An Artist and Her Craft: The Story of Nameirakpam Ibemni and Khongjom Parba

This paper looks at Khongjom Parba, a form of oral ballad practiced in Manipur through the lens of one of its most famous practitioner, Nameirakpam Ibemni Devi. As the first woman balladeer of the art form, she is responsible for its growth and the form it has acquired today. Having its origin after the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891, Khongjom Parba gives us a novel way of looking at the past. As performances which rely primarily on oral transmission, it goes beyond the realm of the written and the ways in which histories have been ‘written’ till now. By highlighting different ways in which people have responded to the art form and the way different characters are treated within the ballad, this paper explores various ways in which people understand and live with their ‘pasts’.