Senapati, 30 Jan: A two-day National Seminar on “Unsung Heroes of Northeast India in India’s freedom struggle” begins at college auditorium, Mount Everest College, Senapati. The event is organised by Research Committee in collaboration with IQAC of the college. The event was graced by Prof. H. Sudhirkumar Singh, HOD, Dept of History, Manipur University as the chairperson of the seminar.
In his welcome note, Gonmei Meithuanlungpao, vice principal, Mount Everest College, Senapati stated that the seminar is aimed at exploring the unsung heroes of the region who tried to redeem the people and to free the people from some kind of bondage. When one looks at the history of the world, god blessed the people with heroes of their time to liberate the people from social bondage or spiritual bondage, financial or political bondage so as to make the people free from such bondage. The seminar would deliberate on some heroes who had contributed in their lives, who had lived their lives for a cause, who were not afraid to die for. Such leaders had lived their lives to ensure liberty, freedom, equality and growth of the people. Similar seminar of such unsung heroes are stated to be very rare where Gonmei Meithuanlungpao mentioned that their spirits will be very happy this day as the seminar would talk of them and their contributions by different scholars and learned professors.
Must read | RTI activist arrested in Manipur
Addressing the gathering, Prof. H. Sudhirkumar Singh stated that serious students of history will certainly notice the way changes are taking place in the historiographical trends in the last decade precisely because of the findings of historical researches from the promising young scholars. It may be well construed as commendable contributions in the shape of filling up the yawning gap left behind in the trend of historical scholarship that dominated for a long spell of time. An area that has pronouncedly emerged in the line of this historical initiative is the exploration of the sacrifice made by various freedom fighters of this region for the cause of freedom in the long-drawn struggle. Noticeably, such contributions remained for quite a long time ‘unexplored,’ ‘under-explored’ or in the footnotes of historical pages. Apart from the well-known, many of the freedom fighters have remained ‘lesser-known.’ Freedom, as argued was achieved through a collective sacrifice. In this line of thinking, all these new findings are not just an appreciation but an acknowledgement of the sacrifices, freedom fighters have made. All such contributions have unquestionably made the history of freedom struggle a comprehensive one, he said.
Tripura | BJP will form government in Tripura: Assam CM Himanta Sarma
He further said that coming to the case of Northeast India, its history till the early 90s, more or less remained in the corner only with some fragments of references in the mainstream history. Interestingly however, Northeast’s place within the larger canvas of history is getting recognised because of historical contributions made by the scholars working on this area of interest. Now, scholars are found working on the regional history for their research programs and interestingly, some of the Northeast centres that have come up within the university system and beyond have appreciatively contributed towards popularising the regional history of Northeast India in teaching and research learning. On the one side, various academic programs have also been organised at different platforms on the same topic in the nook and corner in the region. Similarly, the present seminar moves in that direction as part of it in the attempt to discover the sacrifices of freedom fighters of this region. The HOD is hopeful that the presentations which will be made by different speakers on a variety of themes within the larger topic of the seminar will certainly help to a creative way of acknowledging the contributions made by the freedom fighters of the region in the historic freedom struggle of India.
Dr. Holkhongam Haokip, chairman, Research Committee, Mount Everest College stated that the committee had organised a similar national seminar in the previous year too. With active collaboration of the institution and cooperation of all Manipur history department, the seminar is organised “Unsung Heroes of NE India in India’s freedom struggle” which is quite relevant. The aim of the seminar was to explore and to tell the stories of the heroes whose stories have been untouched and still remained untold. Most of the freedom fighters of the Northeast still remain unsung as they did not find a place in the mainland histories till date although there are so many to name them. Their histories have been known by the Northeast but not by the mainland in the national level.
Imphal | Congress in Manipur celebrates culmination of Rahul’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’
Technical session of the first day began with presenters from different scholars with Dr. Samson S. Chiru, principal, Mount Everest College on “Independent ethnic tribal policy in Manipur (Chiru context),” Dr. Mina Devi, Guest Faculty, Dept. Of Ancient History and Archaeology, Manipur University on “Chingakham Sanajaoba and Kuki Rebellion, 1917-1919,” Dr. Somorendro Singh, Asst. Prof., Dept. Of Political Science, Tamenglong College, Manipur on “British Colonial policies and their impact in Manipur,” Dr. L. Letkhomang Haokip, Asst. Prof., Dept. Of History, Rayburn College, Churachandpur, Manipur on “Undertanding of local support to INA: The role of Pu Semkhohao Haokip,” Dr. Ginneihching Simte, Asst. Prof., Dept. Of History, Rayburn College, Churachandpur, Manipur on “Historical representations of women in the nationalist struggle,” Seikhomang Guite, Ph. D. Scholar, Manipur University on “Fighting,” Moirangthem Boby Singh, Research Scholar, Dept. Of History, Manipur University on “Contribution of local people to INA in struggle for Independence- A historical review” and Dr. Heisnam Budhichandra Singh, Asst. Prof., Thambal Marik College, Oinam, Manipur on “Bir Tikendrajit – A Hero of Manipur.”
Also read | NH-202 inspected by MLAs, officials in Ukhrul; Black topping to begin soon
The second day technical session would follow with Dr. Holkhongam Haokip, Asst. Prof., Dept. Of History, Mount Everest College, Senapati on “Kuki Rebellion (1917-1920) and role of Pu Ngulkhup Haokip,” Dr. Augustine, Asst. Prof., Dept of Sociology, Mount Everest College, Senapati on “Social conflict induced migration: A Manipur story,” Nigthoujam Lanchenba Meetei, Research Scholar, Dept of Political Science, Manipur University on “British policies in Manipur after 1891,” Dr. V.S. Sholounii Pou, Asst. Prof., Dept of Political Science, Mount Everest College, Senapati on “Local self Government in tribal India: Issues and prospects,” W. Charushilla Devi, Asst. Prof., Dept. Of History and W. Asha Devi, Asst. Prof., Dept. Of Commerce, Mount Everest College, Senapati on “Role of British political agent’s (1835-1890) in the social and economic changes in Manipur, special reference to Meitei community” and Dr. Sylvia Yambem, Guest Faculty, Dept of History, Manipur University on “Native resistance and British administration in colonial Manipur.”
The seminar is attended by more than 300 delegates including research scholars from Manipur University, college students, B.Ed. students and P.G. students of the college.
Nagaland | NSCN-IM regrets video clip leakage of January 27 incident between AR and Naga Army
About The Author
