Meiteis march through an Assam village. Picture by N. Bishwajit

Lakhipur (Assam), March 18: When the Burmese army invaded Manipur over three centuries ago, thousands of Meiteis fled their home and hearth and settled in the neighbouring states, mainly Assam and Nagaland.

The Meiteis in Manipur and those settled elsewhere remained cut off from each other for three centuries — members of the same family but destined never to meet, until the great “re-union march” happened and gave community members a chance to meet for a once-in-a lifetime event.

Six hundred Meiteis, including 80-year-olds and teenagers, are covering village after village in Nagaland and Assam, meeting their long-lost family members. Yesterday, the marchers crossed over to Jiribam in Manipur from Cachar in Assam as the “love, peace and unity march” entered the last lap.

Eighty-year-old Konjengbam Ingenjao Singh of Lakhipur in Assam had tears in his eyes as he met Chongtham Munal, 20 years his junior of Imphal West, in a small hamlet in Assam’s Cachar district.

“I thought I would die without meeting any of the Meiteis from Manipur, my forefather’s place of origin. Now I can die in peace,” Ingenjao said.

It is the first such community reunion — organised by a social organisation — Young Horizon of Manipur — though people have been meeting at an individual level.

Anthropologist W. Nabakumar of Manipur University, who is covering the reunion by addressing rallies at different places, said it was a very rare event in not only the history of Meiteis but in the history of mankind.

“People meeting individually is a different matter but such a community event holds far greater importance,” he said.The marchers covered four villages in Nagaland and 16 villages in seven districts of Assam. Donning bright red track suits symbolising the fire of unity, the marchers started from Imphal on January 30.

Laiphrakpam Masanta, a Class V student from Imphal West, is the youngest marcher but is not complaining.

The last leg began on March 17 when the All Assam Meitei Apunba Lup gave a tearful farewell at Jirighat, bordering Jiribam of Manipur. The marchers started from Imphal, crossed over to Nagaland, entered Assam and are now on their way back to Imphal.

“We will never forget our meetings, moments we shared during your visit to Assam. We will meet again,” cried Saraswati Devi of Hojai.

Longjam Ratankumar, a spokesman for Young Horizon said: “The march is to rediscover the oneness and strengthen the bond of love. We are overwhelmed by the response.”

Manipur’s titular King Leisemba Sanajaoba addressed several unity rallies in Assam. “Young Horizon’s efforts have not gone in vain. Now we should work further for peace and unity,” John Nunisha, a leader of Dimasa Students’ Union, said.

John joined the march along with a colleague on March 4 and they will continue till it concludes in Imphal.

Ninthouja Lancha, a social worker from Manipur, told a gathering at Lakhipur: “Instead of looking at our differences, we should start looking at similarities for a better future.”