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Bishnupriya Manipuri Vs Bodo

Using their stratagic location as a bargaining chip, Bodo people got everything that any community in India could demand for. Do we have any such bargaining chip or ...?

By BN Sinha, New Delhi

We all know that the population of Bishnupriya Manipuri community is sprinkled all across in the northeastern part of India, its concentration is higher in Barak Valley of Assam and in the state of Tripura; the community can also be found in the few districts of Bangladesh like Shyllet etc.

Though there is no statistical census mentioning the total population of the community, it is approximated the figure would be 30 Lakh who are based in Cachar, Karimgunj, Hailakandi, Kailasahar, Dharmanagar, Kamalpur etc.



Despite having a strong cultural and ethnical background, literacy rate not lesser in comparison to other tribes, and being academically OK ; nevertheless we stand nowhere in the political scenario of India. The reason may be that we are geographically scattered and not strategically located like the tribal community, the Bodos.

In comparison to Bodos , though they have an edge to be termed as Schedule Tribes, the whole community nowhere stand in front of Bishnupriya Manipuri community with respect to academics, technical, art and culture etc.

Of the fact that the population of the tribe Bodo would be hardly 25-30 Lakh in totality, it is their strategic presence in the entry and exit areas of the north eastern part of India, that have fetched them every necessary components to enrich and consolidate their community, which the BM community is deprived of.

The only passage for all the seven states of north east India is through the southern part of Assam, which we call it Lower Assam, presently the Bodoland consisting of four districts - Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska and Udalguri – that has made all the difference, difference in the bargaining power that the Bishnupriya Manipuri community, perhaps, does not enjoy.

Nevertheless, till date Bodos have a very low literacy rate and all the commercial establishments are dominated by other communities like Bengali and Marwaris. Even the lingua- franka of the region is Bengali.

Taking the advantage of their geographical location they have done every bid to get the political benefits and finally an autonomous territory of their own called Bodoland Territorial Council [BTC]; however it came with no lesser price. Their movement saw active participation from the ABSU ( All Bodo Students Union), and with the insurgent groups like NDFB ( National Democratic Front of Bodoland) and BLT ( Bodo Liberation Tigers) etc.

Names like Upen Brahma, Premsing Brahma, S K Basumatary are all heroes of their movement. Being chief of BTC, Mr Hagrama Mahilary is doing every bid to develop his own community and territory with the help of their Lok Sabha MP [Member of Parliament] Mr Samsuma Basumatry in the center.

It is a known fact that the present coalition govt. of Assam headed by Congress was formed with the support of 22 MLAs of Bodo Peoples Progressive Front ( H), so they had a good bargain in return to get Ms Pramila Rani Brahma and Mr Chandan Brahma as Cabinet Ministers.

An interesting point is that in the field of academic development of Bodoland and the Bodo community as a whole, significant unforgettable contribution of Bishnupriya Manipuri community present in that territory has been marked upon.

Prof R.N.Sinha , Principal of Science College, Kokrajhar, Sunil Sinha, SDO and few other academicians like Roopak Sinha etc. are the few prominent names whose contribution to the development of Bodo community is noteworthy. And it is these people’s stronghold in the BTC authority which helped them to get one of eminent Bishnupriya Manipuri, Dr Ranjit Sinha , Director of the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) as the Advisor to the chief of BTC.

It is worth to mention that decade back the Bodo community was way behind the Bishnupriya Manipuri community in every spheres of life but in the present scenario we stand nowhere in comparison to them. And it is certainly of their geographical advantage which they liquidated upon in a very smart and with proper strategy.

Had we, the Bishnupriya Manipuri community also been blessed with the strategic location like the Bodo community, than the story would have been different, and would have taken an another path. So to turn the table on our side, to our benefit we must search for a "strength" that we have, and should be used tactically. It has to be find out and must be worked upon - What strength do you have?

On a cerebral trance a song comes in my mind composed by an unknown BM poet…
Teipang jonome kiya jorom oilu , manur loge manna nuailu..
aar te probhu jorom naainga , esaade kopal thiyoiya.


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Comments

  1. BECAUSE we are a very PEACE LOVING community and we cant go for undergroud politics or insurgency like they can do. this is very simple.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Should say, the First comment sums it all,

    WE are peace loving people, the other thing is that we consider ourselves INDIANS.. so anything that would hurt INDIA will not come from us.

    we work like in Yuva... or Rang de Basanti... "be in the system to clean the system"...

