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Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge
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==Sources==
V
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ol. 11(1), January 2012, pp. 70-77
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[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, We won the war, but was Bangladesh really liberated in 1971?, ''The Times of India'' Aug 6, 2024]
Traditional, ethnic and fermented foods of different tribes of Manipur
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Devi P & Suresh Kumar P
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*
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''' “Bottomless basket,” US national security adviser Henry Kissinger called Bangladesh soon after it was formed [in 1971]. Five decades on, Bangladesh has turned that around, but as the [2024] turmoil has shown, democracy weakened ''' ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
ICAR RC NEH Region, AP centre, Basar, Arunachal Pradesh- 791101
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E-mail
+
   
:
+
 
psureshars@gmail.com
+
 
Received 03.12.09; revised 10.08.10
+
   
Traditional  knowledge  exists  among  different  tribes  on  preparing  boiled  foods,  fermented  foods,  beverages  and
+
 
nutritionally rich traditional foods from various indigenous crop plants, forest products and meat of wild and domesticated
+
 
animals.  Manipur  has  great  ethno-cultural  diversity,  with  two  major  tribes,  the
+
   
Nagas
+
 
  and  the
+
==1905- 1971: three partitions==
Kukis
+
 
. The
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India and Pakistan were partitioned once, in 1947. But Bangladesh was partitioned thrice — 1905, 1947 and 1971. The contentious theory of the origins of Bangladesh is that it goes back to 1905, when the British Viceroy of India Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal. Indian nationalists and the intellectuals of Bengal vehemently opposed it. The seeds of Bengali nationalism had been sown. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
Naga
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  tribe
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== The Pakistan movement and East Bengal==
comprises  the
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Maring
+
When the two-nation theory was floated, the name for the new homeland for Muslims, Pakistan, was suggested by a young Britain-educated lawyer Choudhary Rahmat Ali in 1933. P for Punjab, A for Afghan province (now KhyberPakhtunkhwa), K for Kashmir, I for Indus, S for Sindh, and ʻstanʼ for Balochistan. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
,  
+
 
Mao, Maram,  Kabui,  Tangkhul,  Tadubi,  Kolya,  Khoiras/Mayangkhong,  Koirangs,  Chirus  and
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East Bengal found no mention. It angered the revolutionaries of Bengal. In 1940, fiery Bengal politician AK Fazlul Huq proposed the Lahore Resolution on behalf of the All India Muslim League — it called for independent states of Muslims in India — and nationalists began imagining an independent East Bengal. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
Maring
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where  as  the  
+
== The 1960s==
Kuki
+
 
  tribe comprises  the
+
By the 1960s, it had turned into a movement. Bangabandhu (friend of Bangladesh) Mujib, incarcerated on and off, was sent off to jail again in 1968 in the infamous ʻAgartala Conspiracyʼ case. Anger spilled onto the streets and spread to the rest of Pakistan, with violent student protests against Pakistanʼs military junta in 1969. The anti-government agitation ousted the decade-long military dictatorship of General Ayub Khan. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms   Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
Mizos, Paite, Thadou  and Vaiphei.  Meitei
+
 
  and
+
==1970: a landslide victory unpalatable to Pakistan ==
Meitei  Pangals
+
 
  are  two  non
+
Mujib won a landslide victory in the first ever general elections in December 1970. He was poised to be the head of the government of Pakistan. Three months later, opposition leaders from the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and the North West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) pledged allegiance to Mujibʼs Six-Point Political Agenda, which sought regional autonomy for the provinces in Pakistan. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
tribal  communities  of  Manipur  who  has  individual  identity.  The traditional  foods  of the
+
 
Manipuries
+
Between Mujib winning and this agenda being accepted by political leaders, General Khadim Hussain Raja, commander of the Eastern Command, planned Operation Blitz. It would mean suspension of all political activities and a return to military rule. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
comprises
+
 
Iromba,  
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The armed forces of Pakistan would be allowed to move against “defiant political leaders” and take them into “protective custody”. But Lieutenant General Yaqub Khan, who was chief of general staff of the Eastern Command, and Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan, who was governor of East Pakistan, scuttled the plan. Not for long, though. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
Champhu,  Kangshoi,  Hawaichar,  Soibum,  Ngaree,  ,  Paknam,  Chagem  pomba,  Kangshu,  Hentak,  Khazing,  Heikak,  sticky
+
 
rice  chapatti/bread,
+
The frustrated General Yahya Khan, president of Pakistan, ousted both Khan and Ahsan. Later, General Raja was also shown the door. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
etc
+
 
.
+
== Mukti Bahini==
Alcoholic  beverages  made  up  of  rice  are  very  common  in  almost  all  the  festivals  of  the  tribal
+
 
peoples of Manipur locally called as
+
''' Why the Mukti Bahini was formed) '''
Yu.
+
 
Among different produces, the people of Manipur have the habit of taking variety
+
Weeks before the genocidal campaign of March 25, 1971, codenamed Operation Searchlight, most officers and soldiers of the East Bengal Regiment and border guards East Pakistan Rifles revolted. The rebel officers and soldiers along with hundreds of border guard troops and policemen crossed into India, with fire cover from the Indian Border Security Force shielding them. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms   Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
of leafy vegetables which are available in plenty in the dense forests.  
+
 
Keywords:
+
The rebel officers held a crucial meeting on April 12 at Teliapara in Sylhet — the Mukti Bahini (Bangladesh Liberation Force) was formed under the command of Colonel (later General) MAG Osmany. The Mukti Bahini decided it would go the guerrilla way, on the lines of what Vietnam rebels did, instead of conventional war. Thousands of students, youths and farmers, including women, joined the Mukti Bahini. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms   Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
Manipur, Traditional foods, Fermented foods, Bamboo products, Ethnic foods
+
 
IPC Int. Cl.
+
==1971: The triumph ==
8
+
 
:
+
No liberation war in the world was as decisive as that of Bangladesh. The barefoot, half-naked soldiers of the Mukti Bahini had faced off with the Islamic militia of Pakistan and emerged victorious. A triumphant Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of the East Pakistan Awami League who led the resistance for an independent East Bengal, was released from prison in January 1972. When he took over the reins of the country, he had a huge task ahead of him. Corruption was raging, a famine was sweeping the nation and the ravages of over a decade of struggle had rent the people apart. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
A47G, A47G 19/26, A47J 39/02, B01D 3/00, C12C 11/00, C12C 12/04, C12C 7/00, A01G 16/00
+
 
Manipur is one of the eight states of Northeast India,
+
==1975==
bounded  by  Nagaland  in  the  North,  Mizoram  in  the
+
 
South, Assam  in  the West,  and  by  the  borders  of  the
+
He got to work but his compatriots betrayed him. He was assassinated in a military putsch on 15 August 1975 – when India was celebrating its Independence Day. Fifty years on, the secular ethos he died defending is under threat. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
country Myanmar in the East as well as in the part of
+
 
