Introduction:
Manipuri or Meitei Community of Bangladesh are neither 'Upojati' nor Tribal nor Indigenous nor Adivashi as they originated from Manipur, where they are not tribals but the d
ominating community. 
Bishnupriya Community of Bangladesh are neither Manipuri nor Meitei but 'Bishnupriya' or may be called 'Lepnai' as they originated from outside Manipur but through Manipur to Bangladesh; that is the reason, perhaps they are calling themselves 'Manipuri'. For socio-economic purposes of the Bangladesh Government, Meiteis may be treated as 'Socio-economically Backward Community' since the majority of them are now 'Below the Poverty Line'.
Manipuri or Meitei Community of Bangladesh are neither 'Upojati' nor Tribal nor Indigenous nor Adivashi as they originated from Manipur, where they are not tribals but the d
ominating community. 
Bishnupriya Community of Bangladesh are neither Manipuri nor Meitei but 'Bishnupriya' or may be called 'Lepnai' as they originated from outside Manipur but through Manipur to Bangladesh; that is the reason, perhaps they are calling themselves 'Manipuri'. For socio-economic purposes of the Bangladesh Government, Meiteis may be treated as 'Socio-economically Backward Community' since the majority of them are now 'Below the Poverty Line'.Geography:
The Meitei community lives in the flat farmlands of Sylhet division, mainly in Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh. They also reside in a few villages in the other three districts of Sylhet division. The vast majority of Meitei villages are easily accessible by public buses and/or rickshaws, as they are close to main roads and towns. Living on flat farmland—and in Bangladesh one is never too far from a sizable river—their villages are prone to the yearly flooding that afflicts most of Bangladesh. In Kamalganj subdistrict of Moulvibazar district, which is the population and cultural center of the Bangladesh Meitei community, the Dhalai river flows through the heart of the Meitei community, bringing both life and destruction. In India, the Meitei live primarily in Manipur. There they are the majority, and their language is the official language
and the language of wider communication among the various ethnic communities. This is the reason why Meitei speakers call themselves Manipuri. Imphal is the capital city in Manipur and the center of Meitei culture, language and society.
The geographical origin of the Meitei-speaking people in Bangladesh is the area that is now Manipur in India. Manipur is universally recognized as the hub of Meitei language, culture, and education. One simply cannot talk about the Meitei without mentioning Manipur. Manipur was previously known by various names (Kyangleipak, Kyangkleipang, Kyanglei, Meitrabak, and Mekhali). One theory is that the land was named Manipur by missionaries who arrived there from Sylhet during the reign of Maharaj Garibniwaz in the first half of the eighteenth century (Islam 2003:409). Farooque Ahmed writes: “Manipur is one of the oldest civilizations in Southeast Asia and has a long history of monarchy before coming under British imperialism in 1891 and merging into India in 1947. Traditional Puya attributes this land with the first anointment of a king in 33 AD. His successors started the process of nation building by conquering all the clan territories in the valley that was completed in the 15th Century. Her territory saw its greatest expansion in
1475 with the annexation of Kabow valley by Garibniwaz Pamheiba and lost that territory in 1834. The reference to losing the territory in 1834 gives a hint as to how the Meiteis ended up in Bangladesh. Manipuris migrated to Bangladesh and settled at different times due to wars, conflicts and socio-political reasons. Their migration started during the reign of Rajarshi Baghyachandra (1764–1789) and the process was accelerated by the Manipur-Burma War (1819–1825) which is a black chapter in the history of Manipur. After the war with Burma, Manipur was ruled by the Burmese invaders for about seven years. During that period, King Chourajit Singh along with two younger brothers, Marjit Singh and Gambhir Singh took refuge in Sylhet. A hoard of Manipuri subjects followed them. A palace was built at that time at Mirzajangal of Sylhet town. After fleeing war and its effects, the Meitei put down roots in present-day Bangladesh, mostly in Sylhet division, as one of the forty or so language groups of Bangladesh. Of course, as they witnessed India’s independence from the British, experienced the years as East Pakistan, and finally the birth of Bangladesh as a nation, their post-Manipur years have also been fraught with great historical turmoil.
History:
The history of a people, a language, and a land is never perfectly clear or universally agreed upon. Whether it is eyewitness accounts of events or interpretation of those events by historians, there is rarely only one point of view. This is not simply an academic exercise of disagreeing over past events. The causes behind divergent views of history are often far more meaningful because history can have a significant bearing on the present as well as the future. Writing about the history of the Meitei in Bangladesh is tricky because they and the Bishnupriya are mired in just such a disagreement. As both the Meitei and Bishnupriya have admitted, there are political reasons for the current division and disagreement. Both groups want the name Manipuri attached to their group, and language, as there are certain economic and political advantages to being so recognized by the Bangladesh government. The Bishnupriya in general do not seem to mind sharing the Manipuri name with the Meitei. However, there are several strong voices among the Meitei rejecting the notion that the Bishnupriya should in any way be considered Manipuri.
