IMPHAL, Sep 20
The Union of Associations of Manipur Writers has expressed concern on coming across a report drafted by National Crafts Council of Bangladesh and Shadhona- A centre of advancement of South Asian Culture for UNESCO, Dhaka.
The report "Assessment Report on Pilot Community Led Inventorying Process" published in July 2018 contains many faulty and misleading information about the Meetei and the Manipuri culture, said a statement of the union.
Such a report will wrongly represent the Meetei community spread across India and other parts of the world and needs timely intervention and necessary correction, it said.
As per the report, Meetei community is mentioned as a sub-clan of Bishnupriya community and the story of Khamba Thoibi as their (Bishnupriyas) own, it said while adding that Meetei literature has been reportedly claimed as theirs.
Apart from it, the report also mentioned about a war between Meitei and Bishnupriya in the year 2015 which is completely false and imaginary, it said while asserting that many religious festivals and activities celebrated in Manipur including Hindu festivals as their festivals.
The 18-page report also contained misspelled names of Meetei religious and cultural activities including "Pung Ishei as Pung Ishoi", "Thabal Chongba as Thambol Chongba", " Lai Haraoba as Lai Haroba" etc, it said while urging all section of the society and organisations working for the social and cultural cause to come forward and join hands to approach UNESCO to do the needful and act against such misrepresentations of the Meetei community to the world.