Assam’s Manipuris demand autonomous council like Moran, Matak, Koch Rajbongshi

A correspondent

Silchar: The Manipuri community on Monday brought out a huge rally in Silchar demanding an autonomous council for them. Manipuri Autonomous Council Demand Coordination Committee, an umbrella platform of 11 organizations belonging to the community, handed over a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma. Maintaining that the Manipuris are one of the most ancient and culturally rich communities settled in Assam presently with an estimated population of 5 lakh in near about 325 villages, the Coordination Committee said that the settlement of Manipuris in Assam dates back several centuries and is intricately connected with the Ahom kingdom, and there were instances of matrimonial alliances between Ahom and Manipuri royal families. They further mentioned that historical records confirmed that the Kachari and Manipuri kingdoms shared significant socio-political relations dating back to the 16th century.

Underlining these historical references, K. Shantee Kumar Singh, chairman; Ramakanta Singh, working president; and Singhajit Singh, convenor of the Coordination Committee, appealed to the Chief Minister to initiate the formation of the Manipuri Autonomous Council in Assam with adequate legislative and executive powers as accorded to similar councils formed for the Moran, Matak, and Koch Rajbangshi communities.

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