Skip to main content

Importance of Being a Bishnupriya Manipuri

This is one aspect of my personality that I have EARNED earnestly being a Bishnupriya Manipuri by birth.

By Rishikesh Sinha, New Delhi


Being a Bishnupriya Manipuri is of earnest importance. That what I have found and I believe you all share the same view – that their lies an innumerable importance of being a Bishnupriya Manipuri, especially in a country like India which is a cauldron of innumerable religions, caste, dialects and languages, same with the physical characteristics of the people.

The physical characteristics of the people are as diverse, unique and abundant than compared to people of the whole world combined. We have got people who shares a similar physical characteristics that of Chinese – the northeastern, of West Asian countries – north India and of western countries – the Kashmiris.

I have found that I create more confusion than what I am in the minds of the opposite person. The best part of the complexity by default is that it changes with the point of contact. If I am near the bus stand or loitering in the periphery of restaurants and hotels, people mistook me with a Nepali kancha and they start communicating me with the Nepali language. That’s a sorry part but at the same time extremely amusing in nature since I have to explain them that I am not a Nepali Kancha but a Bishnupriya Manipuri! After hearing the name of the caste, it becomes their turn to scratch their mind to discover “which caste is it?”. I leave them to think, to ponder what I have said “I am a Bishnupriya manipuri”.

If I stretch further to the boardrooms, cafeterias of companies I have worked with, colleagues confidently passed the judgment of my caste or region I belongs to. Of course, every time they have been found wrong in their acquired perceptions about me; they without betting an eyelid pronounce - you are Garhwali, aren’t you?! And after hearing my true identification, I feel pity of their visible sorry face.

It has not happened once or twice but has happened many times though inadvertently. And every time I feel proud of myself being a Bishnupriya Manipuri, since I can confuse people, make them feel sorry of their pronounced confidence in the identification game.

And for those who do not give a damn to my looks and go for deciphering my surname “Sinha”. Answering them is an altogether experimental game. I am a Bihari, a Bengali and a Bishnupriya Manipuri. It is absolutely a free run to choose which goes the best at that particular moment. A suppressing smile flows wide in my mouth!

Many of my close friends have said that they have found many Bishnupriya Manipuri friends who are unmistakably as Assamese, Biharis, and Bengalis people are. They mean to say that we Bishnupriya Manipuri people are multi-lingual, absolutely polyglot; one can’t differentiate with the tone and tenor and the command over language we have with these people.

Coming to my brothers, my third brother, of his profession in the hospitality industry he is being connoted as a Philippine. Great! I turn into a Nepali and Garhwali and my brother to a resident of Philippines!! Well, about my dad, hmmm, he is being mistaken as a Bengali. And about my mom, it’s a well kept secret!! Next time, some other day it will be revealed.

This is one aspect of my personality [of course of yours as well] that I have EARNED earnestly being a Bishnupriya Manipuri by birth – creating tension and confusion!!??

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

We all love comments. It is moderated

Popular posts from this blog

Sri Sri Bhubaneshwar Sadhu Thakur

By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Sri Sri Bhubaneshwar Thakur, the great saint of the Bishnupriya Manipuri Community was born on 26th October, 1871, in a remote village of Cachar district called Baropua in the state of Assam. He was born to a Xatriya Manipuri family. His father Sri Sanatan Pandit was a Sanskrit teacher and mother Srimati Malati Devi, a house wife. Sadhu Baba from his childhood was indifferent to all worldly happenings. He was engrossed in chanting the name of Lord Krishna. Along with other students of his age, Sadhu Baba started taking lessons of grammar and other spiritual literature from his father. At a very young age he lost his mother but he was brought up with utmost love and care by his step mother. At the age of eighteen, Sadhu baba lost his father, so, to continue his spiritual education under the guidance of Rajpandit Mineshwas Swarbabhwam Bhattacherjee, he went to Tripura. But within one year he made up his mind to visit all the holy places and as such he took permis
9 comments
Read more

Assam Search Engine: Bisarok

Exclusive search engine on Assam Manash Pratim Gohain, TNN Jun 16, 2012, 01.46PM IST NEW DELHI: Assam got its own search engine ' Bisarok '. The search engine has been launched to get results exclusively on queries and information related to Assam. 'Bisarok', means 'to search' in Assamese language, has been launched and has been linked to various websites of the Government of Assam and departments, educational institutions and media. The search engine is likely to give a new online experience related to searches on Assam. Built on Google custom search engine, the search engine would be collating and building a database of web properties exclusively of the state in the North East region. 'Bisarok' has been developed by RK Rishikesh Sinha, who had earlier created a similar custom search engine ('Bisarei') on Bishnupriya Manipuri. According to Sinha, apart from Google there was no link to get results particularly on Assam. Any web entity related
5 comments
Read more

A short history of the Bishnupriya Manipuri and their religio-cultural consciousness

Undoubtedly, the accurate period of the emergence or the development of religious consciousness of the Bishnupriya Manipuri is difficult to ascertain, but it is an old one that is undoubted, writes Rini Sinha , Guwahati . Religious beliefs are found virtually in every human society. Religious beliefs usually relates to the existence and worship of a deity or deities and divine involvement in the universe and human life. Religious knowledge according to religious practitioners may be gained from religious leaders, sacred texts or personal revelation. The development of religion has taken many forms in various cultural communities. The accurate period of emergence or development of religious consciousness of the Bishnupriya Manipuries is difficult to ascertain, but it is an old one that is undoubted. However, on the basis of the views of different scholars, pre-historic and historical remain whatsoever is available and from the logic of personal observations, we may put forward some view
6 comments
Read more