Voices from the common people, family, victims of AFSPA in Manipur

Many have asked me about AFSPA and I am sharing a documentary movie which covers about AFSPA, protests and situation in Manipur, voices from the common people, family and victims of AFSPA in Manipur.

When I grew up, before learning any games to play like any other child would, my father taught what we need to do when we hear gun shots, how we need to prostrate, crawl and where we need to go where we will be safe. I grew up in fear and stayed mostly at home, went out only out of necessity like attending school, and close family gatherings/functions. Everyone is home before darkness, gates are closed before darkness. I never saw any night life in Manipur. I thought it was normal while I was there, but coming out of Manipur and seeing the different ways of living, I realized how different it is growing up in a place of conflict, growing up in Manipur. And I hope someday, soon, there will be peace and the common people of Manipur can walk in the street without any fear, and live freely.

This is a strong documentary showing the reality and life of common people in Manipur. Watch it to understand and see a glimpse to a few cases where the victims, family of victims who are common people of Manipur.

Jano Devi, widow shares her story of her husband ending up death after he was picked up from home. She shares her story while she carries her infant baby at her back. She ask the question with tears , what should she answer when her child grows up and ask “Where is my father ?”

Binasakhi Lakshmi Devi, mother of victim shares her story of her son, who was picked up from home. Her son was found dead.

Thoudang Nanwa Singh shares about how he was beaten up, tied up and 5 to 6 personals forcing their genital in his mouth. He was tortured beating him again and again, playing with his genital.

Sharmila Irom started her fast after ten civilians were shot and killed while waiting at a bus stop on 2 November 2000

Kshetrimayum Netalini Devi, sister of victim who lost her sister while army personals started shooting in their residence

Source:

Photo: Google search (Manipur AFSPA)

Video: Youtube (Manipur in the Shadow of AFSPA  , A Documentary produced by Harsh Dobhal, Human Rights Law Network & ANHAD uploaded in 2010)

~The End ~

 

 

Amuba charang macha, black baby dragon fly, an acrylic painting

Amuba charang macha, black baby dragon fly.Acrylic painting by Monica Ingudam

An acrylic painting by Monica Ingudam

075 It’s all in the mind : The Lemongrass tea

The Lemongrass tea
A chilly morning,
With cold hands and feets,
Sipping hot lemongrass tea,
With soothing pena music playing,
Giving one the warmth,
Giving one the familiar taste,
Bringing the calmness,
Taking one to silence,
Watching the world,
The world with people trampling,
Living life in their own terms.

~The End~ 

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

S02E16 FindingTheVoices: Sori Senjam, singer from Manipur

S02E16: FindingTheVoices Sori Senjam, singer from Manipur

Guest Speaker : Sori Senjam, singer from Manipur

Interview Location: Phone interview with Guest Speaker joining in from Imphal, Manipur.

Language: Podcast in Meiteilon.

Sori Senjam joining us from Imphal, Manipur sharing about his journey as a singer and composer for Meiteilon songs and music. Listen to him sharing his visions to grow, detailing out the limitations of applying his creativity to meet the market’s demand. He shares interesting behind the scenes of performing live in Imphal. Find out how Sori feels about our culture of giving money by listeners to artist during a live show. He must have sung more than 40 songs so far and he says that his best is yet to come, this is just the starting. We wish him good luck and looking forward for more of his work.

A Special thanks to all the volunteers and team of FindingTheVoices in trying a new approach for this episode. This was a challenging episode in recording timing to capture the daylight shooting in the early morning at Washington DC and in the afternoon in Imphal, and finally synching up the 2 streams of phone interview. We recognized the need for improvement in audio and video quality, but I know our young team tried our best and we will get better in future episodes.  Thanks to each and everyone of you.

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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/


 

074 It’s all in the mind : The Moment

The MomentNo rules,
No boundaries,
Listen, just listen,
Relax, just relax,
And slowly,
But surely,
The soothing sound becomes one,
With your heartbeat,
With your breathing,
With you,
And slowly,
Calmness seeps in,
Giving you the moment you seek,
A moment of your own.

 
~The End~ 

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

073 It’s all in the mind : Giggle Water

Giggle Water
My daddy said people who drink are bad,
He said stay away from people who drink,
But daddy you have seen only drunks who drink!You didn’t say anything about being tipsy,
You didn’t say anything about feeling like a butterfly,
I say it’s only giggle water,
And you don’t have to get drunk!My daddy said people who drink are bad,
He said stay away from people who drink,
But daddy you haven’t tasted all the cocktails!