People:
There are about 50,000 Meiteis (Pangan also) in Bangladesh according to an unconfirmed source. A research project very recently identified as much as the least number. They predominantly rely on rice farming for much of their livelihood although there are a fair number of businessmen as well. Most of them live in villages. Their life style is not as integrated members of a wider Bangladeshi community. There are very few who live in a large city such as Dhaka. This kind of living pattern seems typical among the speakers of traditional languages of Bangladesh. The facial features of the Meitei leave no doubt that they are not native to Bangladesh. They originally came from the east from a predominantly Mongoloid stock. The Banglapedia explains that “ethnologically Meitei belong to the Kuki-Chin group of the Tibeto-Burman family of the Mongolian race. But a good admixture of Aryan and other blood groups took place in the mainstream of Manipuri nation”. It is not however true in the real sense of the term “Meitei.” Meitei woman used their traditional clothes. The majority Meiteis are Hindus. In recent years Sanamahism (ancient Meitei faith) increased tremendously due to revivalism influence coming from Manipur where the faith originated. In addition, the Lai Haraoba festival is also important.
Pangan:
Among the people of Meitei the Pangan whose religion is Islam have a different facial structure of Bengali. They are of foreign origin of war captives (during the Mughal Rule in India) in Manipur. In Bangladesh locality sometimes they are called ‘Khai Bangal’. They are mostly Sunni Muslims. Eid remains their annual festival of all importance. The Moulvi conducts their marriage and circumcision. They have customs and observances inherited from their first ancestors who were Meitei women. In Bangladesh also they live in Moulvi Bazar district only. They with the other Hindu Meiteis and the Lepnai people (Bishnupriya) migrated from Manipur during the Seven Years Devastation of 1819-26 AD. Male cultural dresses are different from that of the Meiteis. Pangan men and women are extremely expert in agriculture and handicrafts.
Language:
Meitei is one of the eighteen major languages of India, recognized by the Government of India. There is a little difference in pronunciation between the Meitei spoken in Bangladesh and the Meitei spoken in Manipur in India and it is due to language environment. Pure Meitei language is however widely used in their villages. Meitei speakers are praying or conversing at home or with neighbors. Meitei children do appear to continue to speak Meitei as their best language, which is an indication that the Meitei language is not being lost. On the other hand, Meitei speakers acknowledge the need to know other languages, primarily Bangla. They tend to feel that Bangla should be the medium of education in primary schools, and that it is okay for their children to speak another language better than Meitei. There is not a single School in Bangladesh teaching in their own language of Meitei. Meitei children attend Bangla-medium schools. They are all fluent in Bangla. As a result, they will be less apt to use Meitei widely. Younger people are more literate in Bangla than in Meitei, it is likely that they will learn a broader vocabulary and become increasingly fluent in Bangla. Over time, this will be a threat to the vitality of the Meitei language in Bangladesh. Meitei speakers express positive attitudes towards their children’s learning to read and write in Meitei. They seem to think this would be good for the children themselves and for the Meitei community as a whole. Meitei adults also appear to be interested in learning to read and write in Meitei, especially if they were taught using the (traditional) Meitei script. Thus, while acknowledging the need and even desire for other languages, mother-tongue Meitei speakers also express some pride in their own language. Bilingualism study Meitei speakers in Bangladesh feel they are bilingual and even multilingual, as nearly all say they speak some Bangla and as many speak other languages, too. They however do write comfortably in Meitei though majority has a good command of Bangla. They can easily understand local Bangla in a variety of situations, and they are generally understood by mother-tongue Bangla speakers. Many of these people have passed their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams in Bangla only. Now all have a very good proficiency in Bangla but in the next generation Meitei may substitute Bangla due to increasing phenomenon of learning Meitei in Meitei Script and high flow of electronics media from Manipur where film albums have been developed commercially. Manipur Government also did not disturb it. In Bangladesh the Government has no idea of establishment of Meitei medium Schools till date. Meitei children are missing learning in their own mother tongue. Meitei language is a language of instruction in schools, colleges and universities up to Ph D level and also at the highest Civil Service levels, like IAS (Indian Administrative Services), IFS (Indian Foreign Services), IPS (Indian Police Services), MCS (Manipur Civil Services) and MPS (Manipur Police Services) etc. in India. Mass media, culture, films, songs, and music videos are produced. In Bangladesh, however, it is still primarily an oral language, used exclusively by and within the Meitei community only. They are using Bengali script, which displaced their Meitei script in the eighteenth century during the reign of King Pamheiba (Garibniwaz) in Manipur. Meitei script is absolutely unique to the Meiteis. The Banglapedia noted, “a characteristic feature of the old Manipuri script is that each and every alphabet is named according to a limb of the human body. Their shapes are also in consonance with those of the limbs” (410). Here is a sample of the script, which is known as Meetei Mayek:
