Manimacha Devi, a
popular Manipuri nata sankirtana singer, had to fight the members of Sangeet Natya
Sabha (SNS), formed in the early
sixties, a conglomerate of male
chauvinists out to destroy her professional
career. With tacit understanding
and support from Ariba Pala, Brahma Sabha and Govinda Temple Board, the SNS had objected to the use of cymbal
called kartal in Manipuri,
during the performance of nata
sankirtana by Manimacha and her
party in particular and by any female singer in general. The kartal,
according to them, was males’ preserve only. The orthodox Manipuri Hindu
society during that period of time was
under the octopusnal grip of Vaishnavism .
Social values and religious mores were fixed by the Brahma Sabha and anybody who
went beyond the line had to face
the ire of excommunication.
She bravely fought a court battle that was won and lost. She won the case and the
respondents were fined a sum of rupees
five hundred each for practising untouchability. But she lost them again
because the orthodox and
superstitious middle class landed
gentries did not like to incur the
wrath of all powerful Brahma Sabha.
A female singer had to fight the Goliath for her
professional survival. A tragic heroine had to seek a medium to fully express
her suppressed musical talents.
Manimacha Devi, on being invited, was about to begin her
programme at Thanga village, along with her trusted co-artiste Ashangbi. The
male singers who were supposed to finish their part never did it. They had
extended the sankirtana
programme covering the portion from
where Manimacha was to take over. Ashangbi
later reported the matter to the
police and soon male singers like Ngaram Gourabidhu, Lamangdong Iboton,
Lai Angoubi Irabot, Bokunjao etc., were arrested.
At Singjamei Mayengbam Leikai, a Ras Leela was held. Manimacha Devi and Tampakleima were to participate in the
programme. Sarungbam Lamphel, one of the organisers of the function, had objected to Manimacha’s
presence saying that she was a musical outcaste and the sanctity of the
Leela would be polluted. Tampakleima,
on behalf of Manimacha, went to the court and
the magistrate gave court
strictures to the defendant.
On another occasion Ibomcha Sharma, popularly known as
Abhiram Saba, the first president of
SNS, was fined rupees five hundred by the court for causing
untouchability to Manimacha Devi and her
party.
The biggest blow to Manimacha Devi’s personality was the death of her father- in-law in 1966.
In the shradha ceremony, according to Manipuri hindu tradition, a hari sankirtana at the residence of Manimacha Devi was to be
held. Laishram Tolpishak of SNS was
invited to sing. Since Manimacha Devi
was boycotted by the members of SNS
she was asked to come to the temple of Shri Shri Govindaji to take an
oath so that she could not use kartal
again. She went to the temple and in
front of SNS members took an oath saying
that when the Lord Govindaji blessed her she would take the kartal again.
Tolpishak of SNS did not come for the shradha and instead other nata singers were invited and performed
the ceremony. Mayanglambam Ibobi,
Thangjam Chaoba, Sagolsem
Kalidaman, Abhiram Saba etc., were
active members of SNS then. The parampara
of the musical genre should not be
vitiated was their opinion. Manimacha Devi had suffered the pang of dejection
and humiliation.
Born on December 26, 1929 in Imphal, sixty seven long years have since rolled on.
She is today a happy and contended singer. She never looks back in anger. She
best recaptures her past in the glory of the devotional songs she had sung. Her versatility and continuous hold on the public is even
greater.
She became a rage among her fans. An instant success and unprecedented
sellouts. Singer queen of the mass, she was virtually mobbed by fans wherever she performed. Her sterling qualities were her good voice and charismatic
personality.
Manimacha and her troupe.
In a village, Heirok, along Indo-Burma road she was invited
by one of her fans, Rupamani, for a basok programme. Rupamani held a microphone in
her hand and asked the villagers to dare
excommunicate her for organising the
musical play. Thus the number of Manimacha’s fans grew steadily.
When
she broke into song, she was like a flamboyant bird, wafting the golden wings
for a flight of melody, tinged with bhakti. Her frame swung gently with every
line of song and her eyelashes fluttered with every nuance of lyric, with tears
down the cheek. The ultimate devotion was ecstatic.
At the age of 16 she got married to a landed gentry,
Thokchom Modhu. After the marriage, her singing career took a new turn. She went
to the house of Konjengbam Ojha Toyaima of Sagolband Nepra Menjor Leikai to
learn further the secrets of nata
sankirtana techniques. This Ojha was
more or less responsible for what Manimacha has achieved today. She proudly
acknowledges that she is a product of Toyaima gharana.
Manimacha Devi had
learned from her Ojha the nata songs
like murli siksha, gurujan pareng, gostha, nitya lila, basok pareng, nimai
sanyas and geet govinda etc. Popular nata
singers of the time like Leimapokpam Herachandra, Mayanglambam Ibobi, Laishram
Tolpishak and Gulapi etc. were male students of the Ojha while Kshetri
Tombi, Lourembam Tombi, Kamong Leimahan,
Tampakleima and Thambal Marik were female
singers.
Singing standing, holding small cymbal called mandila was somehow agreed by her Ojha. Before that
the female nata sankirtana singers used to sing the songs by sitting on
the floor of the mandapa.
Sometime in March 1962 at the mandapa of Thiyam Raghav, Sapam Leirak, a marriage ceremony was held
and in that Manimacha Devi was invited to sing with larger cymbal --kartal
– instead of smaller version mandila. After some hesitation she agreed and this was
to be the starting point of war of attrition between her and SNS. Male singers
thought that their preserve had been encroached upon by the female singers.
On
January 9, 1972 a sankirtana programme
was held in the mandapa of Shri Shri
Govindaji, Manimacha Devi and her party was invited. On January 21, 1973 another sankirtana programme was arranged as a part of the Statehood Day celebration .
Manimacha’s party, on being invited, took part there. In 1979 Manipur State
Kala Akademy had organised a Geet
Govinda festival. Manimacha and
Tampakleima were invited to sing. The interesting part was that Sagolsem
Kalidaman, the ex-president of SNS, was the chairman of the festival committee.
No voice of protest, let alone excommunication, ever came from him.
In 1991 Manimacha Devi was invited to America to
participate in the cultural programme
sponsored by ISKCON. Tampakleima and Kunjeswari were included in Manimacha’s
party of Nupipala. In 1994 Manimacha Devi was given the prestigious Manipur State Kala Akademy Award in
recognition of her contribution for the cause of Manipuri nata sankirtana.
Her long search for a medium to
express her musical talents was at last
recognised by the state cultural body.
Today,
Manimacha Devi is an institution by herself. Students are coming to her house
to learn music. Among them Charangpat
Bino, Praneshori, Chajing Angoubi and
Sarojit are some of the popular singers of the day.
Konjengbam
Kameshore, Imphal
(Courtesy: Eastern Panorama, Shillong, November 1996)