You didn’t say anything about being light as a feature,
You didn’t say anything about feeling like walking in the clouds,
I say it’s just a mix challenging your taste bud to guess the ingredients!

My daddy said people who drinks are bad,
He said stay away from people who drinks,
But daddy we can have a great giggly conversation!

You didn’t say anything about being able to express what you want easily,
You didn’t say anything about feeling what you want to feel,
I say let’s have a drink together, it’s just giggle water!

~would love to make a song on this ~

 
~The End~ 

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

S02E15 FINDINGTHEVOICES: Blooming Manipur, an initiative encouraging ownership of where we live and beautifying Manipur

S02E15: Blooming Manipur, an initiative encouraging  ownership of where we live and beautifying Manipur

Guest Speaker : Satyajit Elangbam of Blooming Manipur

Interview Location: Imphal, Manipur, India.

Language: Podcast in English.

‘Blooming Manipur’ is a community based project where it seeks to transform our public places and spaces as our pride and create a sense of belongingness. It is presently being implemented at Ema Keithel, the 300 years old traditional and ingenious women only market in Manipur. ‘Blooming Manipur’ is inspired by the ‘Britain in Bloom’ concept which has made Britain one of the beautiful island nation. Beyond the flowers and gardens of Britain, the campaign has done wonders for community cohesion and managed to get communities to participate in keeping the towns and cities beautiful, increasing civic sense of pride and truly creating a sense of belongingness to their streets and neighbourhoods.

It is run by a Blooming Manipur Team consisting of many volunteers who wish to transform Manipur’s leiraks/streets, kondhongs/gate , communal places , keithels/markets and our valued places of heritages into places of pride through community participation and promotion of civic responsibility.

We have Satyajit Elangbam representing Blooming Manipur sharing the story of Blooming Manipur. This initiative has inspired many people in Manipur and it’s very encouraging to see many people stepping up in the effort to beautify Manipur. An initiative by the people of Manipur, even inspiring the government body in this effort. Listen to the challenges of maintenance and about the people behind the scene which is making this happen. This project is not only about planting but instilling the values amongst all of us.

Let’s participate in this effort of beautification and keeping Manipur clean and beautiful. It’s easy to criticize and point fingers to organization and officials for not doing their duty in keeping Manipur clean and beautiful. But the question each of us need to ask is “What are we doing to contribute? Are we littering ?”. If we all start having the values, starting at your own home, gate, locality, schools wherever we can, it will add into the vision of Blooming Manipur, in creating a clean and beautiful Manipur. I invite everyone to be a part of this change. Let’s take the ownership in beautifying Manipur. Let’s bring a change together.

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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/


 

072 It’s all in the mind : Colors

Colors
Seasons are changing,
The warmth is gone,
The cold is here,
Leaves are falling,
Everything is changing,
The beauty which filled the sky,
With myriad of colors,
Waking one’s heart,
Will be gone soon,
Filling one in darkness,
And it’s just time,
Everything changes.
~The End~ 

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

071 It’s all in the mind : Thoibi’s Khamba

Thoibi’s Khamba
The man who ignited a woman’s heart,
At the first sight,
When our eyes met in my father’s house,
And disappeared for 4 full years,
Making me missed him even when I knew nothing about him,
Hanging onto his old clothes,
Searching for him,
Seeking for him,
And today I find that he is Khamnu’s little brother,
My friend’s brother,
That would make him my little brother too,
Oh what anger and irritation he showed,
Roaring like a lion when I called him “Epwoa” little brother,
Telling me that he is not that young,
Seeing his gestures,
Irritation in not wanting to be called a brother,
Gave me hope that maybe he feels for me too,
Enquiring if he has a lady in his life,
Thoughts on settling down if he is not as young as he says,
With his intense irresistible eyes,
And without any hesitation he nodes,
Making my heart sink,
Oh and all these time he was in my mind,
And he has a lady in his mind,
I have no courage to know who his lady is,
Then he pointed his finger to my reflection in the glistening water of Loktak,
Indicating that is his lady love,
Oh he is my Khamba,
And It’s is a new beginning,
All I needed to know was that,
My happiness is intertwined with his life,
I watched him slowly disappearing from my sight,
As he rowed his boat away,
And the beautiful Loktak Lake witnessed our love,
The love that will be remembered forever by souls touching the Loktak Lake.
~The End~ 
~Inspired and in awe of the The Khamba Thoibi epic story of #Manipur sung by Pena singers for centuries, rendered into writing by the great poet Hijam Anganghal Singh in Meitei-Lon ~

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