The Bishnupriyas, also known as the Bishnupriya Manipuris or Bishnupriya Meiteis,[4][5] is an ethnic group found in the parts of Northeast Indian states of Assam, Tripura, Manipur and in northeastern Bangladesh. They speak the Bishnupriya Manipuri language, which is a creole of Bengali language and Meitei language, which retains its pre-Bengali features.[6][7][8] The most distinctive feature of the language is it is replete with Tibeto-Burman elements. The culture of the Bishnupriya people is strongly influenced by that of the Meitei people.[9]
 Bengali-Assamese transliterations of the terms "Bishnupriya Manipuri" and its synonym "Bishnupriya Meitei" | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 119,646[1][2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India Bangladesh | |
| India | 79,646 (2011)[1] |
| Bangladesh | 40,000 (2003)[2] |
| Languages | |
| Bishnupriya Manipuri (L1) Meitei (L2)[3] Bengali (significantly used) | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism (Vaishnavism) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Bengali–Assamese-speaking peoples, Meiteis | |
In the 2020s, the Bishnupriya asked be given the status of an indigenous people of Assam and treated like other indigenous communities of the state.[10]The Government of Assam categorises them as an Other Backward Class, but otherwise, they have no legal recognition or official status. The Tripura Government categorised their language under the Tribal Language Cell of the State Council of Educational Research and Training.[11]
The Meitei language in Bangladesh is used as a second language by the Bishnupriya people.[3]