South. The state lies at latitude of 23°83’N - 25°68’N
+
== Sheikh Hasina==
and  longitude  of  93°03’E  -  94°78’E.  The  total area
+
 
covered by the state is 22,327 km² with the population
+
[Mujib’s] daughter, Sheikh Hasina, who took over in 2009 after the country had seen three decades of autocratic regimes. The economy took off. She opened up the country to foreign investment from India, Japan, South Korea, the US, Turkey and European countries. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
of  23,  88,  634.  The  major  crops  of  this  state  are
+
 
wheat, pulses,  paddy,  maize,  sugarcane,  potato  and
+
Soon, Bangladesh became the second-largest exporter of readymade garments. Pharmaceutical products are its other big export, to more than 70 countries, and frozen fish and food to Europe, North America, the Middle East and Australasia. Bangladesh made big strides in meeting Sustainable Development Goals. Hasina has been elected Prime Minister thrice, holding office for 12 years. Her decision to take in more than a million Rohingya refugees who had fled Myanmar was appreciated globally. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms   Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
mustard.  The  major  fruits  are  pineapple,  banana,
+
 
papaya, passion fruit, orange, lemon and mango. The
+
But the human rights record at home has been controversial. Sectarian violence against Hindus in mid-October of 2021 cast a shadow on the secular credentials of the country. Rights groups claim no perpetrator of sectarian violence against religious minorities, desecration of temples, arson and plunder faced criminal proceedings. Before the 2018 general elections, the authorities ignored human rights groups, civil society and journalistsʼ bodies to enact the Digital Security Act, which was believed to throttle freedom of expression. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
major vegetables are cabbage, cauliflower, pea, french
+
 
bean  and tomato. The  major  forest  products  are  oak,  
+
In three years since then, 1,516 cases have been filed under the law against 142 journalists, 35 teachers, 194 politicians and 67 students. None against Islamic evangelists who peddle hate speech online against womenʼs empowerment and elective democracy, and want a theocratic state. Nor against those uploading videos on YouTube demanding that the countryʼs flag be changed to a crescent and the national anthem be scrapped because a Hindu poet (Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore) wrote it. “It is a retreat from the commitments of 1971,said acclaimed social scientist Prof Rehman Sobhan. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
teak,  pine,  cane,  bamboo,
+
 
leihao
+
The authorities are yet to complete a non-controversial registration of liberation war veterans. Successive regimes failed to prepare a genuine list of veterans. Letʼs not discuss the total number of genocide victims — researchers claim the number could be higher than 3 million. Tens of thousands of infants and elderly people died of cholera and diarrhoeal disease in refugee camps. Bangladesh has had seven governments since Mujibʼs. Not one took up the issues of 1971 seriously. Political historian Mohiuddin Ahmad quoted a Liberation War poster: “Banglar Hindu, Banglar Christian, Banglar Buddhist, Banglar Musalman, Amra shobai Bangalee (Bengali Hindus, Christians, Buddists, Muslims — we are all Bengalis).”([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms   Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
and  
+
 
uningthou
+
He added, “If I knew Islamism would triumph over secularism, pluralism and tolerance, I would not have joined Mukti Bahini to liberate the country.([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
. The  
+
 
major  export  products  are  bamboo  shoot  products
+
August 5, 2024 marked the end of Sheikh Hasina's reign as she finally bowed to the same people's power that had once brought her to the office of Bangladesh prime minister. ([https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/we-won-the-war-but-was-bangladesh-liberated/articleshow/88149587.cms    Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024])
ginger, pineapple,  mushroom,  etc
+
 
1
+
 
.  Glutinous  rice  is
+
''' The writer is an independent journalist and columnist based in Bangladesh '''
cultivated in the valley and inter-most river basins of  
+
 
the  hills.   Transplantation  methods  in  the   valley
+
[[Category:Pages with broken file links|TESTTESTTESTTEST
cultivations  led  to  substantial  growth  of population
+
TEST]]
with a distinct peasantry, associated with riverine and
+
 
