FindingTheVoices

S02E22 FindingTheVoices: Pukhrambam Dhanajit sharing about Manipuri Dances.

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S02E22:Pukhrambam Dhanajit sharing about Manipuri Dances.

Guest Speaker : Shri Pukhrambam Dhanajit Singh

Interview Location: Imphal, Manipur, India

Language: Podcast in Meitei-lon (Manipuri)

An interview with Shri Pukhrambam Dhanajit Singh, Manipuri dance teacher specialized in the field of Lai Haraoba and Manipuri classical dance. He has received many awards including Kalakshetra Guru National Award 2014, Indo-Nepal Friendship Manipuri Dance Guru Award 2014, Manipuri State Kala Academy Award in Manipuri Dance 2011 and many more.

He shares details about Lai Haraoba. He also spoke about very interesting perspective about the documentation status reflecting the practical movement and inner meaning of each dance form. He shares his journey, experiences as a Manipuri dance teacher leaving us with the question “How much are we retaining and learning Manipuri dance ? Are we having enough audiences ?”

It is encouraging to hear that there are good number of initiative from Manipuri students studying out Manipur, coming to learn Manipuri dance during their holidays and vacation. I was really lucky to get an opportunity to watch the different Manipuri dance form as part of the silver jubilee celebration of M4 House. I was even more happy to see the excitement amongst the students who performed on that day in learning something new.

MI_5Born 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/

 

A Walk in Paris, an acrylic painting

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My father asked me why I am painting instead of studying (In his mind, I am in school and his little girl). I reminded him that I am no longer studying and am working now, and I paint as a hobby. He laughed and examined what I painted. I jokingly asked him how much my painting would fetch if sold, he thought for a bit and seriously replied that I would definitely get Rs 30. I responded quickly stating that seem to be a bit low, and he paused and said, maybe Rs 35. And we all had a good laugh together.

An acrylic painting by Monica Ingudam

Ema, an acrylic painting

/ Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments

Ema. Ema is the meiteilon word for mother. Painted while I was in Manipur, inspired by my mother. When I painted this I thought about my mother and my little brother.

An acrylic painting by Monica Ingudam

096 It’s all in the mind : A Funeral for my living Father

/ Monica Ingudam / 39 Comments

A Funeral for my living Father

You mock about my ailing father,
Who is old and frail,
Who is battling with his memory,
Taking time to recall my name,
And yet greeting me with such profound expressions giving me the peace that feelings cannot be snatched even by Dementia,
Living his second childhood with his days numbered.

You curse about my living father,
Mocking about his funeral when he is alive,
Judging that I won’t make it for the funeral,
A funeral which you pitied the Leikai (community) will perform without me,
Such vicious words,
Such hateful words from someone I don’t even know.

You, hiding behind a fake name,
You have won in wounding me,
It’s true, I sleep every night with the biggest fear that I will miss his last moments,
It’s true, that I have failed to be with him at his hours of need,
It’s true, I have played out in my mind of every tiny details of how soon I can reach,
To be on time to hold his hands.

And I wish you would never have to feel the pain and helplessness of the separation and distance,
And remain blessed to be serving your Father living under the same roof,
Blessed to know for sure that you will light your Father’s funeral,
Blessed to know that you will be there holding your father’s hand as he crosses to the other world,
Blessed to be sleeping peacefully throwing words of mockery to the failed ones,
The failed ones like me.

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

Author’s Notes: I was deeply pained and saddened by the threats, personal attacks (specially the ones about my father) and abusive vicious raw words/message I received for writing the Poem “Students in Manipur”.

Written while I was traveling in the Air India flight from Delhi to Imphal, completed in my Father’s house sitting in the Mangong (Portico) listening to the familiar sound of birds chirping. A photograph of my meal with my Father just before I left Imphal, a meal with the hope and wish for more meals together.

S02E21 FindingTheVoices: Babloo Loitongbam, Manipur based Human Rights Activist.

/ Monica Ingudam / 5 Comments

S02E21: FindingTheVoices Babloo Loitongbam, Manipur based Human Rights Activist.

