meitei

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

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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.

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

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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.

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.
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.
Season of Love ( A poem by Chaoba Phuritshabam)
always carry a book in my bag and this is my current book. Watch the interview of the authors of this book at Findingthevoices.
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.
To the Researcher (A poem by Soibam Haripriya)
Have you read the book “Tattooed with Taboos” ?
Sharing a cartoon by our special Guest speaker Manas Maisnam for our featured Guest Speakers, authors of the book “Tattooed with Taboos”
Untamed (A poem by Shreema Ningombam)
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.
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.
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?
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 ?

V006 FindingTheVoices – Learning about “Saroi Khangba” in Manipur from Madam Saroj Nalini

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Learning about “Saroi Khangba” in Manipur from Madam Saroj Nalini, a vodcast in Meiteilon (Manipuri language).

What do you know about #Manipur’s “Lamta Thangja” and “Saroi Khangba” ? Though I had seen it, I didn’t know much about it except being scared on those Saturdays. After seeing the vivid capture of Ronel Seram’s pictures he shared with FindingTheVoices I was inspired to learn more. Today, my mother told me the story on my way to work, over the phone (which I really enjoyed, remembering what I saw growing up) and I had recorded it.

Please share your memories and what you know of “Lamta Thangja” and “Saroi Khangba” ?

Special thanks to Ronel Seram for sharing these pictures.