lacustrine village settlements.  
+
[[Category:Pages with broken file links|TESTTESTTESTTESTTEST
The Government  of Manipur  had recognized  32
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TEST]]
different  tribes. They  are:  
+
Animol,  Chothe,  Kacha
+
Naga,  Kom,  Maring,  Paite,  Sema,  Tarao,  Anal,
+
Gante, Kharem, Lamgang, Mao, Poumi Naga, Simte,
+
Thadou,  Angami,  Hmar,  Koirao,  Luisai,  Mansang,
+
Purum,  Sahlte,  Vaipei,  Chiru,  Kabui,  Koirangm,
+
Maram,    Mayon,    Ralte,    Tangkhul    and    Jou.
+
These  tribes  come  into  two  major  tribes,  i.e.   i)
+
Naga
+
The  
+
Naga
+
  tribe    comprises    the  
+
Maring
+
,
+
Mao,   Maram,   Kabui,   Tangkhul,   Tadubi,   Kolya,  
+
Khoiras/Mayangkhong, Koirangs, Chirus and Maring
+
2
+
.
+
They  occupy  the Northern  and  North-western  hills 
+
of  Manipur.  The  staple  food  is  rice  which  is  cooked
+
either  in  earthern  pot/metal  pot  or  in  bamboo  tube.  
+
Young  bamboo  shoots  are  collected  during  summer
+
season  and  are  peeled, dried  and  then  added  with 
+
rice  for  consumption.  ii)  
+
Kuki
+
:  They  are  also  known
+
as
+
Khongois.
+
  They    occupy    the   South    western 
+
and  South  eastern  hills  and  is  wide  spread  in  the
+
district of Churachandpur, Tangnoupal and Sadar hills
+
in  the  northern  Manipur.   This  tribe  comprises 
+
the
+
Mizos, Paite,  Thadou  and  Vaiphei
+
2
+
.  Rice  is  the  
+
staple  food  and  there  is  certain  restriction  in  the
+
consumption  of animal  flesh.  Rice  beer  (
+
Yu
+
)  is  the  
+
most important alcoholic beverages in all the festivals
+
of  this  tribe
+
3
+
.  Dried  fish  is  eaten  by  almost  all  the
+
ethnic  groups.  All type  of domestic  animals  is  eaten
+
except  cat.  They  also  eat  locusts,  dog,  all  kinds  of
+
birds and frogs.  
+
——————
+
*
+
Corresponding author
+
DEVI & SURESH KUMAR: TRADITIONAL FOODS OF MANIPUR
+
71
+
Meitei
+
            and
+
Meitei  Pangals
+
  are  the  communities  of
+
Manipur which does not belong to tribes. The
+
meiteis
+
are  distributed  in  the main  valley  and  fish  is  the
+
common  article  of  diet. Rice  is  the  staple  food  and
+
wheat  is  not  taken  in  the  form  of  
+
chappatti
+
  or
+
roti
+
.
+
The   majorities  of
+
Meitei  Pangals
+
occupies  the  
+
Thoubal  district  and  follow  the  Islamic  way  of  life.  
+
The region as a whole provides an exotic mosaic, rich
+
in the tapestry of colour, rhythm and movement
+
3
+
. All
+
the  ethnic  groups  living  in the hills  and  the  valley
+
prefer  wild  plants/plant  parts  as  foods  to  introduce
+
cultivate  plants. Though  many  of  these  plants  are
+
available,  nowadays  the   number  and   quality  of
+
species are much less than past. Very few numbers of
+
introduced  plants  are  replacing  this  vast  number  of
+
wild plants.
+
Different  tribes  have  their  own  traditional  foods
+
and  beverages.  The  traditional  food  habits  of  tribal
+
population of the state are very simple and have to do
+
with the festival and rituals which forms a mosaic of  
+
ethnic  cultural  combinations
+
3
+
.  Traditional  knowledge
+
exists  among  different  tribes  on  preparing  boiled
+
foods, fermented  foods,  beverages  and  nutritionally
+
rich  traditional  foods  from  various  indigenous  crop
+
plants,  forest  products  and  meat  of  wild  and
+
domesticated animals. These foods are part and parcel
+
of  their  social  spectrum  of  life.  Traditional  foods  are
+
not  only  rich  in   nutrients  but  also  have  certain
+
curative    properties    against    many    diseases    and
+
disorders
+
4
+
.  
+
Meitei
+
  diet  has  been  influenced  by  many
+
other  cultures  due  to  various  socio  political  reasons.
+
Sanskritisation  is  one  of  the   biggest  factors  that
+
influence  the  change  of dietary  habit. From  the  meat
+
eater they became fish eater, and those who accepted
+
the  Hinduism  to  its  extreme  even  gave  up  fish  and
+
became  pure  vegetarian. The
+
Manipuris
+
  are  usually
+
two  meals  eater, one in the morning  and the  other in
+
the  evening  /night.  Occasionally,  enjoy  taking
+
Sinju
+
vegetable  salad  with  fermented  fish  or  roasted  gram
+
flour.    Alcoholic    beverages    of    different    tribal
+
communities  have  received  attention  of  several
+
ethnobotanists  and  anthropologists.  Introduction  of
+
fast      foods      thorough      globalization      process,  
+
accompanied  by  decrease  in  the  use  of  traditional
+
foods  of  local  tribe  has  resulted  in  many  diseases
+
notably    diabetes,   heart    diseases,    and    anaemia
+
particularly    to    pregnant    and    lactating    women
+
5
+
.
+
Though  the  new  generation  of   tribes  adopted  to
+
modern  food  habits,  due  to  its  importance,  it  is
+
imperative  to document  the  traditional  food  products
+
and    their    importance    among    different    tribal
+
communities.
+
Methodology
+
The present study was conducted in Manipur state
+
covering  all  the districts. Thirty  different  villages
+
covering 200 different tribal people were conducted to  
+
make the final conclusion. The population is covered
+
in  such  a  way  that  it  comprises  of more  than  50%
+
elders  as  they  practice  those  traditional  practices 
+
still  in  household.  The  response  of   all  sampled
+
respondents  was  recorded.   A  questionnaire  after
+
pretesting    and    thereafter    editing    by    amending,  
+
recording  errors  and  deleting  queries  that  were
+
obviously  erroneous  was  filled  through  structured
+
participatory  interviews  at  the site  residence  of rural
+
people.  Secondary  information  was  collected  from
+
district agriculture information centre, books, reports,
+
and electronic and non- electronic sources. The use of
+
multiple  sources  of  information  was  intended  to
+
increase `construct validity of the case study in terms
+
of seeking convergent lines of inquiry.  
+
Results and discussion
+
Dietary pattern
+
Staple  diet  of  the
+
Manipuries
+
  is  rice  mixed  with
+
Bora/Bada
+
  fried  or  roasted  peas  or  gram  or
+
Kangou,
+
the  fried  vegetable  and  pulse. Rice  is  also  eaten 
+
with  seasonal  vegetables  cooked  with  smoked,  dried
+
or  fermented  fish.   The
+
meitei
+
  loves  it  mixed 
+
with  vegetable  chutney  (
+
Iromba
+
)/boiled  delicacy
+
(
+
Champhut  and  Kangshoi
+
).  This  is  a  mixture  of
+
various  boiled  vegetable  mashed  with  fermented 
+
fish  and  chillies.  Others  like
+
Parkia
+
roxburghii
+
(
+
Yongchak
+
),    lotus    rhizome    (
+
Thambou
+
),    green
+
Makhana (
+
Thangjing
+
), etc are
+
Manipuries
+
exclusives.
+
The
+
Meities
+
eats more than hundred varieties of leafy
+
vegetables.  They  learnt  a  very  special  art  of
+
fermenting soyabean, bamboo shoots and fishes from
+
time  immemorial.  They  make
+
Hawaichar
+
from
+
soyabean,
+
Soibum
+
,
+
Shoidon
+
  and
+
Soijin
+
  from  the  
+
bamboo  shoots.
+
Ngaree
+
  and
+
Hentak
+
  are  made  from
+
the  small  fishes.  Carefully  done  fermentation  is  very
+
important for the safety reasons. Otherwise occasional
+
food  poisoning  is  heard  from
+
hawaichar
+
  and  mixed
+
vegetable salad/chutney
+
7
+
.  
+
Iromba
+
an eclectic combination of fresh vegetables,  
+
bamboo    shoots,     fermented    fish    and    chillies.
+
Heithongba
+
is  a  pungent  dish  of lemon,  sugar,  salt,