Guest Speaker : Babloo Loitongbam,

Interview Location: Imphal, Manipur, India

Language: Podcast in English

An interview with Babloo Loitongbam, Manipur based Human Rights Activist. Our studio for this recording is at the my Father’s beautiful mangong (porch) and you could hear our neighbor’s loud crow of a rooster, the barking of the dog. We had our special Guest Speaker sharing his story from his heart, we had audiences listening with rapt attention giving me more meaning to continue FindingTheVoices and sharing the voices which should be heard.

Presenting our very own, Babloo Loitongbam sharing about his journey as a Human Rights Activist in his own words.

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MI_5Born 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/

 

095 It’s all in the mind : Students of Manipur

/ Monica Ingudam / 113 Comments

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.

S02E20 FindingTheVoices: Leishangthem Kumarjit Meitei of Manipur Police Sports Club

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S02E20: FindingTheVoices Leishangthem Kumarjit Meitei of Manipur Police Sports Club

Guest Speaker : Leishangthem Kumarjit Meitei of Manipur Police Sports Club

Interview Location: Maryland, USA

Language: Podcast in Meiteilon/Manipuri.

It’s a great opportunity to meet Mr. Leishangthem Kumarjit Meitei of Manipur Police Sports Club. He has come from Manipur to participate in 2015 World Police & Fire Games hosted at Fairfax, VA under the category of Body Building and wrist wrestling.  He won a gold and silver medal under the category of wrist wrestling.

He shares his experience and opportunity of pursuing his interest in body building, being a part of the Manipur Police sports club. It was a great learning to learn about the career option and growth in joining the Manipur Police under the sports category.

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MI_5Born 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/

 

094 It’s all in the mind : The Doctor’s waiting room

/ Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments

The Doctor’s waiting room

It was a new place,
It was raining heavily,
With the winds blowing crazily,
We took shelter in front of the steps of a big church at Worli,
Filled with unfamiliar faces,
Drenched and shivering,
You couldn’t breathe,
Your wheezing increased,
And we tried to shield you with the umbrella,
As you inhaled your puffs from the inhaler,
The umbrella curling upward with the strong winds,
Then we shielded you with our body,
I was scared and cold,
But my sister stood strong and collected,
The rains stopped and we headed back to the Guest room.

You stayed indoors feeling unwell,
Time was running short,
With lots to be done,
My sister bought my bucket and the mug,
She shopped and got all the little things I might need staying in a hostel,
I could see your temper flaring with the helplessness in being unwell,
With too many unknowns,
My sister was at the receiving end of your temper,
Picking up heavy responsibilities.

She was just a teenager herself,
She was new to the place too,
But she didn’t loose her cool even once,
She made me ride the local bus,
From Worli to Peddar Road in Bombay,
Then back from Peddar Road to Worli,
Coaching me the landmarks of Haji Ali, the circle and Jaslok Hospital,
Teaching me the exact spot where I should get down for my college,
We rode back and forth many times,
Until she was confident that I could go on my own.

Then we went to a doctor’s place,
In a big building,
And a posh clean office,
We wrote your name in their registration sheet,
We saw the sign of consultancy fee as we waited,
A nominal fee but huge for us,
And you said it isn’t like you are sick sick,
You are already feeling better and we don’t have much time,
And we walked off the Doctor’s waiting room,
We all knew why you wanted to leave,
I didn’t see many patients in front of us,
We could have waited,
But we didn’t.

You left me in the midst of unknows,
With the strength that I have to study, no matter what,
Bidding your goodbye from the chugging train,
With very few words but a look that said more,
Crossing the mountains in the swaying bus,
Taking you back home,
And I started my journey to make myself.

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

093 It’s all in the mind : Mending the heart

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment

Mending the heart

Words spoken,
Hurtful words which couldn’t be taken back,
Tears shed,
Tears which couldn’t be dried,
Broken hearts,
Hearts which couldn’t be mended.

Unmet expectations,
Followed by awkward silence,
Slowly seeping into accepting the silence,
Appreciating the unspoken words,
Which brought the peace,
But also the distance.

The squabble stopped,
The connection severed,
The politesse maintained,
But that didn’t stop the love,
But that didn’t stop the sunrise,
It’s nature’s way.

And you know not how to mend,
Mend the broken heart,
Forget the hurtful words,
Bridge the connection,
Dry the tears,
And it’s only time, that will mend the heart.

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.