people from Manipur

S03E14 FindingTheVoices with Irom Sharmila Chanu: “I am a human being and I want to live”

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
S03E14 FindingTheVoices with Irom Sharmila Chanu: “I am a human being and I want to live”
Guest Speaker :Irom Sharmila Chanu, a civil rights activist, political activist, and poet from the Indian state of Manipur. She is on her 16th years of fasting to repeal AFSPA from Manipur.
Language: Interview in Meteilon, subtitled in English
Location: Imphal, Manipur, India
On 2nd November, 2000, ten civilians, including a 62-year-old woman, were killed in an indiscriminate firing by personnel of the 8th Assam Rifles at Malom, Manipur. Having encountered numerous other such incidents where innocent civilians were tortured and executed by the army, Irom Sharmila Chanu
decided that such monstrous acts of the army can only be stopped by taking extreme measures. The Iron Lady of Manipur, who was 28 years old at the time of the Malom Massacre, decided to fast-unto-death until the Armed Forces Special Powers Act gets withdrawn from Manipur. It has already been 16
years of her non-violent protest but the draconian law still exists in the state.
She has been arrested multiple times on the charge of “attempt to commit suicide ” and released after the end of each penalty every year. It is only during this time that she gets the chance to come out and protest in public. But she is deeply saddened because the people have just been mere spectators. What
she really wants is for the people to use their rights and powers, being citizens of a democratic country and step in when something wrong and unjust happens in the society.
Irom Sharmila also shares from her heart about her dreams and aspirations from a personal perspective.
We all know about her cause which is well covered but I have always wanted to know her as a person. We had very less time but lots to talk, and in that short time Eche Sharmila Irom opened her heart and shared her story. We cried and and laughed together and I knew I cannot give up, I have to continue FindingTheVoices and bringing out the voices of Manipur.
 Picture Source: Google search

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/

S03E13 FindingTheVoices with RK Ranendrajit: Why did he leave the Indian Air Force and go back to Manipur ?

/ Monica Ingudam / 2 Comments
S03E13 FindingTheVoices with RK Ranendrajit: Why did he leave the Indian Air Force and go back to Manipur ? (Part 2)
Guest Speaker :RK Ranendrajit, Social Activist, a former fighter pilot of the IAF and former editor of Freedom in Manipur.
Language: Interview in Meteilon
Location: Bir Tikendrajit Memorial complex, Manipur, India
Presenting the second part of RK Ranendrajit ’s interview. In this episode, we go in detail about RK Ranendrajit’s education and his experience of being a fighter pilot in the IAF. After studying till 10th standard in Manipur, he pursued for further studies in Kolkata and then in Shillong. He then applied
to join the IAF as a fighter pilot during the 1962 Sino-Indian War. After 2 years of training, he was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the IAF in 1964. He performed his patriotic duties valiantly as a bomber fighter pilot during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 and 1971. But sadly, he decided to resign from the IAF as he couldn’t work under the constant surveillance by the organization and his integrity questioned. RK Meghen alias Sanayaima, the chairman of the banned insurgent group United National Liberation Front is the brother of RK Ranendrajit.
After coming back to Manipur, he tried farming and then opened a school for children who were deprived of education. But unfortunately, the school was raided by the Assam Rifles because the then Government suspected the school to be a revolutionary school. Including extra-curricular activities such as mountaineering, horse riding, martial arts etc. are being questioned. The raid in the middle of the night pointing guns on these young children tainted the reputation of the school and trust of the parents.
He also shares a brief detail of how the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex was constructed. He also tells us about the incident where around 200 homes were evicted in and around the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex.

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/

S03E12 FindingTheVoices with RK Ranendrajit: knowing your cultural roots and Identity of Manipur.

/ Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments
S03E12 FindingTheVoices with RK Ranendrajit, knowing your cultural roots and Identity of Manipur.
Guest Speaker :RK Ranendrajit, Social Activist, a former fighter pilot of the IAF and former editor of Freedom in Manipur.
Language: Interview in Meteilon
Location: Bir Tikendrajit Memorial complex, Manipur, India
We are at the residence of RK Ranendrajit, a former fighter pilot of the IAF and former editor of Freedom, an audacious newspaper of Manipur during the 90’s. In this episode, RK Ranendrajit expresses the need to teach the children more about the history of Manipur and the importance of building a good character. He also shared his concern about the fact that the children of today are slowly getting drifted away from their cultural roots. Although the children today have gained a good amount of knowledge in the field of science and technology, they certainly lack knowledge of the history of their own state. He says that a good character needs to be imparted to the growing children to teach them about the correct way of life and to provide them with not only education, but also wisdom and patriotism. He stresses the importance of knowing one’s cultural roots and history as this will give the children a sense of belongingness and understand their rights. This will in turn give them self-confidence and a reason to be proud of the state and country. RK Ranendrajit says that there are not many properly organized institutions that have a collection of information concerning the history Manipur, including which king ruled when and where. But a few local clubs and a few schools and colleges have started adopting the idea of teaching about the history of Manipur and hopefully more will follow.

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/

S03E07 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Khaute Ginlal Chung Vaiphei: Unity and progress in Manipur.

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
S03E07 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Khaute Ginlal Chung Vaiphei, sharing about his vision of unity and progress in Manipur.
Guest Speaker : Mr. Khaute Ginlal Chung Vaiphei
Language: Interview in English

Location: Delhi, India

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/

S03E06 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Khaute Ginlal Chung Vaiphei: Growing up at Churachandpur, Manipur.

