Inner Line Permit (ILP) is our last hope of existence on this planet

Khuraijam Jibankumar *

Sit-in-protest at Imphal areas demanding implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) on 11 July 2012
Pix - Bunti Phurailatpam

Only 15 lakhs indigenous Manipuris are living on this 100+ crore populated country. Are we going to be diluted and lost in this Aryanisation? The present situation (in wake of extending railway lines up to our state) reminds me of a novel "Last of the Mohicans".

During my visit to Tripura, I was disheartened by conditions of the indigenous Tripuris. Indigenous Tripuris are now minority in their own state. Do we know how? Dev Burmans, the royal clans inclination towards Hinduisms and Bengali culture led to complete dilution of their culture, arts and traditions.

They prefer to speak in Bengali rather than their own language. Their royal family live in Shillong and Kolkata. Sachin Dev Burman was very fond of Bengali music and he was icon of his time who completely changed arts and culture of the Tripuris.

Same thing happened in Manipur, our film directors, musicians, singers and composers used Hindustani music [under the influence of music of Bengali, Hindi, Tamil (recent)] that suppress our own arts and culture. Drama/theatre directors inorder to get awards in Delhi/mumbai based their stories on Mahabarat and Ramayana or Rabindranath Tagore's work.

Our present youths with little light of knowledge now began to blame our kings and our ancestors but they appreciate music composers who are degrading our culture by using south indian music. Its like listening dubbed south Indian or Hindi movie songs.

Why emphasized mainly on music and art forms? Because we live in a land where sports and arts are our first attention. We are fond of music and art forms whether it may be drama or films and it influences our day today lives.

Present situation in our state can be regarded as DARK AGES OF MANIPUR. Everyone is living without any aim. Militants and military are looting and killing us in the name of safeguarding us. We are left to decide of our own existence.

Who knows we are the last of the Manipuris to walk on this planet!