Manipur: Anatomy of Despair Homen Borgohain THOUGH the present unrest and violence in Manipur began in the closing years of the last decade, the genesis of the unrest must be traced back to the late thirties. Manipur was then a native state, not a part of the British India, The Maharaja of Manipur was cruel, avaricious and totally apathetic to the sufferings of his people. His avarice and wrong economic policies created a famine condition in Manipur in 1939 which led to a revolt by the women of Manipur, It is a remarkable feature of Manlpur's history that the Manipuri women always become the vanguard in any resistance movement against injustice. The Manipuri women's uprising in 1939 is known in modern Manipur's history as the Second 'Nupi Lan'
