Higher Education in Manipur and the Emergence of Modern Manipuri Women Writers

Abstract

Education in Manipur has a long history of different stages of development beginning from its embryonic stage of Gurukul system during and pre Hinduisation period till it attains its full maturity in modern times since the British occupation of the state. In this sense, education scenario in Manipur, past and present is not at all different from that of other states of the country though because of its geographical, socio-cultural and political factors, the tempo of development is rather slow and steady in comparison with some of the important states of the country like West Bengal, Kerala, Madras etc. As Manipuri society is androgenic by nature, women have always been cornered in every respect and as such their participation in the education of the state came rather very late; it began just as late as the last part of the 20thcentury. Since then they have not looked back and have been able to keep pace with their counterpart, the male folk; even surpassing them more often than not. Besides the blizzard of globalization has swept them of their feet and now they
begin to question their rights and place in the male dominated contemporary society. So, modem Manipuri women have started to think anew about themselves, their place and position as well as role in moulding the society. They have started writing about themselves and steadily have developed feminist style of writing challenging the androgenic society and its iron rules which have marginalised them in their ontologicailivedlife. The present paper therefore seeks to highlight the full picture of the education system in Manipur laying emphasis specially on the higher education scenario in the stale—its advent and stages of developmen well as impact on the emergence of modernist Manipuri women writers.