Bimol Akoijam

Angomcha Bimol Akoijam is Indian academic, filmmaker and politician, from Imphal Valley, Manipur. He is an associate professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University's School of Social Sciences, and a public intellectual. He was elected to the 18th Lok Sabha from Inner Manipur constituency in Manipur in the 2024 Indian general election as a member of the Indian National Congress

Early life
Bimol Akoijam belongs to the Meitei community, the majority community of Manipur. He was born c. 1967. He has received MA and PhD in psychology. His specialisation is stated to be social and political psychology and cultural studies.

Academic career
Akoijam taught at Delhi University and the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS). As of 2024, he was an associate professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Akoijam is said to be a keen explorer of cinema, and served as a jury member in film festivals. He made a documentary Lang-Goi Challabee (Paradise Under Siege) in 2004, and the feature film Karigee Kirunee Nungsiradee (Why Be Afraid, If You Love) in 2014.

According to Scopus database Bimol Akoijam has 1 publication and zero citation.

Public intellectual
According to NDTV News, Akoijam has long been involved in public issues and democratic movements. He is often seen in the media speaking about issues related to rights and governance.

During the 2023–2024 Manipur violence, an ethnic conflict between the majority Meitei community of Manipur and the Kuki-Zo tribals, he was very vocal against the way the conflict was handled by the central and state governments. But he was often heard absolving the state government and chief minister, claiming that he was being held as a "scapegoat". He has held the Indian Army and Assam Rifles accountable, saying that they were seen as being hand-in-glove with the "Kuki militant groups", and that they need to win back the trust of the Meitei people. He has also blamed the national media of India, saying they were biased against the Meitei community, and led a research study that claimed to document such bias.

Political career
Akoijam entered politics after witnessing the 2023–2024 Manipur violence. He had become well known in Manipur for being one of the few academics to raise concerns about ethnic tensions and issues of rights and governance since the conflict began. He was elected as the candidate of the Indian National Congress from Inner Manipur in the 2024 Indian general election. He also had the joint approval and backing of the ten parties in the INC-led alliance in Manipur. Akoijam Bimol won the Lok Sabha seat from Inner Manipur seat with a majority of 1,09,801 votes, breaking electoral records set in Manipur.