The Meitei community lives in the flat farmlands of Sylhet division, mainly in Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh. They also reside in a few villages in the other three districts of Sylhet division. The vast majority of Meitei villages are easily accessible by public buses and/or rickshaws, as they are close to main roads and towns. Living on flat farmland—and in Bangladesh one is never too far from a sizable river—their villages are prone to the yearly flooding that afflicts most of Bangladesh. In Kamalganj subdistrict of Moulvibazar district, which is the population and cultural center of the Bangladesh Meitei community, the Dhalai river flows through the heart of the Meitei community, bringing both life and destruction. In India, the Meitei live primarily in Manipur. There they are the majority, and their language is the official language
and the language of wider communication among the various ethnic communities. This is the reason why Meitei speakers call themselves Manipuri. Imphal is the capital city in Manipur and the center of Meitei culture, language and society.The geographical origin of the Meitei-speaking people in Bangladesh is the area that is now Manipur in India. Manipur is universally recognized as the hub of Meitei language, culture, and education. One simply cannot talk about the Meitei without mentioning Manipur. Manipur was previously known by various names (Kyangleipak, Kyangkleipang, Kyanglei, Meitrabak, and Mekhali). One theory is that the land was named Manipur by missionaries who arrived there from Sylhet during the reign of Maharaj Garibniwaz in the first half of the eighteenth century (Islam 2003:409). Farooque Ahmed writes: “Manipur is one of the oldest civilizations in Southeast Asia and has a long history of monarchy before coming under British imperialism in 1891 and merging into India in 1947. Traditional Puya attributes this land with the first anointment of a king in 33 AD. His successors started the process of nation building by conquering all the clan territories in the valley that was completed in the 15th Century. Her territory saw its greatest expansion in
1475 with the annexation of Kabow valley by Garibniwaz Pamheiba and lost that territory in 1834. The reference to losing the territory in 1834 gives a hint as to how the Meiteis ended up in Bangladesh. Manipuris migrated to Bangladesh and settled at different times due to wars, conflicts and socio-political reasons. Their migration started during the reign of Rajarshi Baghyachandra (1764–1789) and the process was accelerated by the Manipur-Burma War (1819–1825) which is a black chapter in the history of Manipur. After the war with Burma, Manipur was ruled by the Burmese invaders for about seven years. During that period, King Chourajit Singh along with two younger brothers, Marjit Singh and Gambhir Singh took refuge in Sylhet. A hoard of Manipuri subjects followed them. A palace was built at that time at Mirzajangal of Sylhet town. After fleeing war and its effects, the Meitei put down roots in present-day Bangladesh, mostly in Sylhet division, as one of the forty or so language groups of Bangladesh. Of course, as they witnessed India’s independence from the British, experienced the years as East Pakistan, and finally the birth of Bangladesh as a nation, their post-Manipur years have also been fraught with great historical turmoil.History:
The history of a people, a language, and a land is never perfectly clear or universally agreed upon. Whether it is eyewitness accounts of events or interpretation of those events by historians, there is rarely only one point of view. This is not simply an academic exercise of disagreeing over past events. The causes behind divergent views of history are often far more meaningful because history can have a significant bearing on the present as well as the future. Writing about the history of the Meitei in Bangladesh is tricky because they and the Bishnupriya are mired in just such a disagreement. As both the Meitei and Bishnupriya have admitted, there are political reasons for the current division and disagreement. Both groups want the name Manipuri attached to their group, and language, as there are certain economic and political advantages to being so recognized by the Bangladesh government. The Bishnupriya in general do not seem to mind sharing the Manipuri name with the Meitei. However, there are several strong voices among the Meitei rejecting the notion that the Bishnupriya should in any way be considered Manipuri.
