Sharing the folk wisdom of Manipur

Manipur, a small state in Northeast India, is home to diverse communities and tribes with a wealth of folklore, oral tradition, and natural resources. However, the modern ways of life have substituted the old ways, causing the erosion of folklore and traditional values in an ever-changing society. As a response to environmental degradation, numerous artists and young people from different walks of life have been collaborating and working as a community for the last two decades, making a continual effort to conserve and restore the once-dying Punshilok forest. For The Witness project, artists from diverse backgrounds are actively involved in listening, engaging, and documenting the eroding folk wisdom of the communities, especially those located in the peripheries. These findings are archived in the form of texts, audios, visuals, and other types of media with the aim of preserving them so that future generations can connect with their roots. As part of the transformative listening and healing process, the artists are working to fight afflictions being faced by the human condition, such as climate change, homes for the elderly and orphanages, substance abuse rehabilitation, ethnic violence, and other humanitarian works.