Anthropology and Indian Diplomacy (A Social Audit of Untold Story of Manipur)

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The main focus of the present treatise to understand the role of anthropologists towards nation building through the evaluation of Manipur Unrest from the existing published empirical study materials of anthropology and the literature on International diplomatic relations in order to maintain India's sovereignty. The vulnerable land mass of our country--the Chicken neck, which is commonly known as Siliguri Corridor, is not only a corridor and gateway to North-east India as well as South -East Asia but it is also vital in view of our country's security point of view, keeping integral sovereignty. Within this land mass number of tribal ethnic groups who were chiefly emigrated here from the adjoining nations before the colonial administration with their distinct cultural attributes are living in a distinct territorial enclave with full of cultural diversity like bi-liny, matriliny, phratry, moiety, binary system, polyandry Zeliangrong, Donyi-poloism, Buddhism, Bon religion etc., this treasure island may attract any anthropologist to explore such treasures. More so, these tribal communities are living close to international border (LAC) of other nations. In this landscape of cultural pluralism where each ethnic community not only restricted to a particular niche for eke out their sustainable activities but also maintain a distinct cultural identity by practicing a distinct social structure, marital alliances, rituals etc.

Here, author try to portray and highlight the untold story of Manipur unrest with the help of published data, distribution of population, density of population rise at this hilly territory where best quality of cultivable land are owned by numerically dominant group in the valley of Manipur while hilly area expert in swidden cultivations, done by tribal ethnic groups; with the help of existing rule of FMR (Free Movement Regime as a part of diplomatic policy of this country) which not only affect sustainable and harmonious relations among fellow neighbours but it also affect livelihood pattern.

This treaty is an attempt to make a social audit of Manipur situation in the backdrop of ethno- historical background, cultural diversity at this treasure island of North-east who are either (a) immigrated from Neighbouring South Tibet (China) or Myanmar (Burma) and till date they are freely move to other nations where there kith and kins not only reside but some of their sacred places are located there (b) or, an impact of national and international Indian diplomatic relations with others or any other reasons which affect the sustainable living condition.

Dr. Amitabha Sarkar (Born: 1952) is a M.Sc., Ph.D (Science) in Anthropology from the University of Calcutta and Specialized in advanced Social- Cultural Anthropology. His remarkable empirical contribution in anthropological research arena is on impact of industrialization, tribal ethnography, culture ecology, ethno-science, religious belief system being integrative process and culture change, management of environment with traditional knowledge. He has already published about 23(twenty three) books and more than 200 research papers in reputed journals and edited books. He possesses 35 years research experience and carried out empirical study among tribal and weaker section of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal. He is the life member of INCAA, South India Medical Anthropology (SIMA), Indian Science Congress Association and Indian Anthropological Society. He was associated with Anthropological Survey of India from 1977 to 2012. He was also consultant researcher and involved in generating empirical data from tribal areas of Odisha especially at Kandhamal.( Contact: AG-44. Salt lake, Sector-2, KOLKATA-700091).

At the outset I would like to express why the present topic -"Anthropology and Indian Diplomacy (A Social Audit of Untold Story of Manipur)" has been identified for discussion. Being an Anthropologist I firmly believe in Participant Observation through which the empirical data can be generated. But in this case in spite of my repeated effort it is not possible to carry out field investigation at Manipur due to present day ethnic violence which attracts attention to all of us through electronic media and Newspapers. Under this situation main effort is to portray the genesis of such ethnic clashes which are very common from time immemorial throughout the LAC (Line of Actual Control) which is almost 1643 Km covering Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Incidentally the whole international border is open, without barbed fence except at a few areas in Moreh border, about 10 Km, of Manipur with Myanmar.

With the help of published literatures through empirical studies chiefly on Anthropology, Historical records, Political Science literatures as well as Newspapers clippings and pamphlets to understand the present social scenario and since the areas are close to LAC therefore, what is the role of Indian diplomatic policy in this region which directly have an impact on the local population in view of their sustainable living.

I hope this arena of study is completely a new horizon of Anthropology to understand a burning social issue of our country and that too at Manipur.

Prof. B.K.Roy Burman's famous study on 'Bridge and Buffer Communities' (1966) also speaks that 'Kuki' tribal group in this area acted as buffer community and now the problem arises between 'Kuki' and the 'Meitei' who are occupying the best quality fertile land and most of the cultivable land in valley areas of Manipur.

Our country possesses a distinct character, that is, 'Unity in Diversity' as two ends of a continuum, the two concepts retains both their distinctiveness and inter-linkages. The Indian population consists of all the six main racial types, viz, the Negrito, Proto-Australoid, Mongoloid, Mediterranean, Western Brachycephals and the Nordic (Srinivas, 1965). The North-east India is considered as anthropological treasure island where there are number of cultural attributes are found like, Bi-liny, Matriliny, Moiety, Phratry, Polyandry, Zeliangrong, Donyipolosm, Buddhism and Bon religion etc, which signify towards the existence of cultural pluralism. According to Vincent Smith, a British historian described "Jawaharlal Nehru envisioned India's future as society and polity blending the future goals with the heritage of history'.

Under this backdrop cultural pluralism in this landscape has also been discussed.