Forgotten Minority: Manipuris’ Struggles for Education and Rights

By Manipuri community

The Manipuri community’s contribution to shaping modern Tripura is significant, yet their current socio-economic condition remains a concern. In the 1950s, Manipuris constituted nearly 10% of the state's population, but today they are a mere minority. This drastic reduction in their numbers is largely attributed to state-level neglect, with nearly 50 Manipuri villages disappearing from the state map in the last 50-60 years.

Despite their crucial role in the state's development, Manipuris continue to face systemic discrimination. In areas such as education, employment, land ownership, and political representation, they remain marginalized. While they are categorized under Other Backward Classes (OBC), there has been no significant effort by the Tripura government to implement a reservation policy for OBCs. This exclusion from key social benefits has resulted in their ongoing backwardness in almost every aspect of life.

Moreover, Manipuris face severe linguistic discrimination. Language is integral to a community’s identity, and in Tripura, the Manipuri language has yet to receive official recognition. Despite the Indian Constitution ensuring equality among languages, the state government has not acknowledged Manipuri as an official language. Efforts to include Manipuri as a subject in schools began in 1998 when the Left Front government introduced it in 24 government schools. However, this initiative has failed, as not a single language teacher has been appointed. Furthermore, there is no infrastructure to support Manipuri language education, and the lack of financial allocations only deepens the issue.

Although the BJP-led coalition government had promised to enhance the development of linguistic minorities and preserve their cultural identities, nothing has changed for the Manipuri community. The education system continues to mislead the public by claiming progress while the reality remains bleak.

The Manipuri community is now planning to intensify their efforts. On May 6, 2025, a deputation will be submitted to the Director of the Kokborok and Other Minority Languages Department, urging the immediate appointment of Manipuri language teachers in schools. The movement also calls for proper infrastructure and separate financial provisions for Manipuri language education.

In a broader context, the Manipuri community recognizes that other linguistic minorities in Tripura also suffer similar neglect. Therefore, the organization is calling on the 42% linguistic minority population, alongside all democracy-loving individuals, to unite and form a strong joint movement that demands equal status for all languages and the formation of Autonomous Development Councils for each linguistic minority group.