In the wake of the death of Richard Loitam, a Manipuri Meitei,
organisations from across the city participated in the “Justice for
Richard” protest.
As a member of the Manipuri Meitei Bangalore Association (MMBA), Jenial
Thiyam was surrounded by those from Bangalore Manipuri Students
Association (BMSA), Tangkhul Student Union Bangalore (TSUB), Kuki
student Organisation (KSO), Zaliarong Student Union Bangalore (ZSUB) —
each representing the different ethnicities from in and around Manipur.
“It was only during the protest did I know of the various organisations and associations in the city,” said Mr. Thiyam.
Diverse groups
With over 75 major tribes and clans, the diversity of the region is
reflected in the students' associations and unions who joined in the
protest.
And, perhaps Loitam's death, apart from showing up the alleged
discrimination against those from the northeast, was unwittingly a
unifying factor for students' unions in the city.
“The idea of a platform for northeast students had been floated around
five years ago. But it stagnated because of disunity between the groups.
However, now after Richard's death, a lot of other organisations want
to get together towards a common platform,” said BMSA general secretary
Tony Longjam.
No common platform
He added that over two lakh people from the northeast had migrated to
the city but were fragmented into smaller groups — divided along tribes
and clans.
While the BMSA has over 4,000 members, KSO has around 3,000, and even
smaller groups for the Mizos, Paithes, Thangkuls, among others.
Hitherto, these associations remained autonomous of each other to preserve the region's cultural diversity.
Preserving their culture
Far removed from their native towns and villages, these associations are
vital for the students to keep in touch with their cultural roots —
which extends far deeper than the generic “northeast” nomenclature.
Laldintluanga, a third year chemical engineering student who is
vice-president of the Mizo Students Association, said that the
association played a role in bringing the Mizos under the same roof for
festivals that would have been gone unmarked otherwise.
“Festivals, such as the spring festival Chapchar Kut and harvest
festival Pawl Kut, are celebrated with great fervour here, and there is
traditional singing and dancing,” he said.
Bangalore-born
Similarly, for Mr. Thiyam, the Meitei associations play an important
role in bringing Meitei culture to his children, who have been born and
brought up here.
“They don't know about the harvest festivals, or culture, or the
language. As the MMBA organises summer camps for children, they learn
about the culture of their forefathers,” he said.
For Savio Thangjangam Misao, who has just finished his studies in the
city, the celebration of the harvest festival Chavang Kut organised by
the KSO, wherein thousands of Kukis — the women dressed in Khamtang
shawls and the men in Saipikhup attire take part — brings a slice of his
heritage to the city.