People:
There are about 50,000 Meiteis (Pangan also) in Bangladesh according to an unconfirmed source. A research project very recently identified as much as the least number. They predominantly rely on rice farming for much of their livelihood although there are a fair number of businessmen as well. Most of them live in villages. Their life style is not as integrated members of a wider Bangladeshi community. There are very few who live in a large city such as Dhaka. This kind of living pattern seems typical among the speakers of traditional languages of Bangladesh. The facial features of the Meitei leave no doubt that they are not native to Bangladesh. They originally came from the east from a predominantly Mongoloid stock. The Banglapedia explains that “ethnologically Meitei belong to the Kuki-Chin group of the Tibeto-Burman family of the Mongolian race. But a good admixture of Aryan and other blood groups took place in the mainstream of Manipuri nation”. It is not however true in the real sense of the term “Meitei.” Meitei woman used their traditional clothes. The majority Meiteis are Hindus. In recent years Sanamahism (ancient Meitei faith) increased tremendously due to revivalism influence coming from Manipur where the faith originated. In addition, the Lai Haraoba festival is also important.
Pangan:
Among the people of Meitei the Pangan whose religion is Islam have a different facial structure of Bengali. They are of foreign origin of war captives (during the Mughal Rule in India) in Manipur. In Bangladesh locality sometimes they are called ‘Khai Bangal’. They are mostly Sunni Muslims. Eid remains their annual festival of all importance. The Moulvi conducts their marriage and circumcision. They have customs and observances inherited from their first ancestors who were Meitei women. In Bangladesh also they live in Moulvi Bazar district only. They with the other Hindu Meiteis and the Lepnai people (Bishnupriya) migrated from Manipur during the Seven Years Devastation of 1819-26 AD. Male cultural dresses are different from that of the Meiteis. Pangan men and women are extremely expert in agriculture and handicrafts.
Language:
Meitei is one of the eighteen major languages of India, recognized by the Government of India. There is a little difference in pronunciation between the Meitei spoken in Bangladesh and the Meitei spoken in Manipur in India and it is due to language environment. Pure Meitei language is however widely used in their villages. Meitei speakers are praying or conversing at home or with neighbors. Meitei children do appear to continue to speak Meitei as their best language, which is an indication that the Meitei language is not being lost. On the other hand, Meitei speakers acknowledge the need to know other languages, primarily Bangla. They tend to feel that Bangla should be the medium of education in primary schools, and that it is okay for their children to speak another language better than Meitei. There is not a single School in Bangladesh teaching in their own language of Meitei. Meitei children attend Bangla-medium schools. They are all fluent in Bangla. As a result, they will be less apt to use Meitei widely. Younger people are more literate in Bangla than in Meitei, it is likely that they will learn a broader vocabulary and become increasingly fluent in Bangla. Over time, this will be a threat to the vitality of the Meitei language in Bangladesh. Meitei speakers express positive attitudes towards their children’s learning to read and write in Meitei. They seem to think this would be good for the children themselves and for the Meitei community as a whole. Meitei adults also appear to be interested in learning to read and write in Meitei, especially if they were taught using the (traditional) Meitei script. Thus, while acknowledging the need and even desire for other languages, mother-tongue Meitei speakers also express some pride in their own language. Bilingualism study Meitei speakers in Bangladesh feel they are bilingual and even multilingual, as nearly all say they speak some Bangla and as many speak other languages, too. They however do write comfortably in Meitei though majority has a good command of Bangla. They can easily understand local Bangla in a variety of situations, and they are generally understood by mother-tongue Bangla speakers. Many of these people have passed their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams in Bangla only. Now all have a very good proficiency in Bangla but in the next generation Meitei may substitute Bangla due to increasing phenomenon of learning Meitei in Meitei Script and high flow of electronics media from Manipur where film albums have been developed commercially. Manipur Government also did not disturb it. In Bangladesh the Government has no idea of establishment of Meitei medium Schools till date. Meitei children are missing learning in their own mother tongue. Meitei language is a language of instruction in schools, colleges and universities up to Ph D level and also at the highest Civil Service levels, like IAS (Indian Administrative Services), IFS (Indian Foreign Services), IPS (Indian Police Services), MCS (Manipur Civil Services) and MPS (Manipur Police Services) etc. in India. Mass media, culture, films, songs, and music videos are produced. In Bangladesh, however, it is still primarily an oral language, used exclusively by and within the Meitei community only. They are using Bengali script, which displaced their Meitei script in the eighteenth century during the reign of King Pamheiba (Garibniwaz) in Manipur. Meitei script is absolutely unique to the Meiteis. The Banglapedia noted, “a characteristic feature of the old Manipuri script is that each and every alphabet is named according to a limb of the human body. Their shapes are also in consonance with those of the limbs” (410). Here is a sample of the script, which is known as Meetei Mayek:
Manipur reintroduced the script in schools. In Sylhet division where Meiteis are residing, some social workers started teaching the script under trained teachers without getting any help from the government. We hope the Government may patronize them.
Dr R Renatus Sanabam
Independent Researcher
28 July, 2008
Dr R Renatus Sanabam
Independent Researcher
28 July, 2008
Sources: Internet
