Imphal: Breaking a two-decade hiatus, a Hindi film is set to grace the screens of Manipur this Independence Day. The Hmar Students’ Association (HSA), an organization representing tribal students, has organized the screening of a Hindi film on the evening of Tuesday in Rengkai (Lamka), situated in Churachandpur.
In a late statement issued on Monday, the HSA expressed its intention to publicly showcase a Hindi film on Tuesday, commemorating the nation’s Independence Day. The statement conveyed that this gesture signifies their resistance and objection to both terrorist groups and the Manipur state government that caters to the Meitei community, both of which have subjected the tribal population to domination for an extended period.
The statement asserted that their action is a response to the 2006 incident in which more than 20 Hmar women, including minors, were subjected to sexual assault by members of a rival “terror” faction known as the United National Liberation Front/Kangleipak Communist Party. This brutal act was carried out to “teach a lesson” to the villagers who supported the Indian Army’s efforts to reinstate law and order in what was then the Hmar Hills (now Pherzawl District).
“Stand with us as we vow to persist in our struggle for freedom and justice,” the statement implored. The HSA further highlighted that Hindi films have been prohibited in Manipur for over two decades, with the last publicly screened film, as per their understanding, being “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” in 1998.
The statement underlined their decision to break away from the anti-national terrorist factions that have announced a boycott of Independence Day celebrations. However, the HSA refrained from revealing the title of the Hindi film scheduled for Tuesday’s screening.