+
aonla
+
and tamarind.
+
Maroi morok thongba
+
, is another
+
INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE VOL 11, NO. 1, JANUARY 2012
+
72
+
type of speciality.
+
M
+
orok
+
stands for green chilli, as a
+
result,  this  dish  is  bit  hot  in  taste.  
+
Madhurjan
+
  is  a
+
sweet  made  of milk,  sugar  and gramflour. A  black
+
lentil  called
+
Ooty
+
  is  compulsory  at  all  feasts.
+
Vegetables consist of cauliflower/
+
lai patha
+
called
+
Sak
+
with  pumpkin  made  into a  hot  and  spicy  curry  along
+
with  spinach  and  banana  inflorescence. A  wonderful
+
salad called
+
Sinju
+
made of finely shredded vegetables
+
and  raw  papaya,  tossed  in  herbs. A  dessert  made  of
+
rice  called
+
chak-hao
+
  is  deep  violet  in  colour  and  is
+
combined  with  milk, sugar, coconut  and  dry  fruits.
+
Suktani
+
is a combination of neem leaves,
+
basak
+
leaves
+
and  sugar.
+
Sweet  Kabok
+
  is  made  up  of molasses  and  
+
rice is a famous snack among the
+
Manipuries
+
.  
+
Preparation of some Traditional foods
+
Soyabean products
+
Hawaichar
+
Hawaijar
+
  is  an  indigenous  traditional  fermented
+
soyabean with characteristic flavour and stickiness. It
+
is consumed commonly in the local diet as a low cost
+
source of high protein food and plays an economical,  
+
social and cultural role in Manipur. There is intent to
+
upgrade the status of  
+
Hawaijar
+
in order to increase its
+
marketability  and  profitability.  In  the  traditional
+
method  of
+
Hawaijar
+
  preparation, medium  and  small
+
sized  soyabean  (
+
Glycine  max
+
  L.)  seeds  are  cleaned
+
and  sorted. The  graded  soyabean  seeds  are  dipped in
+
water where the water level should be twice than that
+
of  the  seeds  and  leave  it  overnight. The  seeds  are
+
washed  properly  for two  to  three  times  with  running
+
water  which  is  followed  by  cooking  either  by  using
+
pressure  cooker  or  by  conventional  methods.  The
+
solid  portion, i.e. the  cooked  soybean  was  placed  in  a
+
bamboo basket after draining off the water portion. The
+
greasy  portion  is  washed  with  lukewarm  water  till  it
+
becomes  non-greasy,  and  the remaining  water  was  
+
drained off completely and the content is turned upside
+
down  once  or  twice. The  water  portion  is  said  to  be
+
useful  in  washing  cloths  in  olden  times.  The  drained
+
water  is  believed  to  help  in  curing  TB  and  also  good
+
for  women.  Thrice  folded  cloth  is  placed  in  a  coarse
+
bamboo basket.  A thick layer of  
+
Ficus hispida
+
leaves,
+
locally known as
+
Asse heibong
+
or banana (
+
Musa
+
spp.)
+
leaves  are  placed  upon  it.  The cooked  soyabeans  are
+
placed  in  alternate  layers  above  that.  At  the  end,  
+
another cloth which is folded 2 to 3 times is placed and  
+
then the whole content is tied tightly with another cloth
+
to make air tight. This should be placed under the sun
+
during day times and near the fireplace at night in order
+
to  let  the  fermentation  process  complete  properly  and
+
also  to  avoid  maggots  damage.  The  fermented
+
soyabean, i.e.
+
hawaichar
+
  is  ready  in  3  days  during
+
summer  and  during  winter it  takes  5  days.  In  order  to
+
add more flavour it was kept near the fireplace as long
+
as  possible.   Ancient  time’s  rice  husks  were  used
+
instead of cloth.  
+
Hawaichar
+
can be eaten raw with salt
+
and chilli or cooked, etc. The preparation of
+
hawaichar
+
by natural fermentation leads to variation in quality due
+
to  varying  methodologies,  fermentation  time  and
+
temperature  of  incubation.  The  fermentation  takes
+
place under uncontrolled environmental conditions that
+
often  leads  to  unsuccessful  fermentation  and  poor
+
quality  products  which  might  be  due  to  native
+
fermenting microflora
+
8
+
.
+
The  traditional
+
hawaichar
+
is  characterised  by  its
+
alkalinity  (
+
p
+
H  8.0-8.2),   stickiness,   and  pungent 
+
odour.  The  preparation  of  
+
hawaichar
+
is  very  simple,
+
similar  to  that  of  Japanese
+
Itohiki-Natto
+
  (the whole
+
soyabean  seed  is  used  for  fermentation)
+
9
+
.  But  in
+
Kinema
+
  (another  Indian  fermented  soyabean),  it  is
+
dehulled and cracked into pieces before fermentation
+
10
+
.
+
Unlike
+
Kinema
+
  there  is  no  addition  of firewood  ash
+
during
+
hawaichar
+
  production.  Microorganisms  were
+
isolated  and  identified  in
+
hawaichar
+
  by  molecular
+
techniques  and  resulted  that  three  major  phylogenic
+
group, i.e.
+
Bacillus
+
group  comprising
+
Bacillus  subtilis
+
and
+
Bacillus
+
licheniformis,
+
  and
+
Staphylococcus  spp.
+
comprising
+
Staphylococcus aureus
+
and
+
Staphylococcus
+
sciuri
+
are involved
+
11
+
.
+
Dried Hawaichar
+
There are two types of dried
+
hawaichar
+
commonly
+
prepared by the people of Manipur. The first method
+
involves  the  common  technique  of  making
+
hawaijar
+
.
+
After  one  week  of  preparation, salt  is  mixed  along
+
with  the
+
hawaijar
+
.  The  whole  content  is  poured  in  a
+
bamboo (any bamboo with a longer internodes, bigger
+
hole and thinner outer part) where it is sealed with the
+
bamboo  leaves  and  tied  very  tightly  with  a  plastic
+
sheet. This is then placed in top of the fire place in the
+
kitchen  for  one  week.  The
+
hawaijar
+
  obtained  from
+
this has lesser smell and taste better. This can be kept
+
for a  longer  period  of  time.  The second  method is to
+
dry  the  fermented  soyabean  i.e.
+
hawaijar
+
in  direct
+
sunlight and make it moisture free.
+
Pickled hawaijar
+
This method is practiced recently by the people of
+
Manipur. The fermented soyabean i.e. the
+
hawaijar
+
is
+
DEVI & SURESH KUMAR: TRADITIONAL FOODS OF MANIPUR
+
73
+
fried  in  oil  along with some
+
m
+
asala
+
  and  add  a  pinch
+
of salt  to  taste.  This  is  then  filled  in  a  bottle  along
+
with the excess oil and sealed. This can be stored for a
+
longer period of time.
+
Paknam
+
Onion leaves, chilli, salt, half tablespoon of sodium
+
bicarbonate,  turmeric,  spices,
+
garam  masala
+
  and
+
ngari
+
are required for the preparation of
+
paknam
+
. All
+
the  contents  are  smashed  properly  then  gram  flour  is
+
added into it, which should be mixed thoroughly and
+
placed  in  one  or  two  layers  of  turmeric  leaves. The
+
whole  content  is  baked  on  a  hot  pan  and  a  heavy
+
weight  is  placed  upon. After  30  to  45  minutes  it
+
imparts  a  typical  flavour  which  indicates  the product
+
is  cooked.  
+
Paknam
+
can  be stored  for  a  day  or  two  at
+
the maximum.
+
Tree  mushroom
+
   paknam
+
  can  also  be  prepared
+
where all the  ingredients  are the  same  except  that  no
+
besan
+
and  sodium  bicarbonate  is  added  and  tree
+
mushroom  is  added  along  with  the  other  ingredients.
+
Nganam  paknam
+
is  another  kind  of
+
paknam
+
  where
+
small fishes are used while preparing the
+
paknam
+
. In
+
this  case  also, no
+
besan
+
(gram  flour)  and  sodium
+
bicarbonate is added while small amount of asafoetida
+
and cut green chillies are added.
+
Chagem Pomba
+
Cucumber, carrot  leaf,  squash  and  its  leaves,  etc
+
are taken and then broken rice is added to it of about
+
50 gm Some other vegetables which are cut into small
+
pieces  can  also  be  added.  The contents  are  fried  in
+
mustard  oil,  but  stirring  with  spoon  is  restricted.  All
+
