Manipur Totally Explained

Everything about Manipur totally explained

Manipur (Meiteilon: মনিপুর in Eastern Nagari script, mnipur in Meitei Mayek) is a state in northeastern India making its capital in the city of Imphal. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in the south and Assam in the west; it also borders the country of Myanmar to the east.
The Meiteis, who live primarily in the state's valley region, are one of the primary ethnic groups. Their language, Meiteilon (also known as Manipuri), is also the lingua franca in the state, and was recognized as one of India's national languages in 1992. There is also sizeable population of South Indians, particularly Tamils. The Kukis and Nagas live in the hills of the state. The Kukis too have their own kingdoms like the Chahsat, Aisan,Jampi, etc. and were close to the Meitei kings in the plain. The independent existence of the Meitei and Kuki kings can be proved by common practice of calling Kuki village headmen by Meiteis as Ningthou, which means "King".
'Manipur' is considered a sensitive border state. Foreigners entering 'Manipur' (including foreign citizens born in Manipur) must possess a Restricted Area Permit which can be obtained from the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office in the "metros" (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata) or certain other state government offices. Permits are valid for only 10 days, and visitors must travel only on tours arranged by authorised travel agents, in groups of four. Furthermore, they may come to Imphal only by air and won't be permitted to travel outside the capital.

History

Manipur came under British rule as a princely state in 1891. British rule ended the independent status of the Kingdom which was the last kingdom to be incorporated into British India.
During the Second World War, Manipur was the scene of many fierce battles between the Japanese and Allied forces. The Japanese were beaten back before they could enter Imphal and this proved to be one of the turning points of the War.
After the Second World War, the Manipur Constitution Act, 1947, established a democratic form of government with the Maharaja as the Executive Head and an elected legislature. In 1949, King Prabodhchandra was summoned to Shillong, capital of the Indian province of Assam. He signed a Treaty of Accession merging the kingdom into India . The legislative assembly was dissolved on the integration of the state with the republic of India in October, 1949. Manipur was a union territory from 1956 and later became a full-fledged state in 1972. Maharaja Bhagyachandra (External Link

) (1762 - 1798 A.D.), was the ruler of Manipur and had to fight off the Burmese many times. The inventor of the Ras Lila dance, he's a legendary figure in Manipur. He is also credited with spreading Vaishnavism in Manipur after his grandfather Pamheiba Rajah made Hinduism the official religion and for creating a unified Manipur.

Problems

The implementation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in 1958 resulted in the designation of Manipur as a "disturbed area" . There have been some minor border disputes with Myanmar (formerly Burma), which were resolved through treaty of Yandaboo. Manipur is also involved in a border dispute with Nagaland.
There have been many social upheavals in the recent past, resulting in mounting tensions between the Meiteis (the valley people) and the Nagas residing in Manipur.
Some steps have been taken by the central government to appease the Manipuris. The long-standing demand to include the Meitei language in the 8th schedule was finally granted by the 71st amendment of the Constitution in 1992. November 20, 2004 was a landmark date in the history of Manipur when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh fulfilled a long-standing demand of the Manipuri people. He officially handed over the historic Kangla Fort to Manipur state government, which issued an ordinance taking over the administration and control. It had been the headquarters of the paramilitary force, the Assam Rifles, since 1915. It was finally opened to the general public after nearly 114 years.
   The fight by the people of Manipur to let the government hand over the fort to them was legendary. The Indian army is alleged to kill some innocent people without issuing arrest warrant, which turned into a major issue, with some women protesting naked in front of the Assam Rifle's gate in June 16, 2004.
   The Prime Minister also upgraded Manipur University into a Central University and laid the foundation stone for a 97.9 km long, Jiribam - Imphal, broad gauge rail line project. The line ends at Tupul, 25 km away from Imphal. United National Liberation Front (UNLF), one of the largest and most powerful armed organisations, has resorted to fighting against occupying Indian army to achieve its goal of an independent Manipur.
   "We are fighting for Manipur,"Sovereign, independent Manipur. You see, Manipur was never part of India." says a UNLF member. The disturbed area status has been extended for one more year on 23rd Nov, 2007.
   Ordinary Manipuris are growing tired of the rebels' influence. Several insurgent groups increasingly issue diktats and rulings on moral and social behaviour, enforced with the threat of violence. Extortion is also rampant in Manipur. Most professions are forced to pay the rebels regular sums of money that are locally called 'tax'.

Economy

Macro-economic trend

This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product of Manipur at market prices estimated by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.

Year	Gross State Domestic Product
1980	2,180
1985	4,180
1990	8,210
1995	16,270
2000	29,200

Manipur's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $1.2 billion in current prices.

Further Information

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