FindingTheVoices

046 It’s all in the mind : The Green Meadow

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
The Green Meadow
It was bright and sunny,
Sitting on the soft green grasses,
Watching my red shoes against the beautiful green meadow,
Meadow filled with wild yellow flowers,
Meadow filled with wild white flowers.
The sun was harshly bright and hot,
Making my feet tingle,
And the numbness spreading throughout the body,
The voices of children playing nearby fades away,
Taking me to a different space.The fading voices continues stronger,
Asking me questions after questions,
What is your name ? How old are you ? What is your social security number ? Do you have any allergies ?
As they continue plugging wires, pricking my finger and hand drawing blood, hanging IV,
Wheeling me to a place filled with more fading voices.

Catching a glimpse of the blurred sight,
I see my bright red shoes against the green covered movable bed,
I see many green scrub clad people walking around busily,
I whispered for a blanket as I was shivering.

The kind green scrub clad lady covered me with a warm spotless white bedsheet,
I watched the white ceiling,
Pondering over spoken or unspoken Words, expected or unexpected actions and of tears and memories,
And nothing else mattered,
But through my blurred view my mind was crystal clear, clear of the time, my time and memories I want.

~The End~

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

S02E02 FindingTheVoices: How do your react when someone calls you a Chinky or use any derogatory terms ?

/ Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments

S02E02 FindingTheVoices: How do your react when someone calls you a Chinky or use any derogatory terms ?

Guest Speakers: Bobo Hijam, Lukhoi Sougaijam, Linthoi Angom

Language: English.
Interview Location : Washington DC, USA.

With many cases of racism and incidents in India where the North East people of India are teased, questioned, called Chinky and other derogatory terms I had posted  “Yes we hear the word “Chinky” very often. Lot of people including myself try and take it sportingly to survive and blend in, not to cause any trouble (for we have seen time and again that we will loose fighting back and be alienated and chose to focus to study/work, the reason why we came out from Manipur) but you should know that deep inside we don’t like it”

And one of the response was “I use “Chinky” for people from North East India like using Gujju for Gujarati, Bong for Bengali, Mallu for Malayali, I didn’t think it was offensive. If it is I will stop”

This response (ignorance that it’s a derogatory term) inspired me to do this episode to share our experience, thoughts, ways of coping up and mechanism we had opted to survive such situations, situations we wish we didn’t have to face but we are facing.

There are many young students coming out to escape the conflict, including myself, to pursue uninterrupted education at a very young age. And then dealing with new place and people, new food, pain of missing home. We have met very good, kind hearted people who have helped and touched our heart and we remain indebted forever.

But we are also faced with indifference and questions on our identity making us to cope up to blend in, to survive in many ways even in the way one dresses, avoiding places and events, curbing one’s freedom to avoid situations, keeping quiet gulping humiliations to survive. Many of us cope up this way for we know that when we fight back it’s only us who will loose and end in tragic incidents which never gets justice. But should we keep quiet ? No we shouldn’t. And we will not. We have learnt to pick our battle and find ways and mechanism to protest, educate, spread awareness and let people know. Also we should ask our self if we are calling names to others, start from home, our origin and fight for the cause, stand for the cause irrespective of your community and contribute at the individual level and this will truly bring a change.

Thanks to our Guest Speakers for sharing their heart felt experience and thoughts. Please share your experience and thoughts too.

045 It’s all in the mind : The one way view

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
The one way view
You ask me why I am caged,
But ask yourself if you are in the cage,
You see what you want to see,
It’s all in the view.You ask me why I have changed,
But ask yourself if you remained the same,
You changed, changing me,
It’s all in the view.

~The End~

Picture courtesy : Loyangamba Khundongbam

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

044 It’s all in the mind : Beautiful Spring

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
Beautiful Spring
Nothing can stop the bloom,
Nothing can stop the beauty,
Blooming out of nowhere,
Blooming in unexpected places,
Bringing surprises,
Bringing smiles,
And I choose to accept the beautiful feelings nature has to offer,
Even if it’s for a short time,
Before the wind and rains snatches it away.

~The End~

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

043 It’s all in the mind : Words

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment

Words

Words brings happiness,
Words makes life beautiful,
But words could also be sharper than a knife,
So sharp piercing right through your heart,
Hurting you deeply,
And words once uttered could hardly be forgotten,
Both beautiful and piercing words,
What are your words going to be ?