/ Monica Ingudam / 1 Comment
S03E06 FindingTheVoices with Mr. Khaute Ginlal Chung Vaiphei, growing up at Churachandpur, Manipur.
Guest Speaker : Mr. Khaute Ginlal Chung Vaiphei
Language: Interview in English

Location: Delhi, India

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/

S03E05 FindingTheVoices with Mr. RK Budhimanta: About RKCS Art Gallery, Manipur (Part 1)

/ Monica Ingudam / 2 Comments
FindingTheVoices with Mr. RK Budhimanta, learning about RKCS Art Gallery, Manipur. (Part 1)
Guest Speaker : Mr. RK Budhimanta
Language: Interview in English

Location: RKCS Art Gallery, Imphal, Manipur, India

Established in 1947, the RKCS Art Gallery showcases the beautiful, captivating
and imaginative artworks done by the legendary artist of Manipur, Rajkumar Chandrajitsana Singh. The chain of paintings inside the art studio captures the remarkable genius of the artist himself and each one of his paintings instill
curiosity in our minds and make us wonder what could be the story behind
the portrait. Today, the legacy of the artist is proudly and proficiently carried on by his son, Mr. RK Budhimanta, who is one of the most eminent artists of Manipur.
Mr. RK Budhimanta, the 4th generation artist of the RKCS family, shares stories about the magnificent artist that his father was. From theatre backdrops to movie posters, mythological illustrations to historical accounts, we get to know a lot more in details about the early days of the legendary artist. Mr. RK Budhimanta also shares with us the incident that inspired RKCS to take up the project of depicting the history of Manipur in paintings–the same project that took 10 years of hard work and dedication including vast and in-depth research with the scholars of Manipur.
Apart from these skills, RKCS was also an acrobat and a good wrestler and has even acted in one of the dramas during his early days.

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/

S03E04 FindingTheVoices with Irene Salam: Women of Manipur – An Alternative Perspective.

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
S03E04 FindingTheVoices with Irene Salam, Women of Manipur – An Alternative Perspective.
Guest Speaker : Irene Salam
Language: Interview in English

Location: Imphal, Manipur, India

We get to hear more from Madam Irene Salam, Retd. Professor from Manipur University, as she shares a brief account of the books she has published so far and the projects she has taken part in. She talks about the surprising results of one of her international projects which was to measure the resilience of Manipuris between the age group of 16 to 19.

A known perception in Manipur is that the status of women of Manipur is much higher than that of the rest of India. Her book titled “Women of Manipur – An Alternative Perspective” shows that although the statement is true to a certain extent, it contains a lot of contradictions. Madam Irene shares her findings about her research on the status of women of Manipur. She talks about the spirited nature of the women which gives them the courage to stand at the fore front of any protest and to take action whenever they feel some injustice has been done in the society.

Madam Irene also brings to light the hardships many women of Manipur face in spite of the known perceptions. As an example, she shares about the life of women vendors of Ima Market who have to leave their homes early in the morning without having meals, carrying hefty perishable goods to earn their livelihood. And when they get home, the household responsibilities are again not shared by anyone.

Tune in to listen more to what Madam Irene Salam found on her research on women of Manipur and about the challenges she faced when she came to Manipur for the first time.

Catch up her first part of the interview at  S03E03 FindingTheVoices with Irene Salam, Retired Professor from Manipur University

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/

S03E03 FindingTheVoices with Irene Salam, Retired Professor from Manipur University

/ Monica Ingudam / 1 Comment
S03E03 FindingTheVoices with Irene Salam, Retired Professor from Manipur University
Guest Speaker : Irene Salam
Language: Interview in English

Location: Imphal, Manipur, India

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. Born and brought up in Uttar Pradesh and of Goan ethnicity, Madam Irene Salam, retired Professor from Manipur University, shares her account of coming to Manipur for the very first time in the 70’s and getting adjusted to the conditions in the state. It was a moment of total transformation and rejuvenation as everything was a firsthand experience for her, including the food, culture and society of her newly embraced home. Madam Irene recollects her experience on how she got adjusted and settled to the conditions even though she had never seen or heard about Manipur. She also talks about how she patiently overcame the difficulties she faced in teaching the students at Manipur University in the early days because of the language barrier.

We also got to know her view on the impact of frequent bandhs, blockades and curfews on education and about students of the state getting involved in numerous protests. She also talks about how the teachers in the University manage the schedule and examinations despite the disturbances and unpredictable situations.

Madam Irene also shares about a workshop on Historical Research Methodology and starting a project, which was aimed at collecting various historical essays written by different faculty members including her and a number of research scholars.

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/

S03E02 FindingTheVoices with Halley Laithangbam, Mister International India in 2015

/ Monica Ingudam / 5 Comments
S03E02 FindingTheVoices with Halley Laithangbam, Mister International, India in 2015
Guest Speaker : Halley Laithangbam
Language: Interview in Meteilon

Location: Imphal, Manipur, India

We have Halley Laithangbam for the second time here on FindingTheVoices, and this time the handsome model speaks about his models grooming studio and about his trip to Philippines, representing India for the Grand Slam male pageant – Mister International in 2015.

Being a model is simply not just walking on the ramp and standing tall looking pretty or handsome. There’s a lot of preparation and many minute tweaks and techniques used by the models to bring out their best looking personality. Halley’s Models Grooming Studio teaches these techniques to the young emerging models and give them a career in modeling. Halley talks about how his studio operates and how it has given his students valuable opportunities in advertising, modeling and beauty pageantry.

Halley was crowned Mister International, India in 2015 and he went on to represent our country at the biggest stage for male models in Philippines. He says that although it was a great experience, he was really let down by the discrimination and racism he faced during the event. In this interview, he expresses disappointment and tells the story of what made his experience turn sour. Halley also tells us about how the event was organized and how the models were chosen.

Towards the end of this episode, Halley has a few words to say to his loving fans. So if you are a fan or have ever liked or commented on his Facebook page, tune in to find out his message for you!

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/