Jamshedpur, April 13: Watching artistes dressed in traditional warrior dresses moving their swords, knives or axes with awe-inspiring dexterity is an experience.

Meet the 18-member team from the Association for Paona Memorial Arts and Rural Development Services (Apmards), the martial art group from Thoubal district in the interiors of Manipur.

The group is right now stationed in Jamshedpur to participate in the annual Ram Navami procession. Brought to the city by Bannal Singh Janghel of Lallan Akhara at Pardeshi Para in Sonari, this was the eighth annual visit for the North-eastern martial artists.

“Our style is different from those followed by the Shaolin fighters in Buddhist monasteries, though there are similarities. At Apmards, students have to train for 10 years before they are ready to perform. All this training goes side by side with their regular studies,” said W. Mohindru Meiter, the president of Apmards.

“The three forms of the traditional form of martial arts called Thang-Ta — sword fight, spear fight and wrestling — are not really performing arts. They are serious forms of defence, even acts of aggression, against the enemy in times of war. They have been transformed into graceful and exciting martial art on the modern stage,” said Meiter.

The group also comprises two girls currently pursuing their graduation at Manipur.

“We have been a part of Apmards since we were children. It is a tradition with the Manipuri community that every child learns some form of martial art or the other,” said Bindiya, one of the two girls.

The same group also has Shiva Anand Ningbam, who works with a renowned para medical firm in Imphal.

While Lallan Akhara remains one of the most favoured hangouts for people during the Ram Navami celebrations, there is one more reason that makes it so special.

This is the only akhara in Jamshedpur that invites an all-Muslim group to perform during the Hindu festival.

“There was a fear associated with the Ram Navami celebrations in Jamshedpur. So, we decided to invite Muslim fighters to give the festival a communal-free look,” said Janghel.

Called the Bemisaal Akhara from Kulti, Burdwan, in Bengal, these Muslim youth have been performing here for the past two years.

“We have performed across the country, be it on Ram Navami or Muhharam. The reason we come to Jamshedpur is that there is no communal problem,” said Irfan Ansari, the group co-ordinators.

The group would take out their procession on Tuesday. Strict police arrangements have been made across the city to keep any untoward incidents at bay.

“Police have been deputed at all strategic locations. Adequate arrangements for lighting and water have also been made,” said Ram Babu Singh, the president of the Kendriya Shanti Samiti, the organisation at the helm of all arrangements.

Over 150 new tube wells have been placed at 30 different places to solve the water crisis and all approach roads to the different river banks have also been widened and cleared.