the spices are added and a small amount of asafoetida
+
to  it  and  kept  it  for  at least  2  whistles  in pressure
+
cooker. Fennel (
+
Foeniculum vulgare
+
) was added when
+
almost cooked, instead of coriander in it.
+
Sea food based products
+
Ngari
+
For  the preparation  of  
+
ngari
+
  (fermented  fish),  a
+
typical small type of fish locally called as
+
phabou nga
+
is used. Daily meal of
+
Manipuries
+
is never completed
+
without
+
ngari
+
,  which  is  eaten  either  in  the  form  of
+
chutney (
+
iromba or morok metpa
+
) or as an ingredient
+
in    other    curries.    The  
+
phabou    nga
+
    is    washed
+
thoroughly  with  water  and  sundried  properly  till  it  
+
becomes  crispy.  Crushing  of  the fish  head  should  be
+
done  properly  with  the  help  of  a  hammer.  A  special
+
vessel  is  used  for  the  preparation  of
+
ngari
+
, where
+
mustard oil is plastered, the dried fish is then stacked
+
in proper order. The container is closed air tight after
+
filling. In order to make it air tight, sand is placed on  
+
the top and fermentation is allow to occur naturally. It
+
takes about 3 to 6 months to mature and ready to eat.
+
It imparts a typical odour which indicates that the fish
+
is well fermented and ready for eating.
+
Kangshu
+
Kangshu
+
  is  another  typical  traditional  food  which
+
is  eaten  by  the
+
Manipuries
+
.
+
Centella  asiatica
+
  (Indian
+
pennyworth) is cooked in a pressure cooker up to two
+
whistles  after  washing  with  water  for  the  preparation
+
of  
+
kangshu
+
.  Product  is  cut  into  small  pieces  after
+
draining  the  excess  water.
+
Morok  metpa
+
  (mixture  of
+
ngari
+
, chilli  and  salt)  is  added  in  it  and  is  mixed
+
thoroughly.  To  add  flavour  roasted  prawn  or  fish  is
+
added  and  finally  coriander  is  added.
+
Kangshu
+
  can
+
also  be  prepared  by  using  bamboo  shoots  instead of  
+
Centella asiatica
+
. In this case, the bamboo shoots are
+
cut  into  pieces  after  washing  with  running  water  and
+
kept  it  overnight,  and  then  the  next  day  it  is  again
+
washed  and  cooked  in  a  pressure  cooker.  Thereafter
+
the  same  procedure  is  followed  as  in  case  of the
+
above.
+
Hentak
+
Hentak
+
  was  used  by  the
+
Manipuries
+
before
+
ngari
+
came  into  existence.
+
Phabou  nga
+
  or
+
ngakha
+
is  used
+
for
+
hentak
+
preparation,.  This  fish  are  sun  dried  after
+
thorough washing till the moisture content in the fish
+
is  the  lowest.  It  is  then  crushed  into  powder  form.
+
Wild
+
colocasia
+
  stem  is  crushed  after  washing  and  
+
cutting  into  pieces.  The  powdered  fish  and  the
+
crushed  wild
+
colocasia
+
  stem  are  mixed  properly  and
+
are  rolled  in  round  form  and  stored  in  a  container,  
+
then after 3 days it is again crushed with the help of a
+
pestle  and  mortar.  This  crushing  is  done  at  a  regular
+
interval  if  to  be  stored  for  a  longer  period  of  time.
+
Instead of
+
colocasia
+
stem, onion can also be used but
+
hentak
+
made out of it can not be stored for long.
+
Khazing
+
It is the small sized prawn which is available in the
+
Loktak  lake
+
  of  Manipur.  
+
Khazing
+
  is  available  in  the
+
market  as  dried  form  or  is  consumed  in  fresh  form.
+
When  it  is  thoroughly  dried,  it  is  used  in  making
+
curries.  Dried
+
Khazing
+
  has  a  very  long  shelf  life.  In
+
other  way,  the  freshly  catch
+
Khazing
+
  is  fried  along
+
with mint leaves (
+
Mentha arvensis
+
).  
+
Heikak
+
Heikak
+
is a hydrophilic plant and the fruit is black
+
in  colour  and  irregular  in  shape  is  consumed  by
+
INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE VOL 11, NO. 1, JANUARY 2012
+
74
+
almost  all  the  people  of  Manipur.  It  is  consumed  by
+
e
+
ither boiling it in water or by converting it into flour
+
and used for preparing
+
chapatti
+
.
+
Sticky rice chapatti/bread
+
This  kind  of
+
chapatti
+
  or  bread  is  prepared  during
+
the   festivals  like
+
Gan-ngai  or  Lui-ngai  ni
+
   or
+
Christmas  by  the  youths.  The  required  amount  of  
+
sticky  rice  is  soaked  for  3-4  hrs  in  plain  water  then
+
sun drying is carried out on a bamboo tray known as
+
yankok
+
  locally.  When  it  is  dried  completely  with  the
+
least moisture in it, grinding is done in a mortar till it
+
becomes  powder.  The  coarser  part  is  removed  with
+
the help  of a  sieve  and  ground  again. In  another
+
container  sugar  solution  is  prepared, the  amount  of  
+
sugar  depends  upon  the desired  taste  of  the  person.
+
Now, the rice flour is mixed with the sugar syrup and  
+
chapatti
+
  is  prepared.
+
Bread  can  be  prepared  in  two
+
different methods, i.e.
+
1
+
Boiled  method:
+
In  this  method,  the mixture  of  
+
rice flour with the sugar syrup is made very hard
+
and  round  in  shape  which  is  then  wrapped  with
+
cardamom  leaves  and  tied  properly.  In  another
+
container water is boiled and the above content is
+
poured  and  cooking  is  carried  out  for an hour.
+
This  kind  of  bread  can  be kept  for  one  week  but
+
gets hard if kept for long so, the cardamom leaves
+
are removed and the content is fried in oil.
+
2
+
Fried method:
+
The mixture of rice flour with the
+
sugar syrup is made softer by adding more water
+
and  made  to  round  shape.  A  small  amount  of
+
edible oil is also added in it. Then in the fire place
+
some  charcoal  is  removed  just  near  by  and  the
+
content  is  put  on  top  of  it.  When this  becomes
+
black  in  colour,  it  is  turned  upside  down  so  that
+
the other  part  also  becomes  black.  The  upper
+
black portion is scraped out and the remaining is
+
used  for  consumption.  This  method  is  the  oldest
+
form  of   making  bread  by  the   hill  people  of
+
Manipur.
+
The
+
Tangkhul
+
people  of  Manipur  prepare  another
+
special kind of
+
chapatti
+
from
+
sesame. In this method,  
+
the mixture of rice flour with water is made very hard
+
and  even  coarser  part  of  the  rice  flour  can  also  be
+
used. No additional items are added with it, not even
+
salt. Then similar to the fry method, some charcoal is
+
removed just near by and the content is put on top of  
+
it  near  the  fire.  In  a mortar,  raw  sesame  is  ground
+
where  a  small  amount  of water  is  sprinkled  in  it  and
+
salt  is  added  to  taste.  When  oil  started  coming  out
+
from  the sesame  the  above  content  is  added  and
+
ground  along  with  it. But  if  excess  amount  of  oil
+
comes  out  then  it  is  removed  manually. The  mixture
+
can be used in preparation of
+
chapatti
+
.  
+
Bamboo based products
+
In Manipur bamboo forest covers an area of around
+
3218  sq  Km.  The  most  commonly  available  bamboo
+
species      are
+
Bambusa      aurndinaca      (saneibi), 
+
Bambusa pallida (Kal-sundi), Bambusa nana (Khok),
+
Dendrocalamus  giganteus  (meiribob),  Dendrocalamus
+
flagellifer  (Longa  wa),  Dendrocalamus  hamiltonii
+
(Wanap/unap/pecha), Dendrocalamus  sericeus(Ooii)
+
and
+
Melocana bambusoides (Moubi/muli), Teinostachyum
+
dulooa      (Dulu),      Teinostachyum      wightii(Nath),
+
Bambusa  tulda  (Utang).
+
  About  20-30  MT  bamboo
+
shoots  are  consumed  annually  for  the  production  of
+
canned  bamboo-shoots. Canning  is  done  either  in  
+
brine  or  in  syrup.  Export  of  these  canned  bamboo
+
shoots are done in Japan, Singapore, China, Thailand,
+
