SECTION -IV (CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS)
16. The doctor escaped from the death and had been to his friend's house where his
friend asked him the whole incident. Now write a possible conversation between the doctor
and his friend.
(1x5=5M)
(OR)
17. The doctor wanted to marry a woman doctor who had plenty of money and good
practice but God willed him in another way. If you are in the place of the doctor how will
you feel? Write a diary entry in your own words.
Answers
Answer:
Nupi Lan –which means women’s war in Manipuri- is one of the important movements in the history of Manipuri women. It sowed the new seeds of economic and political reforms for a new Manipur in the early 40’s. It was started in 1939 as an agitation by Manipuri women against the oppressive economic and administrative policies ruled by the Manipur Maharaja and the Political Agent –Mr. Gimson- of the British Government (1933-45) in Manipur, and later on, evolved into a movement for the constitutional and administrative reform in Manipur.
How Nupi Lan broke out and how it gave motivation to the people of Manipur to start for a new political revolution are the important questions that have been addressed over the years. To know the issues related to the movements of Manipuri women, it would be worthwhile to understand their status in the then society. The role of Manipuri women in the agrarian economy of Manipur is a crucial one to reckon, right from the involvement in the production to the selling and marketing of food grains. They manage most of the internal trade of food and clothing and they hold a free standard of living in the society. They were the most important buyers and sellers in the main market Khwairamband Bazar – a bazar which was founded by Khagemba Maharaj around in 1580AD and which is also known as Ima Keithel. This bazar was also ‘the place’ where the out-breaking of the Nupi Lan took place (Lamyanba, 1973).
However the status of a Manpuri woman was not very significant individually, despite their main contribution to the economic prosperity. The practice of polygamy which was quite prevalent at that time, made them as unemanicipated and unsatisfied participants in the society. Perhaps, outbreak of two big wars --one against the Awas (or the Myanmars) in 1817 which led to the Seven Years Devastation and the other against the British Empire in 1891 which led to a great reduction of the male population-- made them to a greater acceptance to have the practice of polygamy (one can, even now, see in a family which has very few boys, the boys are much more taken care than their sisters). After Manipur lost its independence, the women started to play important role in seeking for political and economic independence. It was the women who protested against the then Political Agent -Mr. Maxwell- against the forced labour -lalup kaba in Manipuri- on Manipuri men. Under their aggressive pressure amounted, the British had to withdraw the use of forced labour in 1904. They also involved in the wide spread demonstration against the increase of Water-Tax by the British Government (Sanamani, 1976). The point made here is that women played important roles not only in the economic activities but in the political reforms of Manipur also. The rest of the writing is organized in the following manner. In section II, we see how the policy of rice trade especially the rice export was the main cause the outbreak of Nupi Lan. Section III gives a brief summary of the incidents of December 12 and the developments of various political movements following the Nupi Lan is analysed in section IV. The overview ends with a small conclusion on the overall survey of Nupi Lan in section V.