Season 3 of FindingTheVoices

Season 3 of FindingTheVoices, Washington DC (April 2016- )

A talk show by Monica Ingudam, originally from Manipur, India. Presenting voices about Manipur highlighting on Inspiration, Education, Empowerment and Entertainment. Voices of people with a vision to promote positivity in the violence-torn land of Manipur. A platform for the people, by the people. A platform where we have come together despite the diversity of ethnicity or religion connecting us by humanity.

S03E46 FindingTheVoices with Reverend Father Joseph Kachiramattam, the first diocesan priest posted in Manipur and has been serving as a priest for 58 years now.

February 25, 2017April 7, 2017 / Monica Ingudam / 4 Comments

FindingTheVoices with Reverend Father Joseph Kachiramattam, the first diocesan priest posted in Manipur and has been serving as a priest for 58 years now.

Guest Speaker : Reverend Father Joseph Kachiramattam, Catholic Priest.
Language: Interview in English

Location: Priests’ Home, Mantripukhri in Imphal, Manipur, India

We are at Priests’ Home, Mantripukhri in Imphal and our guest for this episode is 91 years old Reverend Father Joseph Kachiramattam. He was very kind and strong enough to share with us his entire life story and experience from the time he came to Manipur on 27^th July, 1958 till today. He has been serving as a priest in Manipur for 58 years now and was the first diocesan priest to be posted in Manipur. Father Mattam, who was 32 years old at the time, actually volunteered to be posted in Manipur when one of the three Italians priests that were serving at the Mission Station in Manipur had to leave because the priest had not acquired Indian citizenship.

Father Mattam talks about his time in Sugnu and Churachandpur, setting up parishes and schools in the remote locations. He started his journey to Sugnu from Don Bosco, Chingmeirong, which was their centre at the time. He established the St. Joseph’s Parish in Sugnu and was appointed as the parish priest by the Bishop. Sadly, during his tenure in Sugnu, he suffered from Pleurisy and had to leave on 31^st January, 1967 to get treatment in Imphal. Two months later, he recovered from the disease but had to go to his native place in Kerala to get further treatment. Father Mattam also talks about the time he met with an accident while riding on his Royal Enfield at Nambol.

About FindingTheVoices:

Born and raised in the violence-torn landscape of Manipur, I have a vision to promote and spread inspiring, empowering, educative & entertaining stories. I believe that we can create contents bringing the positive side of Manipur. I believe we can do this together by finding the voices, voices which needs to be heard and shared, voices of our own people, people of Manipur and well-wishers of Manipur. I believe that these voices will bring a change and connect all of us.

I welcome you to join me in my journey to finding the voices at Http://FindingTheVoices.com/

S03E45 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, Inner Line Permit System in Manipur.

February 18, 2017March 21, 2017 / Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment

FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, Inner Line Permit System in Manipur. (Part 5)

Guest Speaker : Mr. Yambem Laba, senior journalist at The Statesman Pvt. Ltd.
Language: Interview in English

Location: Imphal, Manipur, India

Catch up the 1st part of the interview at FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, the walking knowledge bank of Manipur. (Part 1)

Catch up the 2nd part of the interview at FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, Journalism and Manipur (Part 2).

Catch up the 3rd part of the interview at FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, writing against corruption, exposing high profile personalities of Manipur. (Part 3)

Catch up the 3rd part of the interview at FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, sharing about the ground reality of Manipur. (Part 4)

Mr. Yambem Laba, the chronicler of events of Manipur, has been involved in a whirlwind of social and political junctures at the state level. In this episode, we discuss about the senior journalist’s stand on the Scheduled Tribe reservation issue of the Meitei community and the demand of the Inner Line Permit System in Manipur. He says that the Meitei community is very much threatened and has the possibility of ‘dying out’ because of the influx of outsiders into the state of Manipur. The ILP movement was essentially started to save the Meitei race from potential extinction. However, he fears that perhaps the agitators of the movement have failed to understand the dynamics of the Governance system at work at the Centre. He says that the demand of granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community is the only manner by which the Meiteis can save themselves and prevent getting close to being wiped out like the Tripuris in Tripura, Bhutias and Lepchas in Sikkim and the Kacharis in Cachar. These mentioned communities have become negligible, marginalized and almost close to extinction in their own land of birth.

