The Meiteilon (Manipuri language) word for woman , highlighting the female-centric axis of the practice.
In contemporary times, the spirit of the Nupi Lal lives on in the (Meitei for 'torch-holding women'). These are grassroots, non-violent women's social movements that emerged from the tradition of women using handmade torches to light paths during the night. Today, the Meira Paibi are known for their powerful moral interventions in civil society, often forming human chains with their iconic flaming torches to protest against human rights violations, drug abuse, and social injustice.
The sublime spiritual power of the Nupi is mirrored by an equally formidable political agency. When British colonial policies threatened the very survival of the Meitei people, it was the women who led the charge in two epochal rebellions known as (Women's Wars) in 1904 and 1939.
