Bollywood return to Manipur after over 20 years

Bollywood returned to Manipur after more than 20 years when Vicky Kaushal-starrer 'Uri: The Surgical Strike'  was screened at a makeshift open air theatre in Churachandpur, Manipur.

The screening of the film was organsied by Hmar Students' Association on 15 August 2023 . The Hmar Students' Association describes itself as the voice of Kuki tribes.

The film was organsied by the Hmar Students' Association to express its opposition to the ban on Hindi movies imposed in September 2000 by 'Revolutionary People's Front', a political wing of the banned  People's Liberation Army.

People Liberation Army is an insurgent group active in Manipur which aims to make Manipur an Independent country. Though it claims to represent Meiteis, Kuki and Naga tribes of Manipur ,it is mainly a Meitei dominated organisation .

According to the 2011 census , Meitei  who are mainly Hindus ,constitute around 53% of the state population.

The state has witnessed violent clashes between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kukis tribes in which more than 150 peoples are feared dead.

On 7th August  2023 the Supreme Court set up a committee of three former women high court judges to supervise the relief and rehabilitation of people affected by the Manipur violence. The committee is being led by former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal. 

There are many insurgent groups active in Manipur which represent various tribal groups in the state .

Some prominent Insurgent groups active in Manipur:

• Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) 

• United National Liberation Front (UNLF),

• People’s Liberation Army (PLA) 

• People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) 

• National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Khaplang (NSCN-K) 

• Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF)

• Kuki National Front (KNF)

• Kuki National Liberation Front (KNLF)

State of Manipur:

The name Manipur means “land of gems.” 

Manipur is located in the northeastern part of the country. 

It is bordered by Nagaland to the north, Assam to the west, and Mizoram to the southwest and by Myanmar (Burma) to the south and east.

The Manipur Kingdom became part of India in October1949. It  was made a Union Territory in 1956 and was made a state in 1972 by the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.

Governor : Anusuya Uikey 

Chief Minister : N.Biren Singh

Capital: Imphal