The humble reporter feels that the mindset of the Meitei community is stuck with the ‘Meitrabak’ concept; extending from the Surma valley to the Kabaw valley. He says that this kind of thinking needs to be changed and people need to realize that the Meiteis are now confined to only four districts of Manipur, having no say in the other districts. Our guest also reveals that he is now contemplating on starting a Meitei people’s front, uniting the Meiteis belonging to different faiths; a platform where the Meiteis can at least come and meet, irrespective of religion, with the underlying motto of ‘Live and Let Live’.

About FindingTheVoices:

I welcome you to join me in my journey to finding the voices at Http://FindingTheVoices.com/

S03E44 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, sharing about the ground reality of Manipur.

February 11, 2017March 9, 2017 / Monica Ingudam / 1 Comment

FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, sharing about the ground reality of Manipur. (Part 4)

Guest Speaker : Mr. Yambem Laba, senior journalist at The Statesman Pvt. Ltd.
Language: Interview in English

Location: Imphal, Manipur, India

Catch up the 1st part of the interview at FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, the walking knowledge bank of Manipur. (Part 1)

Catch up the 2nd part of the interview at FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, Journalism and Manipur (Part 2).

Catch up the 3rd part of the interview at FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, writing against corruption, exposing high profile personalities of Manipur. (Part 3)

Senior journalist and social entrepreneur Mr. Yambem Laba shares his experience during his times as a member of the State Human Rights Commission in this episode. He recalls about the controversial incident where a man was shot dead by the 17th Assam Rifles division acting beyond jurisdiction where the information was kept hidden from the public and from the wife of the victim. It was only after the intervention of the Human Rights Commission that the authorities started investigation and the whereabouts of the victim. These kinds of cases had been happening in certain parts of India where AFSPA was imposed. Owing to the intervention of the Human Rights Commission, it was the last time a man arrested by the army disappeared in Manipur. During his tenure at the commission, Mr. Yambem Laba has helped solve a number of problems faced by the people and bring justice by using the power of the media as a force multiplier.

He says that although the Human Rights Commission might not have been able to send the perpetrators of the crime behind bars in every case, the issues of the victims was brought to notice to the public at large and the

perpetrators were identified as a human rights violator. By this account, he was able to turn the commission into a “Poor Man’s Court”. The senior journalist also says that he was the person who came up with the idea of nose-feeding Irom Sharmila after she took up her resolution to fast unto death “Sharmila, Don’t die for Manipur. Stay alive for Manipur”, were the words he said to the iron lady in order to persuade her to stay alive and keep fighting.

And the ground reality is Manipur doesn’t have a Human Rights commission.

About FindingTheVoices:

I welcome you to join me in my journey to finding the voices at Http://FindingTheVoices.com/

S03E43 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, writing against corruption, exposing high profile personalities of Manipur

February 4, 2017March 7, 2017 / Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments

FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, writing against corruption, exposing high profile personalities of Manipur. (Part 3)

Guest Speaker : Mr. Yambem Laba, senior journalist at The Statesman Pvt. Ltd.
Language: Interview in English

Location: Imphal, Manipur, India

Catch up the 1st part of the interview at FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, the walking knowledge bank of Manipur. (Part 1)

Catch up the 2nd part of the interview at FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, Journalism and Manipur (Part 2).

Mr. Yambem Laba, senior journalist, Ashoka fellow and a social entrepreneur is indeed a walking knowledge bank of Manipur.

