Not diluting one’s ethnicity Pressing call of the hour

Conversion should not dilute one’s ethnic identity, a call raised by the Mao-Poumai Baptist Church and this could not have come at a more opportune time than now, especially with the Kuki-Zo group going out of their way to give a religious tinge to the ongoing clash with the Meiteis. One can profess any religion according to one’s faith and beliefs but this should not be taken to mean that in adopting any religion of one’s choice, it should lead to the erosion of one’s ethnic identity. This is the bottomline. The fact that the Mao-Poumai Baptist Church has issued such a clarion call should be seen in the context of the reality that is Manipur today. It was not so long back that a Meitei preacher of the Christian faith went hammer and tongs at the indigenous beliefs of his own community and not surprisingly it invited a backlash, with even the Rajya Sabha MP and titular King of Manipur, Leishemba Sanajaoba venting his anger against the said Meitei preacher. Blasphemy, this singular word should sum up the preaching of the said preacher for it is more than clear that in converting to Christianity he forgot he is a Meitei. Following a religion should not mean eroding the ethnic identity of the convert or anyone. A Meitei can be a Christian, a Hindu or a Sanamahi believer, but he remains a Meitei and this is something that should not be overlooked. The theme ‘Our beautiful culture for God’s glory’ should be understood and appreciated in the correct perspective and this should apply to anyone. Becoming a Christian should not mean that one has to adopt the Western lifestyle. Likewise being born into a Hindu family and hence a Hindu should not mean that one should adopt the lifestyle of a Bengali or a lifestyle that is in vogue in mainland India. Remember a Hindu Bengali follows a lifestyle that may be vastly different from what a Hindu Tamil may follow. The point is the core identity of being a Bengali or a Tamil remains intact. So it should be for any Meitei who has converted to Christianity. A Meitei Christian will have something much more in common with a Meitei Hindu or a Meitei Sanamahi than with a Goan Christian or a Christian from Kerala. Likewise a Tangkhul Christian will remain true to his or her ethnic identity as a Tangkhul in as much as a Poumai Christian will remain a Poumai. This is where the call to remain true to one’s ethnic identity becomes central to the message issued by the Mao-Poumai Baptist Church on September 22. 
Going back to one’s root and one’s identity. The importance and significance of this line has never been as important and as crucial as now when the world is understood as a Global Village. Go beyond religion, and juxtapose the line ‘one’s root and one’s identity’ against the understanding of a man or a woman, who may have migrated to other countries, like the USA and may have even received citizenship there, but his or her identity as a person from Manipur will stand till his or her last breath. There are many Meiteis and Nagas such as the Tangkhuls from Manipur who have settled in the United States, but their ethnic identity remains undiluted. This fact should not be lost on anyone and in as much as this fact stands, it is also important for everyone to acknowledge the fact that a Meitei Christian is as much a Meitei as a Meitei Hindu or a Meitei Sanamahi.  Stretch the understanding of this universal fact a little bit more and it should ideally stand that Manipur is the land of all the people who are indigenous to the place. This is where the idea of Manipur becomes crucial. Promote your culture, conversion should not dilute one’s ethnic identity are lines which can go a long way in shaping and defining the understanding of the idea of Manipur. Converting to any religion should not be reduced to the understanding of running down the ethnic identity and customs and culture of anyone, least of all the religion which one is born into. This is a line which is crucial in today’s Manipur, especially when desperate attempts are being made to paint the ongoing clash as one where the religious minority card has been played to the hilt to take it even to the floor of the European Parliament.