MP Bezbaruah distorts Manipur's history in Sangai Fest inaugural speech
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 23 2014:
Member of North Eastern Council, MP Bezbaruah, while speaking on the occasion of inauguration of Sangai Festival on November 21 last at Bheigyachandra Open Air Theatre Imphal, has allegedly fooled the audience by giving a distorted history of Manipur when he equated Manipur to the Mahabharata's Manipur where Arjun was humbled by his son.
Strongly reacting to the speech made by MP Bezbarua as guest of honour in the inauguration of Sangai Festival, Nongdamba Luwang, Cultural Secretary of Meetei Phurup, Tera-Keithel Imphal has stated that the mere mention of 'Manipur' in Mahabharata does not give anyone the authority to link it with the present Manipur state.
There is no substantial historical fact and finding to substantiate on what Baruah said, a statement of the Meetei Phurup has claimed today.
No known ruler of India either Hindu or Muslim never expanded its empire upto Manipur, Nongdamba asserted, while saying that even Asoka or Akbar did not set their foot on Manipur.
Lashing out at NEC member Bezbarua for delivering a distorted history in front of people from across the world, the statement pointed out that Manipur as mentioned in the Mahabharata is located in the present state of Orissa, the erstwhile kingdom of Kalinga.
It further cited that Mahabharata's Manipur is located at Bhadrak district of Orissa surrounded by Ghanteshwar on the north, Kherang and Norendrapur on the west, Subudhia and Hatapur on south and Bay of Bengal on the east.
The statement of Meetei Phurup also urged the MP to refer to 'Interface-A bulletin from NRSA Data Centre, Volume 10, Number 4, October-December 1999' published by National Remote Sensing Agency, Government of India.
Information on so called Mahabharata's Manipur is also mentioned in 'Amar Chitra Katha, no 355 dated 15th April 1986 under the title 'Arjuna's 12 year exile' published by Partha Books Division, the statement disclosed.
Survey of India Map number 2498 HD 70-1000-500 72-1500'74 also clearly shows the path taken by the epic character Arjun during his 12 years exile, said the statement while clarifying that the Manipur mentioned in Mahabharata is located in Kalinga in the said map.
Appealing to MP Bezbarua not to narrate distorted and misleading information on Manipur state, the Meetei Phurup urged the Tourism department of Manipur not to invite any person who may create confusion in the history of the state in future.