Traditional Productions and Neo-Liberal Market Challenges for Cultural Identities: A study of Manipuri Indigenous Weavers in Bangladesh

This study investigates how the Manipuri weaving community in Bangladesh strives to maintain their livelihoods and ethnic identity while preserving their traditional handloom weaving customs. The community’s main professions are agriculture and weaving. The Manipuri, an ethnic group residing in the Greater Sylhet region of Bangladesh, produces handloom products that are deeply intertwined with their culture and identity. This paper explores how Manipuri weaving processes and products embody their cultural values and contribute to the community’s identity in Bangladesh. Weaving holds significant cultural importance within Manipuri society, particularly for women, and later becomes a crucial aspect of their daily livelihoods in Bangladesh. The paper analyses the practical constraints that bind the Manipuri weaving practices and the preservation of their identity in Bangladesh. The study reveals that many weavers lack literacy and connections with government agencies. Additionally, modern textile factories mass-produce counterfeit “Manipuri” handloom items, distorting the authentic cloth motifs and patterns that hold historical, identity, and cultural significance. Consequently, Manipuri weavers face many challenges in dealing with these imitation products. A qualitative approach was employed in this study.