To A Khulgi Eeta

Muji, Mahabali, Moira-ngkhom, Keikhu, Kakhu-long and Keisamthong are some of the most visited khul (s) in the vicinity of Imphal city. The reason is pretty obvious why our young/old boys visit these khul (s) almost every ‘numidangwairam’. A 50 rupee note is more than enough to get several plastics of locally brewed boozes in these khul (s). In an equally delightful way, the booze is served with the choicest meats, which are cooked in a typically authentic style.

I have heard many friends telling tales about those beautiful Leishas at the khul and about those mouth-watering snacks served there. It has triggered my taste buds right from the very way how they keep telling me about that Manungsha Angouba at Muji khul and the inimitable Nganu Set at Mahabali. It must be one hell of an experience for them enjoying the boozes and snacks served by pretty khulgi leishas. I am quite envious (Don’t read jealous).

At times I really wish I were a boy just to visit those khul (s) one by one and find out what it is all about such a place. I can of course visit any of them with no boozing activity associated (I am, in fact, planning to visit a few khul (s) during my Yaoshang vacation at home this time). It would be like crossing a forbidden cultural bridge if my elders come to know about my plan but I will do what I want to do because I have my own reasons, copyrighted with all the rights reserved.

Confined outside Manipur for quite a long time, I had hardly got a chance to visit most of the khul (s) and mingle with people out there. A big thanks again to those friends through which I have heard a lot about many interesting khul-centric accounts. I guess people who reside in these khuls have few options when it comes to earning a livelihood. Selling meat and owning a hotel or a vendor are perhaps the two common means of livelihood for them. They seem to lead a pretty simple life. Well, it is nothing new to add that their innocent and ignorant gestures are really adorable. I do find it cute when they address ‘Ebung/Epung’ to lads from our community. They have a twisted accent of speaking Meiteilon but it’s really cute.

Many interesting questions are still open, especially when I hear songs that remind me of khulgi leisha. Sometimes I do wonder if the pretty khulgi echal with her captivating beauty has jailed the hearts of our very own Pakhangs and even those married guys. Let the driving force be anything, but we cannot deny the fact that the khul (s) are the most visited places by our very own young or old people.

From my very personal account, I remember paying a visit at Gaidilu’s (a friend who lives in Keikhu khul). It was just an unplanned visit. The whole khul was merry-making as it was Christmas’s eve. I adored the simple lifestyle people led there. As it was festival time, they were refrained from any occupational chore. I could not find her home on that day and did miss that sumptuous Christmas feast but never mind; it was a pleasant experience visiting her khul. The memory is still warm in my heart and every Christmas I am reminded of that visit (minus the lunch part).

I am sure that our association with people from these very khul (s) can be traced back to those historical days in the past. The bonding between us and them started without any reason. At present, it seems we have, for no reason, severed our ties with them. Many reasons are explained on grounds of ethnicity, integrity and what not?

Religion has always barred a major section of our community to mingle with them since time immemorial. They have been treated like outcast or untouchables. We have read in stories and also seen in movies and shumang leelas how there is a huge cultural gap between our community and theirs, which are all so ridiculously and artificially created. Secularism was a misconstrued concept then and I am afraid it has still got a vague understanding among people—which of course needs introspection now. If the religious minded parents were/are so rigid about their religious dogmas and doctrines, why didn’t/don’t they disown their own sons who visit the very khul? It would be a hard hitting question to them but I sure need an answer for the same. It did not make any sense then; it still does not make any sense why that khulgi echal should be treated with a different stance?

Instead of hosting the frog-in-the-well mentality, we should strive to build an amiable ‘pakka’ bridge between these khul (s) and our world. Their world and our world are intermingled. We should cherish and respect their culture and lifestyles as much as they appreciate ours.

PS- I wish to make friends with lots of girls from the khuls. If any of them is reading my write up hey there, would you be my Eeta?

This article was published on 5 Feb 2011

A Letter From Miss Peace

A few weeks back, I received a very special letter (in one of my dreams though) signed by someone called ‘Peace’. Here’s the letter that moved my heart:

Dear Eta,

My name is ‘Peace’. I hope I haven’t become alien to you or anyone in our lovely home State. If I have been long forgotten, I bear a deep pain in my heart. I was shooed away from the State some years back and have been taking refuge in a bizarre place where I am not much at home. Eta, do I need to tell you how much I miss my home and my people out there? I want to come back and be with the folks again but no one is calling me back there. I wish you could do something for me. Or are you also sailing in the same boat?
I think no one ever wants me back in the State, especially when people seem to be busy rebuking and detesting one another as if they are born with a loathsome obligation. Sometimes it’s quite a puzzle that dazzles them each and every time they look forward to finding the real problem to seeking the right solution. But yes, the valleys and the hills—they know it all. Though they can’t speak out anything, they all know who started what, when, why and how.
While the real perpetrators boisterously loiter around, our people have so far resorted to blame games all the way triggering the problem to a more elevated level instead of finding the means and measures to resolve it together. Well, it is quite shameful to admit but this hatred seems to be gradually killing them all before the real death that is ordained for each one of them. Meanwhile, the dogs keep barking though no one let them out. A funny revelation is that the dogs were innocently imported, trained and tasked to hoarsely and rowdily bark and scare the hell out of them. Oh! Dear, it’s better to forsake the poor dogs that are at least loyal to their owners. God Bless Them At Least For Their Dutifulness.

By and by, amidst all the mayhems, more than my absence, I feel terribly sorry for the ‘Once upon a time happy valleys and tranquil hills’ that are unknowingly compelled to involve in all these sickening messes. Of late, people have created many despicable ghosts on their minds and these ghosts haunt them every time they want to dream of me. Smokes keep flaring up from the valleys all the way making the hills tearful and the same valleys are but flooded by the tears from the hills. The times, they are indeed changing from bad to worse. From cheerful to tearful days, everyone has seen it all. And what’s more saddening is that the seasons have even changed their colours so far. The wind of erroneous animosity sweeps to and fro the valleys and the hills and vice versa. It seems like things are not going to stop for a long time or is it something like some mongers never want these unwanted things coming to a death-end? I am not sure, Eta, if I should ask or discuss this but why don’t they just adjourn the court forever and let these mongers rest peacefully somewhere in a mental asylum? Maybe they need a ‘Judge’ to suspend the case, but this judge in question seems to be nowhere in sight.

Eta, I am really sorry to relate you all these woeful accounts. I just want to share my grief with you dear that it simply doesn’t make any sense why I have been shooed away from home like this as if I am so unwanted. However, I blame none but my fate and I am still hopeful no matter what, why and how. I will eagerly wait for that day when I would be called back home and be with you all again.
Till the D Day, please pray for me.

Missing you all badly
Peace

Duh! That was quite a dream, quite a letter too and I got a little confused about the dream letter from Miss Peace. She just mentioned her name as Peace without any surname, without any insinuation of a clan or a community. Maybe she was trying to be politically correct using just a name, maybe she belongs to none of the communities in Manipur. Lucky Peace as for us it is a different case. A Hindu or Paangan name is as much different from a Meitei name. Like wise, a Naga name is as much different from a Kuki name. Thenceforth, we can easily figure it out whom to befriend with and who to ignore just from a mere name or surname, right?

Forget it all, we should instead try to launch a ‘Call Peace Home’ crusade. After all, the valleys and hills do have hearts and they will wholeheartedly support the cause. Let us wipe away the tears and hold festoons in our hands to call Peace home and give her a chance to breathe in the Shirui breeze or just let her relax beside the Kangla Fort, what say?

This article was published on 3 Sep 2011