Hong  kong  and  UK  The  chemical  constitution  of  a  
+
raw  bamboo  shoot  in  percentage  are;  moisture,  88.8;
+
protein, 3.90;  fat,  0.5;  minerals,  1.10;  carbohydrate,
+
5.70  and  calorific  value, 43  Kcal.  Some  important
+
products made from bamboo are:
+
Soibum.
+
  Tender  bamboo  shoots  are  collected  and
+
cleaned, outer sheaths should be removed. Only inner
+
white  portion  is  used  for  fermentation.  There  are
+
many  ways  for  the  preparation  of fermented  bamboo
+
shoot, i.e.
+
1
+
Inside  a  pit:
+
In  this  method, a  pit  is  dug  and  a
+
basket made by using bamboo of the shape of the
+
pit  is  placed  into  it. Care  should  be  taken  to
+
slightly inclined the bamboo basket while placing
+
so as to allow the flow of the water produced by
+
the  bamboo  shoots  during  fermentation.   Wild
+
colocasia
+
leaves is put in and around the pit in a
+
thick  layer  of  about  2-3  inch,  then  the  bamboo
+
shoots are made into longitudinal shreds and kept
+
in  air  tight  condition.  The  fermented  bamboo
+
shoot is ready for sale or for making curry within
+
to 5  days.  These  fermented  bamboo  shoots  are
+
locally  known  as
+
soibum
+
  (Fig.  1).  The  water
+
collected  from this  can  also  be  preserved  and  is
+
used again in new fermentation of bamboo shoots.
+
Now  a  day, instead  of  wild
+
colocasia
+
leaves,  
+
plastic  sheets  are  used, provided  holes  are  made
+
in  the bottom  to  allow  drainage  of  water. This
+
kind of fermented bamboo shoots can be kept for
+
a longer period of time i.e. for one month or more
+
DEVI & SURESH KUMAR: TRADITIONAL FOODS OF MANIPUR
+
75
+
if  kept  air  tight.  The  degree  of  sourness  shows  a
+
r
+
apid  increase  in  the initial  stage  of  fermentation
+
but as it reaches a peak point at about 7-10 days,  
+
it started decreasing. These methods of preparing
+
fermented  bamboo  shoots  are  followed  in  almost
+
all the hill districts of Manipur. Bamboo varieties
+
such as
+
Sanaibi, Nath, Unal, Longa wa, Meiribob,
+
Ooii,
+
etc are used for this purpose. Care should be
+
taken  to  avoid  varieties  such  as
+
Utang
+
and
+
Knok
+
as  they  are  not  edible
+
12
+
.
+
Sanaibi
+
  is  the   best
+
bamboo    shoot    variety    for    preparation    of
+
fermented  bamboo  shoots,  which  is  followed  by
+
nath
+
variety. But
+
Unal
+
variety gives better texture
+
and appearance.  
+
2
+
In  an  earthen  pot
+
  :
+
This  method  of  the
+
fermentation  of  bamboo  shoot  is  the  same  as 
+
said  above,  the  only  difference  is  that  instead  of
+
fermenting  the  bamboo  shoots  inside  a  pit, 
+
an  earthen  pot  is  used  where  a  hole  is  made at 
+
the  bottom  for  the  drainage  of  excess  water 
+
during  fermentation.  During  fermentation  in an
+
earthen  pot  some  people  prefer  to  add
+
Heibung
+
for  enhancing  the  fermentation  and  also  for  a
+
sourer taste.  
+
3
+
In  open  condition:
+
In  open  condition,   wild
+
colocasia
+
  leaves  are  used  in  thick  layers. The
+
sliced  bamboo  shoots  are placed  on top  of it and
+
are again covered with these leaves. Fermentation
+
is  allowed  to take place  in this  way. No  other
+
addition is done in this method.
+
4
+
Dipping  in  water:  
+
For  this  method  a  special
+
bamboo variety is used i.e.  
+
nath
+
variety. Locally it
+
is  called
+
nath  ki  soibum.
+
   This  method  is
+
commonly  used  by  the  people  of  Bishempur
+
district  of  Manipur.  As  the
+
nath
+
  bamboo  is  very
+
small and long, it is sliced longitudinally as whole
+
for  about  2-3  cm  and  it  is  placed  in  a  container
+
(plastic  buckets  are  generally  employed  these
+
days)  where  water  is  poured  just  to  dipped  the
+
contains.  It  is  covered  and  kept  till  sale.  The
+
fermented  bamboo  shoots  are  ready  to  sale  after 
+
3  days.
+
Nath
+
variety  gives  very  tasty  fermented
+
bamboo shoots but it can’t be stored for a longer
+
duration of time.
+
5
+
Dried
+
Usoi
+
(bamboo  shoot):
+
For  this  purpose
+
any bamboo shoot variety which is edible is used.
+
All  the bamboo  shoots  are  sliced  to  small  pieces
+
and is boiled with water then drying in a bamboo
+
tray under the sun is carried out after draining off
+
the  excess  water. This  dried  bamboo  shoots  are
+
packed in plastic sheets and used in off season or
+
is send for sale
+
4
+
.
+
6
+
Dried
+
soibum
+
(fermented  bamboo  shoots):
+
In
+
this  method,  after  the  completion  of  normal
+
fermentation of the bamboo shoots, they are dried
+
either under the sun or in top of the fire. For this
+
method  the  Tankhul  people  of Manipur  uses  a
+
special  type  of bamboo  shoots  variety  which  is
+
very small and long, locally known as
+
ngathan
+
. It
+
gives  a  twisted  appearance  after  drying  just  like
+
noodles.
+
7
+
Fermented bamboo shoot Pickle:
+
The
+
soibum
+
in
+
general (fermented or dried) are consumed by all
+
the people  of  Manipur  devoid  of  any  caste  or
+
tribe.  It  is  eaten  as  raw  with  fermented  fish  or
+
boiled and cooked form with any  meat or fish or
+
vegetables.  It  forms  an  important  food  part  in all
+
the   festivals    observed    by    the
+
Manipuries
+
.
+
Nowadays, in  some  small  scale  industries  the
+
bamboo  shoots  are  blanched  after  slicing  into
+
small  pieces  in  hot  water  to reduce  its  enzyme
+
activity  and  are  treated  with  KMS  (1%)  for 
+
10 min. After which it is sun dried and packed in
+
an air tight container and is send for sale.
+
Alcoholic beverages
+
The  commonly  consumed  alcoholic  beverage  in
+
Manipur is prepared from rice. It is commonly known
+
as
+
Yu
+
.  In  this  case,  any  kind  of rice  is  used  for  the
+
preparation  of  alcoholic  beverage  but  the
+
Tankhul
+
tribe  used  only  sticky  rice. In  some  of  the  alcoholic
+
beverages  yeast  is  required  for  conducting  the
+
fermentation. This is prepared as described below.
+
Preparation of yeast (
+
Hamei
+
)
+
The quality of rice beer is partially depending upon
+
the  quality  of  yeast  used. It  is  otherwise  called  as
+
Hamei
+
  by
+
Kabui
+
tribes  and
+
Chamri
+
by  the
+
Tankhul
+
tribes. For  preparation  of
+
Hamei
+
,  finely  grinded  rice
+
powder,  where  the rice  was previously  soaked  in
+
water  for  2-3  hrs  is  thoroughly  mixed  with  the  bark
+
powders of
+
Yanglei
+
(Fig. 2).
+
The  mixture  is  kept  in  large  vessel  and  water  is
+
added slowly till the mixture made into paste with the
+
required consistency. The paste is then spread on the
+
bamboo mat/banana leaves and made into small cubes
+
or  tablet form. The  prepared  tablets are  sun  dried till
+
the material is completely dried.
+
Hamei
+
can be stored
+
in  cool, dry  place  for  over  a  year.  For  1  kg  rice,  
+
around  8-10  gm
+
Yanglei
+
  is  added.  Three  different
+
kinds of alcoholic beverages are consumed. They are:
+
INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE VOL 11, NO. 1, JANUARY 2012
+
76
+
a)
+
Y
+
        u  angouba:
+
For  the preparation  of
+
yu  angouba
+
the  rice  is  soaked  in  water  for  around  2-3  hrs
+
along with some germinated paddy. For 1 Kg rice
+
around  100gm  germinated  paddy  is  added.  After
+
this, the  water  is  drained  out  and the  soaked  rice
+
is  crushed  with  the  help  of  a  mortar  till  powder
+
form. In another vessel water is boiled and in this
+
boiled  water  the  crushed  rice  is  added  with
