Literatures of Bishnupriya Manipuri
Written documents of Bishnupriya Manipuri
literatures of older periods are unavailable, because records and
historical books including literatures had been destroyed and
efforts had been made to destroy the history of Manipur and
Manipuris. There are, however some rudiments of folk-literatures
of Bishnupriya Manipuri which are of elder origin and are handed
down to this day through oral traditions. These elements
originated during the period from the 16th century to
the beginning of this century. Thus the history of Bishnupriya
Manipuri literature can be broadly divided into two periods
namely ancient Folk-Bishnupriya Manipuri literature and modern
Bishnupriya Manipuri literature.
Ancient Literatures of Bishnupriya Manipuri
Ancient or Folk literatures of Bishnupriya
Manipuri is represented y folk stories, folk-songs, folk-poems,
rhymes and proverbs. Of them, a rain-invoking song called
“boron-ddhanir Ela” and a song hrelating to the conjugal life
of Madai and Soralel known as “Madai Soralel Ela” are most
important. Researches had proved that the rain invoking song , in
its nucleas, was composed in the middle of 16th
century. Besides this, there are many rhymes which are recited by
children in various kinds of sports and there are many csaddle
songs. Proverbs occupy a remarkable position in Folk-Bishnupriya
Manipuri literature. Proverbs are numerous and they exhibit the
sense of metre , poetic ornaments, witticism etc. most of the
proverbs have been collected by the Pratisruti, a literary
magazine edited by Shree Brajendra kumar Singha.
Modern Literatures of Bishnupriya Manipuri
The modern Bishnupriya Manipuri Literature
may be divided into two stages (a) Early period and (b) Later
period. The Bishnupriya Manipuri Literature of early modern
period is marked by devotion towards Isvara and love for
language and the land of Manipur and the culture of Bishnupriya
Manipuri. Bishnupriya Manipuri Literature of the later period is
marked by the love and feelings, hopes and desires, joys and
sorrows of the writers and poets.
Early Modern Bishnupriya Manipuri Literature
The Early Modern Bishnupriya Manipuri
Literature was initiated during the second quarter of this century
mainly by four writers,namely, Leikhomsena Singha of Singari(Assam),
Madan Mohan Sharma of Sanicchara, Amusena Sinha of Cipersangan and
Gokulananda Gitiswami of Ratacchara. Leikhomsena singha was the
author of a drama entitled Manipur Bijoy, Madan Mohan Sharma was
the author of a number of Kiratana-type works namely,
Balipinda,Harischandra, Subal Milan, Tilottoma, Basak, Sudama
Bipra etc. Amusena sinha also wrote a number of Kirtana-type works
based on Ramayana, namely, Angada Raybar, Saktisel, Taranisen Badh,
Nagapas, Mahiravan Badh etc. Gokulananda Gitiswami composed a few
Kirata works namely, Nouka Bilas, Basak, Mathur etc. He also
written a number of song and poems relating to social reformation
and two dramas one of which is named Matrimangal Gatabhinay. Of
these poets and writers, Gokulananda Gitiswamy was the most
popular because of his depth of feeling and refined taste as
revealed in his Padavalis and songs relating to social
reformation, after these writers the names of Krishnadhan singha,
Gandharaj singha, Golapsena sinha, Gosho bihari singha, Rohini
Rajkumar and Gaur Mohan singha are worth mentioning.
Modern Bishnupriya Manipuri Literature
Actually the
history of Manipuri literature began in 1925 with the magazine –
“Jagaran” edited by Falguni Singha who was a Bishnupriya Social
worker; this magazine published articles both on Bishnupriya and
Meitei language. The Manipuris of Surma valley formed together
their first formal association, Surma Valley Manipuri Society
(later changed its name to Surma Valley Manipuri Association) in
1934. The members included the Meiteis, the Bishnupriyas and the
Pangals (Manipuri Muslims).From the 1933 we find a number of
journals viz.Manipuri(1933), Mekhali(1938) and Kshatryajyoti(1944)
etc which had fostered nationalism as well literary and cultural
activities.
In modern Bishnupriya Manipuri Literature, we meet a number of
poets,dramatists,Short story writers, and essayists. Of The
Dramatists the most popular are 1. Aswini Kumar Singha, the writer
of Harischandra, Sabitri Satyaban etc. 2. Indra Kumar Singha, the
writer of Haribola-Ehari, Kailas lailat etc. 3. Sudhanva
Singha,the writer of Number of Fagiram Drama's and 4. Birendra
Kumar singha the writer of Manur Kothai Gor Na Bagyo. Among short
Story writers Brajendra Kumar Singha, Indra kumar Singha,
Symananda Singha, Oja BBabulok Dabi are worth of reference. The
remarkable essayists of this era are Dr. K.P. Singha, Brajendra
KumarSingha, Birendra Kumar Singha, Jagot Mihan Singha etc. Poets
of this period are huge in number. Among them Modon Mohan
Mukhopadhyay, Brajendra Kumar Singha and Dhananjoy Rajkumar are
the most successful.
The Late modern Bishnupriya Manipuri Literature is ruled by a
number young and a few old Bishnupriya Manipuri writers. Of them
the names of Dhanajoy Rajkumar, Brajendra Kumar Singha, Smriti
Kumar Singha, Dil's Laxindra Singha, Sri Samarjit Singha, Sudhanya
Singha, Srikanta Singha, Biswajit Singha, Mothura Singha, Kumari
Sandhya Sinha,Ranjit Singha, Radhakanta Singha can be mentioned.
Modern
Bishnupriya Manipuri Literature of Bangladesh
Modern
period of Bishnupriya Manipuri Literature of Bangladesh started
with a number of Journals – Khongchel (1972), Imar Thar (1979),
Mingal(1981), Satyam(1981), Manipurir Sahitya(1989),Pouri(1989),
Jagaran(1990), Jebaka Jedin(1991), Ithak(1994) etc. etc. Also
there is a parallel development in the Bishnupriya Manipuri
Literature in the fields of poetry, prose, story, novels,
Biography,Travelogue, drama took place here with Assam and Tripura.
Gopichan Singha’s Lyrical work “Bangobandhu baro Bangladesh”(
1974), Prof. Ranjit sinha’s historical works “ Bhanubil Krisak
Proja Andolan” (1982), “Swadhinata Sangrame Manipuri Samaj”
(1999), “Bangladesher Manipuri Kobita” (2001) deserves special
mention.
Translations of number of Sanskrit and world literature was done
successfully. Of them Srimadbhagabat Gita, Ishoponisd,
“Meghodutom” of Kalidas, Rubayaate-Umar-Khayam, Greek drama “Anigone”,
Eliot’s “The waste Land”, Japanese Haiku, Poems of Rabindrnath
and also from Bertold Brekht, Bodleyar, Apoliner,Lorka, Poul Eluar,
Ejra pound, Malarme, Rilke and other world literatures worth
mentioned.
The post modern writers have given up
many time-honored conventions. They have come to contact with
English, French and German literature with are rich in all
respects. There is also the influence of contemporary Bangla
literature of
Bangladesh, West-bengal, Assam and Tripura.
Compiled
by Ashim Kumar Singha on July 12, 2004
