Manipur bids tearful adieu to ex-princess

IMPHAL: A large number of eminent writers, socio-cultural activists, film directors and political workers converged on Yaiskul in Imphal as the city bid a tearful adieu to Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi, who was cremated on Tuesday.

A descendent of the former Manipuri royal family Binodini Devi, popularly known as Imasi died after a brief period of illness at her Yaiskul Police Lane residence here on Monday evening.

The renowned writer and cultural activist, who studied at Vishwabharti University, Shantiniketan, in Bengal, was 89 and is survived by two sons and two grandchildren.

Among others, eminent filmmaker Aribam Shyam Sharma, CPI leader and cultural activist M Nara Singh and a large number of renowned writers and socio-cultural activists attended the cremation of the late princess at Yaiskul. A procession was taken out by the mourners after the cremation in the morning.

The Tripura royal palace also sent its condolence message to the bereaved family. A Padmashree recipient, Binodini was also honoured by the American Manipuri Association in the US in 1992 for her contribution to Manipuri culture.

She, nevertheless, returned the Padmashree Award in protest against the Centre's decision to make truce with the NSCN(IM) in 2001. Binodini was the youngest daughter of Maharaj Churachand Singh and Maharjkumari Dhanamanjuri Ngangbi. She was born on February 6, 1922 at the royal palace in Imphal.

She served as a secretary of Jawaharlal Nehru Manipuri Dance Academy, Imphal for 16 years during the '70s and '80s.

The academy on Tuesday held a condolence meeting with its director Dilip Mayangbam in the morning during which the mourners observed a two-minute silence to pray for the departed.

Iramdam Meyamgi Aunba Korjei Lup (Imakhol), a local writers' body also held a condolence meeting.

Besides being a prolific writer, Binodini was an energetic woman with a deep social consciousness and enthusiasm to work for the betterment of society. She also worked for several areas like environmental crisis, human rights, cultural rights and women's rights anomg others.