Onkareshwar Pandey & Brown Nong

On December 12, 2019, the 80th Nupi Lan (Women’s War) Day was widely observed in Manipur by paying floral tribute to women freedom fighters who took part in the first and the second Nupi Lan against the British rulers, on their memorials.

Manipuri Women’s War Day or Nupi Lan has become very significant also because the awakened women of India are boiling these days. Their voice can be heard from Delhi to Hyderabad, Mumbai to Manipur, all across the country. They are raising their voices, not only in the cities but also in the remotest rural areas of the nation. They are equally participating in all social movements. Thanks to the revolution and evolution of several Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Helo, etc.

From the Nirbhaya gang rape in Delhi to the recent Priyanka Reddy case in Hyderabad, the women came out in large numbers on the street spontaneously and expressed their voice for the safety, security and dignity of the women and also for the capital punishment for the culprits. They were seen on Delhi streets with boys to demand to scrap the fee hike in JNU also.

The days are not far when they will similarly raise their voice for other issues also such as price rise, unemployment, etc.

This is the time to know the history of the ‘Nupi Lan’ which took place in 1904 and 1939 against mass exploitation and the artificial famine triggered by the British imperialists.

“When the life of the people is at stake, the administrative encroach upon individual liberties by invading human dignities, the womenfolk in Manipur do not remain as silent spectators. History is the witness that they rise up in unity against such situations.”

Nupi Lan is one of the important movements in the history of Manipuri women. It sowed the seeds of economic and political reforms for a new Manipur in the early ’40s. 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 constitutional and administrative reform in Manipur.

“The Nupi Lan not only represents one of the popular agitations which fought against an extremely exploitative form of socio-economic and political system perpetrated by the combined feudalistic-colonial rule but also was a movement influenced and to a certain extent supported by the emerging educated elite for political reforms in Manipur.

Right from the historical period, the Manipuri women always played a very important role in Manipur society.

Unlike in other contemporary Hindu societies, the Manipuri women held a key position in the social and economic activities of the state. In Imphal, the state capital, there was a market, Khwairamban Bazar or Sana Keithel located in the British reserve area. It was the centre of economic activities of the state.

Most of the traders had their godowns and shops at the Sadar (The term Sadar is coined by the British for administrative and convenience, which stands for Selected Area Development Administrative Region),” according to an article written by Budha Kamei for The Sangai Express on January 09, 2013.

“The Nupi Lan of 1939 was a result of the trade policy of the state Maharaja, which was more export-oriented irrespective of the limited production of the food grains.

The women who were more vocal and volatile than their male counterparts –because they were directly involved in the market activities—initiated the agitation and sustained it till a new political movement of Irabot and his followers took over it.

While the original demand was confined to the banning of rice export, their later demands also included the changes of Durbar and Administrative setup. Thus there is little doubt that Nupi Lan which started as a rice agitation against the policy of Maharaja and Marwari Monopolies, later evolved into a movement of constitutional, political, and economic reforms in Manipur,” according to an article written by Ibotombi Longjam titled ‘Nupi Lan – the Women’s War in Manipur, 1939: An Overview.”

“However the status of a Manipuri woman was not very significant individually, despite their main contribution to economic prosperity.

The practice of polygamy which was quite prevalent at that time made them unemancipated and unsatisfied participants in society. Perhaps, the 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, women started to play an important role in seeking political and economic independence. It was the women who protested against the then Political Agent -Mr. Maxwell- against the forced labor -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 were also involved in the widespread demonstration against the increase of Water Tax by the British Government (Sanamani, 1976).

“At the beginning of 1939 large non-Manipuri merchants from outside Manipur and a few local rice-mill owners started purchasing local paddy in bulks and exported it outside Manipur.

Suddenly, rice disappeared from the market and the price soared. The people of Manipur were suffering, especially poor women who lost their earnings from husking the paddy.

On 12 December 1939 women in thousands from Imphal and neighbouring villages marched in procession from the Khwairamban market to the State Secretariat in a demand to terminate the rice exportation,” Lalit Pukhrambam wrote in his article titled – Women’s War Of Manipur, 1939 A D published on E-Pao Dot Net.

“The Secretariat was swarmed by women. Mr. T. A. Sharpe, the President of the British Manipur Secretariat, expressed his inability to concede to their demand because Maharaja Churachand was away to Nabadweep on a pilgrim.

He indicated that Maharaja has the highest authority to grant such a demand. His casual reply provoked the women further and the agitation was intensified. Under those circumstances, Mr. Sharpe agreed to send a telegram to the Maharaja in Nabadweep in order to obtain his permission.

He walked up to the Telegraph office, which was not far from the Darbar Hall (Secretariat). The women followed him and surrounded the Telegraph office. By that time, the number of women had already swollen to more than fifteen thousand.

After sending the telegraphic message, Mr. Sharpe was about to leave. But the women insisted that he should take a seat and stay there until a reply was received from the Maharaja.

He expressed that he had already posted the message, and it was past his lunchtime. After hearing the reply, some women started shouting that they had not eaten anything for the past two days, and if Mr. Sharpe cannot wait for a few more hours, he should learn hunger by himself as well,” he wrote.

“Their slogan was intensified. On receiving the news of Mr. Sharpe’s arrest at the Telegraph office, the commandant of the 4th Assam Rifles Major Bulfield and Civil Surgeon-Major P.H. Cummins came to investigate the situation.

Both of them were allowed to enter the building but prevented from going out. From the Cantonment boundary Post at the Kangla Complex, where the Union Jack Flew high atop on a big iron pole, the movement was being monitored by the army.

By 2 PM, troops were called in and a platoon of the 4th Assam Rifles under a British Commanding officer began to clear the crowd. Some of the women were thrown out off the balcony and some into a nearby pond in the sub-zero water.

Others were trampled, physically manhandled or charged with bayonets. The wounded lay on their backs with clothing soiled with blood all over until 10.30 PM.

Yet, they were stuck on the ground until the early morning hours of the cold December night with a thin shawl (Inna-phee). They left the area only after the Civil and Military officers assured them that the army was withdrawing from the scene.

Thus, Women won the war. The morning a telegram came from the Maharaja that all exports of rice must stop immediately.

This struggle of Manipuri Women is known as “NUPI-LAN” (Women’s War), and December 12 is a state holiday in honour of this heroic (heroine) event,” Lalit Pukhrambam wrote.

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