A Mid-Sajibu Day's Choirol

Along came Sajibu with Yeningtha—the queen of seasons. It’s that time of the year when Mother Nature puts on her flamboyant gown. However, for the past few years in Manipur, the arrival of Yeningtha has become synonymous to an impending man-made drought that lasts for a month or so. Water scarcity between the months of Sajibu and Kaalen has become a seasonal norm. So, we have yet another phobia to offbeat blockade phobia: ‘Esing fanglaroidra haibagi phobia.’

Yeningtha is supposed to be the best time of the year for everyone; merrymaking and basking in the beauties of Nature, while Yaoshang and Cheiraoba offer their best. But a wind of apprehension continuously sweeps at the possibilities of an impending drought in our (sana di leitaba) Sanaleibaak for the last few years.

The causes of water scarcity in Manipur are natural as well as artificial. While it is obvious about the natural factors, the artificial factors should be seriously considered.

Rising guild of waterpreneurs and commercialization of water

Water, water, everywhere yet 250 bucks to pay for 500 litres is the present norm of the day. They say water is precious (oh yes, it is). Water saves lives (yes, it does). Preserve water (who does that but the waterpreneurs).

Over the years, Manipur has evolved its image as a land of enterprising entrepreneurs (which in my opinion is a pretty good sign). It’s encouraging to know about the rising guild of promising entrepreneurs in our state. But then there are some who are caught in the wrong business namely esing thika louba kaangbu, goolie, yoo or any type of mayai kaaba nisha yonba kaangbu. Their sense of business is beyond my good understanding. Waterpreneurship or in simple terms esing yonba gi thika has become quite a fad. Water reservoirs are empty for the masses but they are not for waterpreneurs and that’s where we should start pondering over.

If there is enough water supply for the waterpreneurs why not for the masses? Or is it that they are sharing whatever profit that they loot from the public? If there is a problem at any of the water reservoirs, isn’t it the duty of the concerned authorities to tackle it? How can they sell us what we deserve for free?

Measures to be taken up to fight water scarcity
1. Appeasing the Rain God
“Appeasing the Rain God with dhoop thaomei, flowers and fruits would be one of the ideal measures to fight water scarcity,” says Louwu Sing-u expert Mr. Tomaal. Many civilians are also of the opinion that if they keep appeasing the Rain God, they will not suffer from drought or a drought like situation in Manipur. Superstitious though it sounds, it is one of the measures that can be recommended to fight water scarcity in Manipur.

2. Empowerment of a proper Frog ministry
Empowering the various Frog ministers also seems to be one of the sensible options. The frogs have been contributing a major share in maintaining talks with the ministry of nong chingi affairs currently based in the Soraren Department. They have been meticulously croaking for days and nights as a result of which the state has finally received some amount of rainfall over the past few days.

In a state like Manipur, it is an ironical situation where frogs are more effective than the MLAs, ministers and their concerned departments.

3. Harvesting of rain water at our own Pukhri /tank
The best solution to fight water scarcity is by harvesting enough rain water at our own pukhri or water tanks. It’s the high time to dig more pukhri or construct tanks. Having a pukhri in our ingkhol may sound old-fashioned to many but then it is one of the best ever solutions to fight water scarcity. Awareness programs on hygienic harvesting of rain water should be held by ‘mabukchel chaoba NGOs’. Media should also play its role in educating the masses about proper harvesting of rain water. By and by, water is our basic necessity. Let us not waste it. Let us not commercialize it as well.

This article was published on 5 April 2015
 

A Yaoshang to Remember

A tug of war showdown at a park in New Delhi

A festival is celebrated for its essence. So, sometimes it does not matter where and how you celebrate a festival as long as we keep up the essence. This year, we celebrated Yaoshang, coinciding with the last day of the festival, in our traditional style but with a typical quintessence in New Delhi.

We organized typical games like chafu thugaibi and thouri chingnabi. The best part of the event was the tambola housie. We had gathered at a popular park, as we scratched and shouted for the quick fives, stars, the lines and the like.

For a while, we felt so closer at home. It was indeed a typical spring evening. The only sad part was time restraint. Sundays are always precious for working professionals. We had to spare our Sunday afternoon to catch up with one another. The event, which was supposed to start hours earlier, began a little late. Yet, we make it up with unrestrained fun and frolic. I am sure, as a side note, we managed to redefine the concept of ‘Meitei pung’ here in Delhi.

Well, I do not intend to bore you all with my personal experience of how awesome my Yaoshang festival was. Still, I would like to stress on how important it is for us to catch up and celebrate every festival together, whether we stay back home or elsewhere across the world.

I have observed in all these years that our folks in Delhi do not have a unifying factor. Most of the diasporas and expatriates rely heavily on internet, and social media to be precise, to connect with their friends and families. I consider it that there is always a strong undercurrent of nostalgia among us. Most of us are homesick during many occasions. In fact, festivals fuel up our nostalgia meter.

Beyond the Yaoshang play-field

Quite contrary to my over-expressive opinion, I have also come across many Manipuris in the city who get pissed off with the smell of ngaari, soibum or hawaijaar. They, in my opinion, are the chanafam khangdraba kaangbu.

Ngari, soibum and hawaijaar are a few of the distinguishing factors of our community. The smell of ngari or soibum while crossing a building or ally makes most of us nostalgically hungry. And that’s a unique specialty of our community. Correct me if I am wrong.

No doubt, we have students’ associations here but in my opinion, I think we need a body that unifies both the students and working professionals in the city. Don’t you think we are quite used to community living? Besides, we get more ideas that further grow when we interact with one another. I used to crack jokes about a demand for a greater Manipur in the capital. I hope this does not sound like a step to launch a demanding crusade, like a homeland — a concept that we find it hard to resist.

Back at the Yaoshang arena

Nevertheless, I missed the original flavour of Yaoshang back at home — those countless games and sports at the leikai lampak, many chaak chanaba programs, getting pampered by mom’s delicious insaangs and the list is endless. I do miss all my leikai friends and cousins, with whom I grew up together celebrating Yaoshang and many festivals to the fullest.

We do celebrate Yaoshang here but we celebrate it paying a due homage to all the best memories about the festival we have. I had wished many a times to celebrate Yaoshang in the city. I randomly shared my plans then but never had any support from anyone in particular.

This time, we managed to make a difference with the help of some very good friends. We wore colourful phanek on that day as a reminiscence of good old Yaoshang days. Nothing can beat that.

We do have terrific plans for celebrating the forthcoming Cheiraoba in yet another compensatory attempt to lessen the degree of missing home. No matter, how and why we celebrate it, what makes us feel good is the feeling of being together with our own folks in the city. We come from different leikais; most of us did not even know one another but then the nostalgia factor, like a strong yubi thouri, binds all of us together.

I am glad to share that a Yaoshang, Cheiraoba or Chakouba in Delhi will never be the same again. Thanks to all my friends who have supported me and chanura marup (a group of exported Meitei chanuras) in pioneering this endeavour. We hope we can repay our gratitude with a scrumptious Cheiraoba meal soon. You might even want to join us. Cheers!

This appeared in 7 April 2013 edition of the Sangai Express