+
continuous  stirring  till  it  gets  cooled  then  it  is
+
covered  by  a  muslin  cloth  and kept  for  2-3  days
+
without  any  disturbance.  Within  these  days  form
+
started  coming  out  and  a typical  flavour  and
+
odour is released. This indicates that  
+
yu angouba
+
is  now  ready  to consume.  The
+
Tankhul
+
  tribe  of
+
Manipur uses  a typical  pot  which is  of  the shape
+
of a conical flask, so after pouring the content it is  
+
sealed  with  cow  dung  and  ashes  mixture.  This
+
tribe  uses  only  paddy  and  not  rice  for  the  
+
preparation  of  
+
yu  angouba
+
, and  it  is  known  as
+
Khor
+
in their local dialect
+
12
+
.
+
Yu angouba
+
can’t be
+
stored for a longer period of time. It can be stored
+
for a maximum of 7 days.  This kind of alcoholic
+
beverage if consumed within 2-3 days then is said  
+
to  be  beneficial  for  our  body,  it  is  compared  to
+
drinking of milk but in a limited quantity i.e. 500
+
ml at the maximum.
+
b)
+
Atingba:  
+
In this type of alcoholic beverage rice is
+
cooked and spread in a container or in a tray made
+
of  bamboo.  
+
Hamei
+
  is  mixed  properly  along  with
+
the cooked rice. The whole content is transferred
+
in a vessel then a little amount of water is poured
+
just to dip it. Then cover with a muslin cloth. Heat
+
is  released  for  2-3  days
+
13
+
.  After  which  water  is
+
again poured to ease the heat.
+
Atingba
+
is ready to
+
drink  after  6-8  hrs  of  pouring  the  water  but this
+
will  give  a  very  light  drink.  A  proper
+
Atingba
+
  is
+
formed  after  4-5  days  of  fermentation  during
+
summer  and  after  7-8  days  in  winter.  This  kind 
+
of  alcoholic  beverage  can  be  consumed  for  only
+
1-2  days  after  fermentation  but  can  be  kept  for
+
around 1-2 months which is used for preparing
+
Yu
+
.  
+
The
+
tankhul
+
tribe calls this type of wine as
+
Patso
+
.
+
c
+
)
+
Y
+
u:
+
Yu
+
in kabui or
+
Acham
+
in tankhul is prepared
+
from
+
Atingba
+
.  This
+
Atingba
+
  is  poured  in  an
+
aluminum pot and is cooked in low flame. Above
+
to this pot an aluminum funnel is placed and from
+
this a pipe is connected to the otter part of the pot.  
+
This  pipe  is  used  for  collecting
+
yu
+
.  The  pot  is
+
covered tightly with an aluminum plate. On top of  
+
this  another  aluminum  pot  is  placed  containing
+
cold  water. All  the connecting  points  are  sealed
+
properly    with    cow    dung    paste.    Distillation
+
continuous  until  all  the alcohol  present  in  the
+
content is  out.  This can  be checked  by  dipping  a
+
small  stick  into  the  boiling
+
Atingba
+
  and  lit  it,  if
+
produce  green  flame  than it  indicates  that  the
+
alcohol  content  is  more
+
14  ,15
+
. So,  based  on  this
+
technique  the  distillation  process  is  continued.
+
The  remaining  content  after  the  extraction  of
+
yu
+
  is  used  as  pig  feed.  This  type  of alcoholic
+
beverage  is  very  hard  as  compared  to  the  others
+
stated above (Fig. 3).
+
Figs.1—3: (1)Street vendor selling
+
S
+
oibum
+
in local market, (2) Yeast tablets and (3) Traditional preparation of  
+
Yu
+
DEVI & SURESH KUMAR: TRADITIONAL FOODS OF MANIPUR
+
77
+
Another  kind  of  alcoholic  beverage  prepared  from
+
ba
+
nana is commonly consumed by the
+
naga
+
tribes of
+
Manipur  known  as  Banana  wine;  this  is  prepared  by
+
fermenting the ripe banana in a closed container with
+
a  little  amount  of  water
+
16
+
. No  inoculum  is  added  for
+
conducting  the  fermentation. The  wine  is  ready  to
+
drink  after  3  days  and  is  advisable  to  consume  it
+
within 1 or 2 days after opening the cover.  
+
Conclusion
+
The  society, culture, traditions, ethics  and  food
+
habit of any community cannot be seen in the isolated
+
mode  as  they  are all intermingled  and  much  more
+
complex. The ecology provides a range of probability
+
to select the plant and animal sources, culture decides
+
the  tradition  and  the  ethics  determines  the  habit  of
+
eating the food. The traditions maintained by various
+
communities  of
+
Manipuries
+
are  having  strong  ethical
+
issues.   The  advent  of  modern  civilization  has
+
adversely  affected  the   tradition  and  heritage  of
+
community  and  thus  the  younger  generations  are 
+
not  exposed  to  traditional  practices. There  should 
+
be  focused  efforts  to  promote  traditional  food 
+
systems  within  rural  communities.  Rewarding  and
+
acknowledging   young    people    who    demonstrate
+
interest  and  awareness  in  the  health  of  environment
+
and  in  their  traditional  foods  would  also  raise  the
+
profile  of  these  issues.  Traditional  foods, community
+
dinners  can  also  provide  opportunities  to  promote
+
food  products  and  knowledge  about  ethnic  foods.  In
+
future, the nutritional and microbial aspects of various
+
traditional foods are needed to be analyzed.
+
Acknowledgement
+
We  heartily  thank  to  all  the  tribal  people  who
+
shared their traditional knowledge with the authors to
+
compile this manuscript. The financial help offered to
+
conduct  this  survey  by  GOI  from  CSS  Horticulture
+
mission is also highly acknowledged.
+
References
+
1
+
Haokip  &  Ngamthang, Basic  Delineation  Map  of  Manipur,  
+
Profile    on    state    of    environment    report    of    Manipur, 
+
(Ministry of Environment and Forests, Manipur), 2006-07, 4-9.  
+
2
+
Census  Population,
+
Census  of  India
+
(Ministry  of  Finance
+
India), 2001, 12-18.  
+
3
+
Bareh  HM,
+
Encyclopaedia  of  NE  India  1.   Arunachal
+
Pradesh
+
, (Mittal Publication, New Delhi), 2001, 2-233.  
+
4
+
Singh  RK  &  Sureja  AK, Centurion  women  and  diverse
+
knowledge  systems,  
+
Indian  J  Tradit  Knowle,
+
5  (3)  (2006)  
+
413-419.
+
5
+
Mao  AA  &  Odyou  M, Traditional  fermented  foods  of the  
+
Naga tribes of North-eastern India,
+
Indian J Tradit Knowle,
+
6
+
(1) (2007) 37-41.
+
6
+
http://www.manipur.webs/  
+
7
+
Singh  NR,
+
Dietary  pattern:  Edible  wild  plants  of  Manipur,
+
(ADAM Publications), 2003, 7-9.
+
8
+
Tamang JP, Ethnic fermented foods of the eastern Himalayas,
+
In:
+
2
+
nd
+
  International  conference  on  fermented  foods,  health
+
status  and  social  wellbeing
+
,  SASNET,  Dec  17-18,  2005,
+
(Anand Agricultural University, Anand), India, 235.
+
9
+
Ohta T,
+
Natto
+
, In:
+
Legume-based fermented foods
+
, edited by
+
NR  Reddy,  MD  Pierson,  &  DK  Salunkhe,  (CRC  Press,
+
Florida), 1986, 85-95.
+
10
+
Sarkar  PK,  Tamang  JP,  Cook  PE  &  Owens  JD,
+
Kinema
+
-a
+
traditional  soybean  fermented  food:  proximate  composition
+
and microflora,
+
Food Microbiol
+
, 11(1994) 47-55.  
+
11
+
Jeyaram K, Singh WM, Premarani T, Devi AR & Chanu KS,
+
Talukdar  NC  &  Singh  MR,  Molecular  diversification  of  
+
dominant  microflora  associated  with
+
Hawaijar
+
-  a  traditional
+
fermented soybean (
+
Glycine max L.
+
) food of Manipur, India,
+
Int J Food Microbiol
+
, 122 (2008) 259-268.
+
12
+
Manihar  Singh  A,
+
History  of  Manipuri  Literature
+
,  (New
+
Delhi: Sahitya Akademi), 1966, 12.
+
13
+
Hijam  Irabot,
+
Imagi  Pujah,  Imphal,
+
  (Irabot  Leirak  Phonba
+
Lup), 2005, 12-17.
+
14
+
http://www.kanglaonline.com 
+
15
+
Chatradhari  S  &  Irabot  H,  (Soyam  Publication.  Imphal).
+
1996, 23-34
+
16
+
Lokendrajit  S,
+
Irabot  Ki  Seireng,  Ritu
+
,  (Manipur  Sahitya
+
Parishad. Imphal), 1997, 9 -1
+

