarapur, Silchar. The Chairman could not attend it. The Vice Chairman presided over the meeting. The ADC with his concerned officials took part in the celebration. About 2.5 crore worth items were distributed, including items distributed in Guwahati. The items are : Auto Rickshaws — 65, Sewing machines  —  214, and cash amount given to some woman groups, individuals(Ishalpa/Dakula) and to some Mandirs.  Is it a long or short-term planning? Can we presume that it is a rural-based development scheme which Govt. has approved? I think, time is not ripe to think about down-trodden farmers, who are below poverty line. In my earlier article , I have enquired whether these proud owners of the sewing machines have been trained or not? It is known fact that tailoring as an occupation in villages is not profitable, becaus

Role of the Mahasabha in the Formation of the Bishnupriya Manipuri Development Council (Documentary) Part I Uday sinha Secretary General NBMM A brief history of the community Bishnupriya Manipuris a linguistic minority community are mostly living in large section of rural areas in Assam and Tripura. The Bishnupriya Manipuris trace their ancestry to the Aryans, who flocked to Manipur in hordes in pre historic time and stretched even to adjoining Myanmar. Most of them left Manipur during the period of religious and political upheaval in the state of Manipur in early 18th centuries. Apart from Barak Valley of southern Assam and North Tripura, the Bishnupriya Manipuri now settle in Sylhet district of Bangladesh and different parts of India and abroad. Agriculture is the mainstay of their livelihood. Women weave fine and rough cloth of various designs and take part in agriculture. The community’s mother tongue is Bishnupriya Manipuri. The Nikhil Bishnupriya Manipuri Mahasabha