~The End~

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

042 It’s all in the mind : When the sun goes down

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
When the sun goes down
I miss you,
And my heart aches deeply,
I feel your pain,
Yes, I do feel your pain,
And yet I cannot be next to you,
I can only give you my tears,
I can only give you my thoughts,
And I can only give you my feelings,
And when the sun goes down,
I miss you even more.
~The End~
Picture courtesy : Loyangamba Khundongbam

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

041 It’s all in the mind : Spring

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
Spring
You have defined feelings,
Feelings never felt before,
You have given meaning to the word “Beautiful”,
Bringing out the best in me,
Taking me to a whole new world,
A world I have never seen,
You are precious,
You are special,
You are my spring.

~The End~

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

S02E01 FindingTheVoices: Meeting the Authors of the book “Tattooed with Taboos”

/ Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments

S02E01 FindingTheVoices: Meeting the Authors of the book “Tattooed with Taboos”

Guest Speakers: Shreema Ningombam , Soibam Haripriya, Chaoba Phuritshbam

Language: Podcast in English.
Interview Location : Manipur and New Delhi in India.

“Tattooed with Taboos” is an anthology that records a specific angst of the times developed within the consciousness of the poets. Circumscribed by the construct of womanhood; enveloped within the halo of love, betrayal and breathing, these poems are located in the setting of a conflict torn society. The poets use the personal as a tool to document the changing frames of the society and practices which seems to be “set in stone” through the metamorphosis of their moods, anxiety, hysteria and melancholy. The poems are experiential as well as reflexive.

You can get this book at INFIBEAM

FindingTheVoices brings voices and story that Inspire, Empower, Educate & Entertain us from people all over the world.. It is a talk show presented by Monica Ingudam with the vision to promote and spread positive, hopeful, inspiring & entertaining stories in the violence-torn landscape of Manipur.

This is your show to promote your talents & work, share your experiences and voice what you stand for, what you believe in, what you want people to know & talk about.

Special thanks to Akee Sorokhaibam and my sweet sisters of M4 Girls who have been a part in the making of this Episode.

The book has a phanek for its cover is very significant in many ways. We were asked why a meitei phanek, why not any other ethnic community. But it is the meitei phanek which is tattooed with taboos. The phanek of other communities I believe, is not embedded with such stark ideas of impurity. Choosing the phanek mapanaiba as the cover was a very conscious decision. Firstly, it is untouchable, meitei men do not touch the phanek, and putting that on the cover of course will have many men touching the phanek unconsciously. Secondly, it is considered inauspicious. Of course this is strange because I am sure there is not a single man who has not yet touched a phanek. Thoughts?
Untamed (A poem by Shreema Ningombam)
always carry a book in my bag and this is my current book. Watch the interview of the authors of this book at Findingthevoices.
When a girl expresses her love directly to person it is considered bold and even looked down. Talking about falling in “Love” seems very awkward in our society. Watch what the young poetess from #Manipur have to say about this. What are your thoughts ?
Meet Kapil Arambam, the man who did the cover design for the book “Tattooed with taboos” , the design we are all raving about, the design which said it all.
There is so much room to promote the work and talents from #Manipur . The book “Tattooed with taboos” was released in 2011 and yet many of us didn’t know about this. Please share and spread the promotions if you like the book and effort by these young writers.
Season of Love ( A poem by Chaoba Phuritshabam)
Where do you read a book ? I always carry a book in my bag and read it when I find time, mostly my waiting time. It’s interesting that you will always find pockets of time, time where you are waiting, and we are always waiting for something. This was when I was waiting for my son near the bus stop.
Sharing a cartoon by our special Guest speaker Manas Maisnam for our featured Guest Speakers, authors of the book “Tattooed with Taboos”
Behind the scenes for Findingthevoices : We thought Nehru Park at #Delhi will be perfect location and we even found a perfect spot. As we are ready for “Action”, we were told that shooting inside the park is not allowed. Lesson#2 learnt. We ended up shooting just outside near the entrance of Nehru Park with the 2 beautiful young poetess from #Manipur Chaoba Phuritshabam and Haripriya Soibam.
To the Researcher (A poem by Soibam Haripriya)
Have you read the book “Tattooed with Taboos” ?
Shreema Ningombam, Author of the book “Tattooed with Taboos” shared an incident where this book was suggested to be a part of the “Chagumba” spread (the first feeding ceremony for a child where a book is a part) but this book was rejected because of the “Phanek” picture in the cover which is considered not auspicious. FindingTheVoices is honored to start our very first Episode for Season #2 making this book a very special and auspicious book for us.

040 It’s all in the mind : Wishes

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
Wishes
Sitting down on the bank,
Filled with stack of stones everywhere,
Stones stacked up carefully for every wish,
Wishes made by people who came from near and far,
And you wonder if their wishes got fulfilled,
Watching the blue lake,
Hearing only the sound of the wind and trickling water,
Makes you wish stacking stones of your own,
A wish to come back again,
For the moments of serenity.
~The End~
Picture courtesy : Yaisana Huidrom

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