Identity beyond politics A critical inquiry into the stagnation of Meitei Pangal literature
|
Dr Abul Khair Choudhury (Moijing Mayum)
Literature is not merely a reflection of society; it is the heartbeat of a community’s intellectual existence and the undeniable proof of its history. For the Meitei Pangal (Manipuri Muslim) community, whose roots in this land date back to the reign of King Khagemba in 1606 CE, the Manipuri language (Meiteilon) is not a borrowed tongue—it is their mother tongue.
It is an undeniable historical truth that the Muslim community settled in the valley of Manipur significantly earlier—during the early 17th century—than the formal adoption of Hinduism as the State religion, which gained prominence in the 18th century under King Garibniwaj. Yet, despite this deep historical antecedence, there remains a glaring question : Why is the community’s contribution to the “Golden Treasury” of Mani-puri literature so dispropor- tionately low compared to its long history ?
The Paradox of Power and Pen
The Meitei Pangal community has proven its mettle in the corridors of power and the hustle of the market place. Politically, the community reached its zenith when it gave Manipur its first Chief Minister, Md Alimuddin—a statesman of vision who steered the State during a crucial transition. Even in the coveted steel frame of India’s bureaucracy, sons of the community have risen to become IAS, IFS, and IPS officers, proving that intellectual capabi- lity is not lacking. Economically, despite general challenges, there exists a robust class of wealthy Pangal businessmen who drive significant commerce in the State.
But here lies the bitter question : A community that can produce a Chief Minister and elite bureaucrats, why has it failed to produce a single literary giant comparable to Dr Kamal, Khwairakpam Chaoba, Hijam Anganghal, Elang-bam Nilakanta, or Pacha Meitei?
Why is it that a community capable of navigating the complex world of Indian politics struggles to navigate the depths of Meiteilon literature ? We have political leaders, but where is the Pangal ‘Madhabi’? Where is the Pangal ‘Khamba Thoibi Sheireng’?
The Irony of “Indigenous” Identity
This literary bankruptcy has serious consequences for the community’s identity. Today, when the Pangal community occasionally faces the stigma of being labelled “outsiders” or “foreigners,” by some radical nationalist organizations, they find themselves in a vulnerable position.
Ideally, a community should be able to pull out its own robust literary archives—novels, epic poems, and historical treatises written in the mother tongue over centuries—to silence such claims. Instead, the irony is that to prove their own indigenous status, the community often has to invite secular Meitei historians and scholars to speak on their behalf. We rely on the research of others to validate our own existence on our own soil. This dependency stems from a failure to document our own history and emotions through high-quality literature. History written by others can be debated; literature written by oneself is the undeniable evidence of belonging.
The Historical Paradox: A Void in Tran- slation
The vitality of a community’s intellect is often measured by how it enriches its mother tongue through the translation of its sacred and classical texts. In this regard, the literary history of Manipur offers a striking contrast.
By the 18th century, the scholar Angom Gopi, under royal patronage, had translated complex epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata (specifically episodes like Parikshit) from Bengali and Sanskrit into Manipuri. These works enriched the vocabulary and literary expanse of the language. Similarly, with the advent of the modern era, Christian missionaries facilitated the translation of the Bible, cementing their faith’s literary foundation in the local dialect.
In contrast, despite four centuries of existence in the valley, the Meitei Pangal community has struggled to produce a single linguistically authoritative and aesthetically standard translation of the Holy Quran or the Hadith in Meiteilon. While there are efforts like the translation of Fazail-e-A’mal (originally by Maulana Zakariya), these were primarily designed for laymen and often lack the high literary quality required to stand as classics in Manipuri literature. The absence of a “Standard Mani- puri Quran” is a literary failure to introduce the distinct Islamic world view into the mainstream Manipuri literary canon.
Imagine if we had such a beautiful literary work in Manipuri language on the life of Prophet Muhammad (Sira) of such high quality as Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, which we could proudly present to our non-Muslim Meitei brothers. The lack of “quality Islamic literature” in Manipuri is a missed opportunity to build bridges and claim cultural enrichment.
The Lesson from Barak Valley
To understand what is possible, one must look not at Imphal, but at the Barak Valley (Cachar). It is a historical irony that the renaissance of modern Manipuri Muslim poetry was spearheaded by poets outside the State.
The literary giant Khei- ruddin Choudhury and the eminent Abdus Sahid Choudhury set benchmarks that remain unchallenged. Their works possessed such literary merit that they transcended communal bounda- ries to find a place in the academic syllabi of Mani-pur University and Assam University. Kheiruddin’s mystic poem “Eigi Muktigi Lambi” remains a towering example of how Pangal philosophy can merge seam- lessly with Meitei aesthetics.
The exclusion of contemporary Imphal-based Pangal writers from the BOSEM and COHSEM syllabi is a silence that speaks volumes. We cannot just look at the aspects of discrimination. We have many examples of evidence that merit can rise above discrimination. Our writings need to move towards higher quality literature. We need to write at par with the quality of contemporary Manipuri language literature.
“Commerce vs. Culture”: The Warning of Pacha Meitei
Why has this void persisted ? Perhaps the answer lies in a shift in collective values. The renowned novelist and Sahitya Akademi awardee, Pacha Meitei, who wrote with interest and empathy about Pangal society in his novels, once made a stinging yet astute observation:
“The Pangals excel in commerce, but their hearts are seldom in literature.”