He has been contributing his share in a number of social events and undertakings and interviewing people from all segments including insurgents and such groups. The senior journalist has been around for quite a long time in this field and has heard stories from both sides. We ask our guest how he manages to balance and if they affect him personally in any way in his life. He has written a number of columns against corruption, exposing a series of high profile personalities of Manipur, and has received a fair share of threats as counter effect. Every week while writing for a column called Acute Angle published in the English daily, Imphal Free Press, he used to expose a minister or a bureaucrat or somebody who was involved in nefarious activities, giving a very stringent view of what was happening in the state. As a matter of fact, his first article in the column was entitled “Portrait of a Minister as a Con-Man”.

In this episode, Mr. Yambem Laba tells a short story of his acquaintance with the then Governor, Lt. General V.K. Nayar, during the time when President’s Rule was enforced in Manipur in 1994. He also shares about the time he got arrested by the Burmese army in 1988. He also talks briefly about the first time he was selected as a member of the State Human Rights Commission.

About FindingTheVoices:

I welcome you to join me in my journey to finding the voices at Http://FindingTheVoices.com/

S03E42 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, Journalism and Manipur.

January 28, 2017February 14, 2017 / Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments

FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, Journalism and Manipur. (Part 2)

Guest Speaker : Mr. Yambem Laba, senior journalist at The Statesman Pvt. Ltd.
Language: Interview in English

Location: Imphal, Manipur, India

Catch up the 1st part of the interview at FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, the walking knowledge bank of Manipur. (Part 1)

Mr. Yambem Laba is the founder of the movement of Human Rights in Manipur and was instrumental in filing the first ever petition at the Supreme Court of India challenging the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (Assam-Manipur), 1958 in the year 1980.

Mr. Yambem Laba was honoured with the Ashoka fellowship in 1988 for his
role as a social entrepreneur mobilizing the youths of poor and neglected Manipur for community and environmental projects. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, London; President of Kanjenglei, a centre for Manipur Art and Culture, Bangalore; member of India International Centre and Indian Mountaineering Foundation; former chairperson in charge of State Human Rights Commission, Manipur; and a former director of Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy. As of today, he is currently working as a senior journalist at The Statesman Pvt. Ltd.

When we arrived at the residence of veteran journalist Mr. Yambem Laba, we were greeted by a very friendly and handsome German shepherd named Kaiser, who was a little vocal during certain moments of the interview. So dear viewers, please excuse the energetic chap for being so curious and exploring! In this episode, we talk about how Mr. Yambem Laba started off with his journalism career from the early days. The senior journalist says that although he learnt economics in the Delhi School of Economics, he learnt all about journalism in the streets of Kolkata. He talks about how journalism used to be just a hobby before it became a passion for him. In 1982, he left his teaching job at his alma mater and later went to Lachen, Sikkim in 1983. There, he worked on his first ever story and published it under the title “Sikkim – The Lost Shangri-la”. His second storyentitled “New Wave of Insurgency in Manipur” was published in The Week, a magazine published in South India. After this, he had a short stint in Leh district and Sopore town in Jammu & Kashmir.

He came back to Imphal in September, 1983 and joined the English weekly called Resistance, published by the Pan Manipuri Youth League as Chief Reporter-cum-Asst. Editor.During this period, Mr. Yambem Laba began realizing that the future of the state of Manipur was evidently shaped by the youth of today. Thus began the movement for Social Entrepreneurship mobilizing the youths of Manipur. His main objective was to impart four attributes into each of the youths – endurance, courage, sense of fraternity and personal excellence. Watch this episode to learn more and find out how our fearless journalist’s question might have saved the life of a teenaged girl from a vigilant act of an insurgent group.

About FindingTheVoices:

I welcome you to join me in my journey to finding the voices at Http://FindingTheVoices.com/

S03E41 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, the walking knowledge bank of Manipur.

January 21, 2017February 14, 2017 / Monica Ingudam / 1 Comment

FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, the walking knowledge bank of Manipur. (Part 1)

Guest Speaker : Mr. Yambem Laba, senior journalist at The Statesman Pvt. Ltd.
Language: Interview in English

Location: Imphal, Manipur, India

After numerous requests from intent viewers of our favorite talk show of Manipur, FindingTheVoices has finally managed to land an interview session with senior journalist and profound personality of Manipur, Mr. Yambem Laba.

