Imphal: Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched a comic book “Folktales of Mao, Maram and Poumai” at a function held at Hotel Classic Grande, Imphal Saturday. The comic book is a collection of 15 short stories consisting of three folktales of Mao, five of Maram and seven of Paomai tribes.
Speaking on the occasion, N Biren Singh appreciated the writers and contributors of the book for bringing up such a comic book of folktales which would have a high significance in bringing back the aged old bonding among different communities of the State. Adding that lot of historical facts could be gathered from folksong and folktales, he said that many valuable facts are still yet to be explored and so there is a need for frequent interaction among different communities.
Recalling a folksong sung by elders which he had heard on a visit to a Paomai Village earlier, the Chief Minister stated that folksongs and folktales have valuable facts on how different communities lived together and had good relations during the olden days. He also stressed on the need to collect more historical facts by visiting and interacting with elders residing in the interior parts of the state and come up with more storybooks. Reading such storybooks would make the youths aware of the aged old relations that had existed among different communities, he added.
Vice-Chancellor, Manipur University of Culture P Gunindro, Deputy Commissioner, Senapati District Th Kirankumar, Civil Society Organisations of Senapati District, writers and contributors of the book also attended the function among others.
Later, N Biren also released a book titled “Manipur – Myanmar Connections: An Indic Perspective” at a function organised by Intellectual Forum for North East, Manipur at the auditorium of Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that the relation between Manipur and Myanmar had considerably improved since the organisation of Sangai Festival in the State with many delegates from Myanmar visiting the State. The book will help in fostering the relation between Manipur and Myanmar to a new height, he added.
Stating the importance of documentation and record-keeping, the Chief Minister urged the public to write and bring out more books about the state. He also assured that the Government would make a provision for grant as financial assistance to scholars and writers of the state to write more about the state and come up with more books.
The book which consists of 26 articles was jointly edited by Shukhdeba Sharma Hanjabam, Aheibam Koireng Singh and Kakchingtabam Ruhinikumar Sharma. The function was also attended by many scholars and writers of the State among others.