This observation serves as a mirror.
(To be contd)
Literature is not merely a reflection of society; it is the heartbeat of a community’s intellectual existence and the undeniable proof of its history. For the Meitei Pangal (Manipuri Muslim) community, whose roots in this land date back to the reign of King Khagemba in 1606 CE, the Manipuri language (Meiteilon) is not a borrowed tongue—it is their mother tongue.
It is an undeniable historical truth that the Muslim community settled in the valley of Manipur significantly earlier—during the early 17th century—than the formal adoption of Hinduism as the State religion, which gained prominence in the 18th century under King Garibniwaj. Yet, despite this deep historical antecedence, there remains a glaring question : Why is the community’s contribution to the “Golden Treasury” of Mani-puri literature so dispropor- tionately low compared to its long history ?
The Paradox of Power and Pen
The Meitei Pangal community has proven its mettle in the corridors of power and the hustle of the market place. Politically, the community reached its zenith when it gave Manipur its first Chief Minister, Md Alimuddin—a statesman of vision who steered the State during a crucial transition. Even in the coveted steel frame of India’s bureaucracy, sons of the community have risen to become IAS, IFS, and IPS officers, proving that intellectual capabi- lity is not lacking. Economically, despite general challenges, there exists a robust class of wealthy Pangal businessmen who drive significant commerce in the State.
But here lies the bitter question : A community that can produce a Chief Minister and elite bureaucrats, why has it failed to produce a single literary giant comparable to Dr Kamal, Khwairakpam Chaoba, Hijam Anganghal, Elang-bam Nilakanta, or Pacha Meitei?
Why is it that a community capable of navigating the complex world of Indian politics struggles to navigate the depths of Meiteilon literature ? We have political leaders, but where is the Pangal ‘Madhabi’? Where is the Pangal ‘Khamba Thoibi Sheireng’?
The Irony of “Indigenous” Identity
This literary bankruptcy has serious consequences for the community’s identity. Today, when the Pangal community occasionally faces the stigma of being labelled “outsiders” or “foreigners,” by some radical nationalist organizations, they find themselves in a vulnerable position.
Ideally, a community should be able to pull out its own robust literary archives—novels, epic poems, and historical treatises written in the mother tongue over centuries—to silence such claims. Instead, the irony is that to prove their own indigenous status, the community often has to invite secular Meitei historians and scholars to speak on their behalf. We rely on the research of others to validate our own existence on our own soil. This dependency stems from a failure to document our own history and emotions through high-quality literature. History written by others can be debated; literature written by oneself is the undeniable evidence of belonging.
The Historical Paradox: A Void in Tran- slation
The vitality of a community’s intellect is often measured by how it enriches its mother tongue through the translation of its sacred and classical texts. In this regard, the literary history of Manipur offers a striking contrast.
By the 18th century, the scholar Angom Gopi, under royal patronage, had translated complex epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata (specifically episodes like Parikshit) from Bengali and Sanskrit into Manipuri. These works enriched the vocabulary and literary expanse of the language. Similarly, with the advent of the modern era, Christian missionaries facilitated the translation of the Bible, cementing their faith’s literary foundation in the local dialect.
In contrast, despite four centuries of existence in the valley, the Meitei Pangal community has struggled to produce a single linguistically authoritative and aesthetically standard translation of the Holy Quran or the Hadith in Meiteilon. While there are efforts like the translation of Fazail-e-A’mal (originally by Maulana Zakariya), these were primarily designed for laymen and often lack the high literary quality required to stand as classics in Manipuri literature. The absence of a “Standard Mani- puri Quran” is a literary failure to introduce the distinct Islamic world view into the mainstream Manipuri literary canon.
Imagine if we had such a beautiful literary work in Manipuri language on the life of Prophet Muhammad (Sira) of such high quality as Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, which we could proudly present to our non-Muslim Meitei brothers. The lack of “quality Islamic literature” in Manipuri is a missed opportunity to build bridges and claim cultural enrichment.
The Lesson from Barak Valley
To understand what is possible, one must look not at Imphal, but at the Barak Valley (Cachar). It is a historical irony that the renaissance of modern Manipuri Muslim poetry was spearheaded by poets outside the State.
The literary giant Khei- ruddin Choudhury and the eminent Abdus Sahid Choudhury set benchmarks that remain unchallenged. Their works possessed such literary merit that they transcended communal bounda- ries to find a place in the academic syllabi of Mani-pur University and Assam University. Kheiruddin’s mystic poem “Eigi Muktigi Lambi” remains a towering example of how Pangal philosophy can merge seam- lessly with Meitei aesthetics.
The exclusion of contemporary Imphal-based Pangal writers from the BOSEM and COHSEM syllabi is a silence that speaks volumes. We cannot just look at the aspects of discrimination. We have many examples of evidence that merit can rise above discrimination. Our writings need to move towards higher quality literature. We need to write at par with the quality of contemporary Manipuri language literature.
“Commerce vs. Culture”: The Warning of Pacha Meitei
Why has this void persisted ? Perhaps the answer lies in a shift in collective values. The renowned novelist and Sahitya Akademi awardee, Pacha Meitei, who wrote with interest and empathy about Pangal society in his novels, once made a stinging yet astute observation:
“The Pangals excel in commerce, but their hearts are seldom in literature.”
This observation serves as a mirror.
(To be contd)