He is the founder of the movement of Human Rights in Manipur and was
instrumental in filing the first ever petition at the Supreme Court of India challenging the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (Assam-Manipur), 1958 in the year 1980.

He is the fourth of five sons to parents whom he describes as pioneer professionals of Manipur; his father being the first engineering graduate of Manipur and his mother being the first lady doctor of Manipur. He studied in Little Flower School and Don Bosco School in Imphal before shifting to St. Joseph’s College, North Point, Darjeeling at the age of 14. There, he was exposed to art and literature of the finest and was imparted the sense of dedication, sacrifice, sense of care and also to be stern when required. He did his bachelors in Economics (honours) and then pursued for Master’s degree at the Delhi School of Economics.

The humble and fearless journalist recounts that the idea to challenge the AFSPA (1958) was born while he and two other friends were hanging out at a cafeteria in Delhi University. It was during this moment that they decided the platform for the challenge should be Human Rights. He felt the need to expose the ruthless situations of Manipur to the world, to show what was happening in the state.

About FindingTheVoices:

I welcome you to join me in my journey to finding the voices at Http://FindingTheVoices.com/

S03E40 FindingTheVoices with Ms. Anubha Bhonsle: Manipur and Irom Sharmila

January 14, 2017February 14, 2017 / Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment

FindingTheVoices with Ms. Anubha Bhonsle: Manipur and Irom Sharmila (Part 2)

Guest Speaker : Ms. Anubha Bhonsle, Executive editor of CNN IBN, Journalist and author of “Mother, Where is My Country?”
Language: Interview in English

Location: Washington DC

Catch up the 1st part of the interview at Manipur through the eyes of Ms. Anubha Bhonsle. (Part 1)

Our guest today is Anubha Bhonsle, recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, 2009 and the author of the extensively researched book on one of the most ignored state of India titled “Mother, Where is My Country?”. She also received the Chameli Devi Award for Outstanding Woman Media Person in the year 2014 for her body of work. Anubha Bhonsle has been a founding member of CNN-IBN (now CNN-News18). In her role as Executive Editor, she led the channels’ coverage of major news events reporting from the ground and has anchored several flagship news, prime time discussions and documentaries.

In the first part of her interview, she shared her story about how she began her career in journalism. This is the second part of her interview.

Anubha Bhonsle’s book “Mother, Where is my Country?” published in January, 2016 is a result of 10 years of research in Manipur. It covers stories of injustice suffered by the people and violation of human rights amongst others.

The book is centered around Irom Sharmila and covers her life, goals and her struggle against the draconian law, Armed Forces Special Powers Act. The iron lady ended her 16 years long hunger strike on 9th August, 2016 to take up the fight from another angle. Anubha Bhonsle expresses her views about this new turn of events in this episode. There has been wide media coverage about the people of Manipur shunning Irom Sharmila’s decision to end her fast, but very little has been covered about the people who have come out in support of her. Anubha Bhonsle says that it took Irom Sharmila more courage to take up the decision to end her fast than she did when she started the hunger strike. She says that although this is not a positive situation, it can be taken as an opportunity for the people in other parts of the country to know more about the ignored state of Manipur and also be a turning point for anyone interested in the anti-AFSPA campaign. Anubha Bhonsle also shares about the experience of her time in Manipur from the perspective of mingling with the people, food and places she has visited. We talk about some of the challenges she faced when she came to Manipur doing her research going from one place to the other.

About FindingTheVoices: Monica Ingudam, Founder of FindingTheVoices

I welcome you to join me in my journey to finding the voices at Http://FindingTheVoices.com/

S03E39 FindingTheVoices with Ms. Anubha Bhonsle: Mother, Where is My Country?

