Modernisation Challenge and Response : A Study of the Chakpa Community of Manipur

Contents: Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. Introduction. 2. Traditional house and household deities. 3. Terms of address within the Kinship and outside. 4. Yupan Thaba (Birth ceremony). 5. Kinship and marriage. 6. Beliefs and practices around death ceremony and Philoi--the last rite. 7. Beliefs and practices. 8. Wits tests. 9. Socio-cultural institutions. 10. Calendar of rituals and festivals. 11. Main festivals Panam Haraoba and Pureiromba Haraoba. 12. Loishang as polity. 13. Loishang as fountainhead of customs and rites. 14. Background of place names. 15. Arts and crafts. 16. Economy. 17. Chakpa vocabulary. 18. Conclusion. Index.

"Modernisation is an irresistible force with an unending process. It has spread to every corner of the globe and has crossed every community or society. A critical harnessing of the forces make life cozy and meaningful. However, it has the potential of destroying a community if not assimilated to the local situation.

The Andros are a traditional Chakpa community with a sense of preserving the age old customs and traditions. With the decay of autocracy a prop to their tradition has vanished. Different forces of modernization are making a foray on the community. Some of its traditions and practices have disappeared which include \'Lai Tanba\', \'Luphu\', \'Gangou Yanba\', etc. The modern education and the employment in the state and central services has rendered many of them remaining aloof from the rituals and ceremonies. Again major religions like Hinduism and Christianity etc. are at their doorstep waiting their unconscious moment to replace their traditions. Subsequently their sense of preserving things is under a big question mark. The book is a humble attempt to record, documents their customs and traditions so as to help in preserving them." (jacket)