Students of Manipur
In the land of Manipur,
You will find many young teenager students put in the forefront to protest issues,
Elsewhere in other part of the world you will find students in a classroom,
In a nurturing ambience,
Instilling values and providing continous education,
It’s time to ask yourself where is the place of the students?
Institutions not allowing the students to participate in the protests are threatened,
Institutions keeping the students in the classroom are bullied,
The Institutions committed to provide education to students,
But you would find many applicants for admission,
Creating another protest demanding to get admissions,
It’s time to ask yourself why you seek for admission from such institutions ?
Mothers toil in the hot sun,
Selling vegetables in the market,
Fathers contented with only one good shirt for work,
Saving all their earnings, selling off their land,
To send the children out of Manipur, in the hope to get continous education and a job with their own merit,
It’s time to ask yourself why many are going out seeking for education ?
The students in Manipur are facing the forefront of the Protest,
Loosing the precious life hit by rubber bullets,
Thrashed by the lawmaker of the land leaving a big scar in their psyche,
The students seeking education outside of Manipur in India,
Are facing the taunt of Identity and acceptance gulping down the many “ching chong” comments,
It’s time to ask yourself where is the place for the students of Manipur ?
~The End~
An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.
Author’s Note : Students in Manipur are often caught in the midst of the conflict, facing what they shouldn’t be facing and having to go lengths to get an education, the education every child deserves. I wrote this poem after I read that a student died during the ongoing agitation and protests. I was filled with pain and helplessness to see the condition of students of Manipur and what they have to go through. I beleive in the power of education and wished for the peaceful ambience of institutions for the students of Manipur.
We should protest and speak up for the things we beleive in. Findingthevoices is my way of protesting. I also beleive in the freedom to choose what I protest for, and protesting in a non voilent way.
FINDINGTHEVOICES 
meitei nupi hainaricni, mahwsadagi thouna lingjel lu-tongda yarkabani.
I, who live in rural AZ, had no idea. Thanks for enlightening me. We take so many things for granted in America: education among them. This is eye opening. I’ve chosen to keep my activism relegated to my garden, but I definitely think globally and will add my blessings to Manipur, tucked behind nine folds of mountains. Namaste.
I highly agree with you sis. They shouldn’t be involving in this. When all their student companions in other states and countries are busy improving themselves in their field of learning, our students are busy protesting. The whole mindset of students are changed by this, they are totally distracted from their main purpose. How can they stand with their counterparts when they come up in national level?
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