Latest revision as of 20:42, 8 August 2024

Contents

[edit] Sources

Samad, Saleem, We won the war, but was Bangladesh really liberated in 1971?, The Times of India Aug 6, 2024


“Bottomless basket,” US national security adviser Henry Kissinger called Bangladesh soon after it was formed [in 1971]. Five decades on, Bangladesh has turned that around, but as the [2024] turmoil has shown, democracy weakened (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)





[edit] 1905- 1971: three partitions

India and Pakistan were partitioned once, in 1947. But Bangladesh was partitioned thrice — 1905, 1947 and 1971. The contentious theory of the origins of Bangladesh is that it goes back to 1905, when the British Viceroy of India Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal. Indian nationalists and the intellectuals of Bengal vehemently opposed it. The seeds of Bengali nationalism had been sown. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

[edit] The Pakistan movement and East Bengal

When the two-nation theory was floated, the name for the new homeland for Muslims, Pakistan, was suggested by a young Britain-educated lawyer Choudhary Rahmat Ali in 1933. P for Punjab, A for Afghan province (now KhyberPakhtunkhwa), K for Kashmir, I for Indus, S for Sindh, and ʻstanʼ for Balochistan. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

East Bengal found no mention. It angered the revolutionaries of Bengal. In 1940, fiery Bengal politician AK Fazlul Huq proposed the Lahore Resolution on behalf of the All India Muslim League — it called for independent states of Muslims in India — and nationalists began imagining an independent East Bengal. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

[edit] The 1960s

By the 1960s, it had turned into a movement. Bangabandhu (friend of Bangladesh) Mujib, incarcerated on and off, was sent off to jail again in 1968 in the infamous ʻAgartala Conspiracyʼ case. Anger spilled onto the streets and spread to the rest of Pakistan, with violent student protests against Pakistanʼs military junta in 1969. The anti-government agitation ousted the decade-long military dictatorship of General Ayub Khan. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

[edit] 1970: a landslide victory unpalatable to Pakistan

Mujib won a landslide victory in the first ever general elections in December 1970. He was poised to be the head of the government of Pakistan. Three months later, opposition leaders from the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and the North West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) pledged allegiance to Mujibʼs Six-Point Political Agenda, which sought regional autonomy for the provinces in Pakistan. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

Between Mujib winning and this agenda being accepted by political leaders, General Khadim Hussain Raja, commander of the Eastern Command, planned Operation Blitz. It would mean suspension of all political activities and a return to military rule. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

The armed forces of Pakistan would be allowed to move against “defiant political leaders” and take them into “protective custody”. But Lieutenant General Yaqub Khan, who was chief of general staff of the Eastern Command, and Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan, who was governor of East Pakistan, scuttled the plan. Not for long, though. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

The frustrated General Yahya Khan, president of Pakistan, ousted both Khan and Ahsan. Later, General Raja was also shown the door. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

[edit] Mukti Bahini

Why the Mukti Bahini was formed)

Weeks before the genocidal campaign of March 25, 1971, codenamed Operation Searchlight, most officers and soldiers of the East Bengal Regiment and border guards East Pakistan Rifles revolted. The rebel officers and soldiers along with hundreds of border guard troops and policemen crossed into India, with fire cover from the Indian Border Security Force shielding them. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

The rebel officers held a crucial meeting on April 12 at Teliapara in Sylhet — the Mukti Bahini (Bangladesh Liberation Force) was formed under the command of Colonel (later General) MAG Osmany. The Mukti Bahini decided it would go the guerrilla way, on the lines of what Vietnam rebels did, instead of conventional war. Thousands of students, youths and farmers, including women, joined the Mukti Bahini. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

[edit] 1971: The triumph

No liberation war in the world was as decisive as that of Bangladesh. The barefoot, half-naked soldiers of the Mukti Bahini had faced off with the Islamic militia of Pakistan and emerged victorious. A triumphant Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of the East Pakistan Awami League who led the resistance for an independent East Bengal, was released from prison in January 1972. When he took over the reins of the country, he had a huge task ahead of him. Corruption was raging, a famine was sweeping the nation and the ravages of over a decade of struggle had rent the people apart. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

[edit] 1975

He got to work but his compatriots betrayed him. He was assassinated in a military putsch on 15 August 1975 – when India was celebrating its Independence Day. Fifty years on, the secular ethos he died defending is under threat. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

[edit] Sheikh Hasina

[Mujib’s] daughter, Sheikh Hasina, who took over in 2009 after the country had seen three decades of autocratic regimes. The economy took off. She opened up the country to foreign investment from India, Japan, South Korea, the US, Turkey and European countries. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

Soon, Bangladesh became the second-largest exporter of readymade garments. Pharmaceutical products are its other big export, to more than 70 countries, and frozen fish and food to Europe, North America, the Middle East and Australasia. Bangladesh made big strides in meeting Sustainable Development Goals. Hasina has been elected Prime Minister thrice, holding office for 12 years. Her decision to take in more than a million Rohingya refugees who had fled Myanmar was appreciated globally. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

But the human rights record at home has been controversial. Sectarian violence against Hindus in mid-October of 2021 cast a shadow on the secular credentials of the country. Rights groups claim no perpetrator of sectarian violence against religious minorities, desecration of temples, arson and plunder faced criminal proceedings. Before the 2018 general elections, the authorities ignored human rights groups, civil society and journalistsʼ bodies to enact the Digital Security Act, which was believed to throttle freedom of expression. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

In three years since then, 1,516 cases have been filed under the law against 142 journalists, 35 teachers, 194 politicians and 67 students. None against Islamic evangelists who peddle hate speech online against womenʼs empowerment and elective democracy, and want a theocratic state. Nor against those uploading videos on YouTube demanding that the countryʼs flag be changed to a crescent and the national anthem be scrapped because a Hindu poet (Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore) wrote it. “It is a retreat from the commitments of 1971,” said acclaimed social scientist Prof Rehman Sobhan. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

The authorities are yet to complete a non-controversial registration of liberation war veterans. Successive regimes failed to prepare a genuine list of veterans. Letʼs not discuss the total number of genocide victims — researchers claim the number could be higher than 3 million. Tens of thousands of infants and elderly people died of cholera and diarrhoeal disease in refugee camps. Bangladesh has had seven governments since Mujibʼs. Not one took up the issues of 1971 seriously. Political historian Mohiuddin Ahmad quoted a Liberation War poster: “Banglar Hindu, Banglar Christian, Banglar Buddhist, Banglar Musalman, Amra shobai Bangalee (Bengali Hindus, Christians, Buddists, Muslims — we are all Bengalis).”(Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

He added, “If I knew Islamism would triumph over secularism, pluralism and tolerance, I would not have joined Mukti Bahini to liberate the country.”(Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)

August 5, 2024 marked the end of Sheikh Hasina's reign as she finally bowed to the same people's power that had once brought her to the office of Bangladesh prime minister. (Samad, Saleem, ‘‘The Times of India’’ 2024)


The writer is an independent journalist and columnist based in Bangladesh

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