January 7, 2017February 14, 2017 / Monica Ingudam / 1 Comment

FindingTheVoices with Ms. Anubha Bhonsle: Manipur through the eyes of Ms. Anubha Bhonsle. Mother, Where is My Country? (Part 1)

Guest Speaker : Ms. Anubha Bhonsle, Executive editor of CNN IBN, Journalist and author of “Mother, Where is My Country?”
Language: Interview in English

Location: Washington DC

In this episode, she shares her story about how she began her career in journalism. She says that she was one of those who didn’t know what they wanted to do and found her calling very late in life. Her first prolonged assignment was to cover Irom Sharmila when she was in Delhi in 2006. She says that she had to go “undercover” for the assignment and spent many days and nights in the hospital where Irom Sharmila was kept confined.

We also talk about her book which is a result of 10 years of hard work and research. The book covers heartbreaking stories not only of Irom Sharmila, but also of all citizens of Manipur. It has reports about the people’s protest against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, National Highway blockades in the North Eastern states, Human Rights violations, underground groups and political turmoil in the Manipur. She also talks about the reaction and feedback she has received so far from the readers.

About FindingTheVoices:

I welcome you to join me in my journey to finding the voices at Http://FindingTheVoices.com/

S03E37 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Oinam Khelchandra Singh, Understanding the Rituals for the dead in Manipur.

December 24, 2016June 13, 2017 / Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment

FindingTheVoices with Mr. Oinam Khelchandra Singh, Understanding the Rituals for the dead in Manipur.

Guest Speaker : Mr. Oinam Khelchandra Singh, Arangbham Purel, from Sagolband Sayang Leikai

Language: Interview in Meiteilon

Location: Imphal, Manipur, India

For those who are left behind, a funeral provides a place for family and friends to gather for support and to reminisce, an opportunity to celebrate the life and accomplishments of a loved one, a chance to say goodbye, and the focal point from which the healing process can begin. The funeral identifies that a person’s life has been lived, not that a death has occurred. It is also important to notify the community that this person is no more.

There are thousands of different culture and communities in India, and they practice different customs and rituals for a funeral.

This episode is a documentation of the meitei-meetei (or meitei-hindu) funeral rites and ceremonies. We have Mr. Oinam Khelchandra Singh, Arangbham Purel, from Sagolband Sayang Leikai helping us out in this episode as we try and cover all the customs and their significances.

Mr. Khelchandra Singh learnt everything about the rituals from the elders and performers and has been practicing for 30 years now.

We talk about the rituals to be followed when a person passes away, about lamboiba, and he describes the traditional customs step by step in detail. We discuss why clothes are burnt after a funeral, the purpose of lighting a candle or a small lamp at the place of cremation and other such topics. He also tells us the purpose of various rituals and about the symbolic meaning of the attire people wear during the 14 day period of the ceremony.

About FindingTheVoices:

I welcome you to join me in my journey to finding the voices at Http://FindingTheVoices.com/

FINDINGTHEVOICES

A Talk show by Monica Ingudam presenting Inspiring, Educative, Empowering and Entertaining Voices. @ISTV Manipur every Tuesday 7 pm IST

Season 3 of FindingTheVoices

S03E46 FindingTheVoices with Reverend Father Joseph Kachiramattam, the first diocesan priest posted in Manipur and has been serving as a priest for 58 years now.

S03E45 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, Inner Line Permit System in Manipur.

S03E44 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, sharing about the ground reality of Manipur.

S03E43 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, writing against corruption, exposing high profile personalities of Manipur

S03E42 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, Journalism and Manipur.

S03E41 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Yambem Laba, the walking knowledge bank of Manipur.

S03E40 FindingTheVoices with Ms. Anubha Bhonsle: Manipur and Irom Sharmila

S03E39 FindingTheVoices with Ms. Anubha Bhonsle: Mother, Where is My Country?

S03E37 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Oinam Khelchandra Singh, Understanding the Rituals for the dead in Manipur.

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