    ReplyDelete
  3. it is not about we are peace loving or or not. the point is they - Bodos- used their positives [location] and used it tactfully. the same is about BN article's on BM, we must find a bargaining chip say something positive to catalyse the fulfillment of our demand.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am fully agree with bhum, Bodo Community can't mess up with dirty Indian Culture

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am a bishnupriya manipuri. My lokei(clan) is Koireng Khullakpa Lokei. My gotro is biygro gotro. Bodos are the aboriginals of northeast. They have every right to get their Bodoland. It is their right. There should be no mention of peace-loving and wild. If a community who are not getting their rights would not be contented by sitting idle in his home, because if they sit idle their home would be one hijacked by illegal migrants. I really support the bodos for their Bodoland. Bodoland is much more cultured, free-living community than Bishnupriya manipuries. Bodos cannot resist to be ruled by the aliens. But bishnupriya manipuris loved to be ruled by ruled by the aliens. What a foolish people we bishnupriya manipuris are being aboriginals we are ruled by the other people who had came just after only few centuries ago. Take some examples from the great Bodos. Praise the bodos for their brave deeds. If we bishnupriya manipuris are still not aware of our existence then one day we will be nowhere.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am a bishnupriya manipuri. My lokei(clan) is Koireng Khullakpa Lokei. My gotro is biygro gotro. Bodos are the aboriginals of northeast. They have every right to get their Bodoland. It is their right. There should be no mention of peace-loving and wild. If a community who are not getting their rights would not be contented by sitting idle in his home, because if they sit idle their home, their home would be one day hijacked by illegal migrants. I really support the bodos for their Bodoland. Bodoland is much more cultured, free-living community than Bishnupriya manipuries. Bodos cannot resist to be ruled by the aliens. But bishnupriya manipuris loved to be ruled by ruled by the aliens. What a foolish people we bishnupriya manipuris are being aboriginals we are ruled by the other people who had came just after only few centuries ago. Praise the bodos for their brave deeds. If we bishnupriya manipuris are still not aware of our existence then one day we will be nowhere.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Abaka na singoila kumbaka singoitangaita, amar bishnupriya manipurir nijor leikeihan bulil ahan nalager thang. Amar minister ago hongkora nuilang (hudala tripura) Kisaada thaitangaita political power naiyoiya. Ura Patherkandi, Betubari, Luwarpua, Dullabcherra etc uta habi tilkoriya ta nijor jaga ahaan hongkorani pariyargo. Matota mi nagoihan matouri thang ? Onyo jaat dina dina nungai oya jitaraga amar manu dina dina leira oya jiarga. Abakau somoyhan nau litosa amiou okorik naila habihan pisada lomoitangai. Mi yam para habire bana pauri. Ahan jebakau ningshing oya thaio je ami bishnupriya manipuri Arjun-Chitrangadhar sougo Babrabahanor sou. Ami northeastor yam para northeastos purana sou. Amartau nijor leikeiahan paanarka pura right asa. Somoyhan na litoita singoik, naile loyoitangai.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ekota haan neyoya kumaitau kittau kore nau partanay, ehaan harpani lager je somoy bodler are jodi somoyr loge na cholle asadai thaitanay aami, ow somoy uhan gelga jebaka aamar baba gasiye khuttai pidiya school a gesilaga, aaji pogonto ow udaharon ditara, tumeye mato ki me kita bhul matourita?? aaji ow udaharo diya laap nai, ehan huddala example ahan daurita.." jodi kuno kichu aahan korani oile aamarta somoyr loge cholani lagtoy" ema indol ore respect dena, dola doli belani, gelago munigo farok nakorani,,, more maaf korio jodi kunogoi khab peyar,, Me Sanju Sinha, Thakur. Surjomoni Singha'r natiyok kuno kichu korani monauri aamar somaj hanorka, kintu me abaka kiggou nagoi utarka munge nau auri, aaji me sonkolpo aaha louri je kortou me mor somaj hanorka, are outarka me dangor step louri, dangor manu aago ona ka,, tumar habbir asirbad sara me kiggou nagoi, asirbaad diya.. (Dyoinobaad comment ehan pakoranika, maaf koriyo spelling buloyle)

      Delete
    2. Ekota haan neyoya kumaitau kittau kore nau partanay, ehaan harpani lager je somoy bodler are jodi somoyr loge na cholle asadai thaitanay aami, ow somoy uhan gelga jebaka aamar baba gasiye khuttai pidiya school a gesilaga, aaji pogonto ow udaharon ditara, tumeye mato ki me kita bhul matourita?? aaji ow udaharo diya laap nai, ehan huddala example ahan daurita.." jodi kuno kichu aahan korani oile aamarta somoyr loge cholani lagtoy" ema indol ore respect dena, dola doli belani, gelago munigo farok nakorani,,, more maaf korio jodi kunogoi khab peyar,, Me Sanju Sinha, Thakur. Surjomoni Singha'r natiyok kuno kichu korani monauri aamar somaj hanorka, kintu me abaka kiggou nagoi utarka munge nau auri, aaji me sonkolpo aaha louri je kortou me mor somaj hanorka, are outarka me dangor step louri, dangor manu aago ona ka,, tumar habbir asirbad sara me kiggou nagoi, asirbaad diya.. (Dyoinobaad comment ehan pakoranika, maaf koriyo spelling buloyle)

      Delete

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