State climber scales Everest, the first woman from State to do so... N Bidyapati scripts history from atop the world
IMPHAL, May 17: A lady climber from the State, Ningthoujam Bidyapati Devi is among the three members of the 1st NE India Mt Everest expedition team to scale the World’s highest peak, Mt Everest today thus registering the entry of the region’s climber.....
Degree In Academics Not The Only Route To Success In Life 67 year old MM Sharma shows the way
IMPHAL, May 17: Degrees or diplomas are not the only inevitabilities for an individual like 67-year old Manoharmayum Manihar Sharma but resilience, ingenuity and a little cerebral exercise can be the mantra for success in life. A resident of Nongmeibun.....
HSSLC, HSLC exams results by May 22 and 25, says Oken
IMPHAL, May 17: While announcing that results of the class 12 and 10 examinations would be declared on May 22 and 25 respectively Education Minister M Okendro has appealed to college students not to boycott the upcoming semester examinations. speaking .....
KSO calls strike on May 21
IMPHAL, May 17 : The Kuki Students Organisation, General Headquarters (KSO-GHQ) has announced a 24-hour bandh on May 21 in protest against the State Government’s alleged non-implementation of reservation in certain areas. The KSO said it had apprised.....
Traffic police beat up man
IMPHAL, May 17: Traffic police personnel severely beat up a man near the gate of Churachandpur police station at around 4 pm today. The victim, Kumam Rajbala (43) s/o Sanal of Moirang Turenban, while narrating his ordeal to reporters here said that he .....
AHRC appeals UN Special Rapporteur
IMPHAL, May 17: The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has appealed the UN Special Rapporteur to press the Manipur authorities for conducting thorough and independent investigation in connection with the alleged arrest of two human rights defenders on .....
Semester exams to continue as usual
IMPHAL, May 17: As agreed between Education Minister M Okendro and representatives of the Coordination Committee of College Students’ Unions, semester exams for BA, BSc, BCom will be held as usual. Notably, the committee has been demanding translatio.....
Twin Pallel drug seizure cases One given bail, others sent to further remand
IMPHAL, May 17: Even as 12 police men held with illegal drugs worth Rs 3.50 crores have been sent to prison, Lalminsanga, one of the accused in the same drug smuggling case has been released on bail. Meanwhile, seven other individuals including an army.....
MSCW team puts heat on Nekhohat murder case
IMPHAL, May 17: A team of Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW) led by its chairperson Dr L Ibetombi conducted an investigation into the murder case of Nekhohat Kilong yesterday. The team went to late Nekhohat Kilong’s home at Moreh Ward No 9 an.....
Hate-leaflet concerns MP
IMPHAL, May 17: Taking serious note of putting up wall posters and circulating quit notices against a community staying in churachandpur district, Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency MP Thangso Baite opined that failure to identify or pull up the cul.....
Lallumba group seeks separate accommodation
IMPHAL, May 17: KCP-MC Lallumba group which has entered into a process of dialogue with the Government of India and Government of Manipur has demanded a separate place of accommodation outside 7th MR complex where its cadres are presented housed. Spea.....
Mahasen spares Mizoram
Aizawl, May 17: There is a sigh of relief in Mizoram as the cyclone Mahasen, feared to hit the state last night, lost its speed before reaching the region. This was informed by state Science and Technology Department Chief Scientific Officer Vanlalzara.....
Myanmar nationals held
IMPHAL, May 17: Twenty Myanmarese nationals including two women, who were caught by Manipur Police for violating the immigration laws of the country, were produced before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thoubal district of Manipur on Friday. Th.....
Corrigendum
Apropos to the news report appeared on the front page of May 17 issue of this daily under the caption, ‘Ukl takes up precautions’, ‘Mahasen Volcano’ must be read as ‘Mahasen Cyclone’. The oversight is deeply regretted. —Editor.....
Deer rescued, freed
IMPHAL, May 17: PFA Thoubal freed an injured Barking Deer yesterday after administering first aid to the deer. A statement issued by the PFA said that the PFA was contacted by one Athokpam Subhaschandra Singh of Moirang Kampu informing that he found a .....
Four die in mishaps
IMPHAL, May 17: At least three persons including a police commando and a nurse have been killed while four others sustained injuries in separate road mishaps during the last 48 hours A nurse riding a scooter was killed when she was knocked down by a t.....
MU students
IMPHAL, May 17: A meeting of Manipur University students held today has resolved to constitute Manipur University Students' Union Revival Demand Committee along and submit a memorandum to MU authorities for necessary action to revive the union within July.....
Joy alleges
IMPHAL, May 17: MPP advisor O Joy has stated that some Opposition parties have been playing spoilsport with regard to the collective effort of Opposition parties to field a common candidate in the next Parliamentary election. Reacting to the statemen.....
NPF campaign
IMPHAL, May 17: The political awareness campaign of the Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF), Manipur State at Senapati district headquarters on Friday was marked with the party leaders coming down heavily on the Congress Government for all the ails in the state. .....
Prithviraj congratulates Bidyapati
NEW DELHI, May 17: Tourism and YAS Parliamentary Secretary Mairembam Prithviraj has congratulated Ningthoujam Bidyapati to get to the top of the world’s highest mountain today. In a congratulatory message, M Prithviraj said, “I am very happy to.....
Manipur Masala
By : Sanatombi Angomcha
Bring home the medals: Best wishes for the Manipuri Olympians
Five Manipuris, who have given us a reason for our pride, are in London for the 2012 Summer Olympics which starts yesterday. India has sent an 81-athlete team, the highest for the country in the history of the Olympics. From such a small land battered by unending conflicts, it is unsurprising how so many Manipuris could find a place for themselves, given our sporting spirit and skills. Our best gold-medal wishes are with the stars, who will be taking part in this sporting extravaganza. We also pray that they will bring home more laurels and make us more proud.
For the record, the list of our stars includes: Laishram Bombayla (Archery) from KhuraiKhongnang Makhong; Laishram Devendro (Boxing) from Yurembam Awang Leikai; Mary Kom (Boxing) from Samulamlan, Moirang; Ngangbam Soniya Chanu (Weightlifting) from HaoreibiMayai Leikai; and Khadangbam Kothajit (Hockey) from Lairikyengbam Leikai. Of course, we know most of them don’t even need an introduction. And most are them are hopeful for winning a medal each — the more the better, the higher the best.
The Indian flag will rise high every time when one of them delivers the goods. However, there is an overt sense of gunning only for the players who hail from our state. We admit the open support because we appreciate sports and our sportspersons. In our hometown, there is nothing like only a slothful game such as cricket is the most popular game and we have a blind eye towards other sports.
Cricket, for the mainlanders, means everything. A legacy of colonialism in India, cricket is the unofficial national game of India while hockey is just for the name sake. It does speak volume of the typical Indian mindset from cricket to an NRI son-in-law — anything that is foreign bred seems more alluring to most of the Indians. Lamgi sun-na machi shaangba helle ye. Luckily, we from the North East India are game for any type of sport.
Our attitude towards games and sports is far more commendable than to the not-so-fascinating mindset of the country as a whole. This kind of representation, five out of eighty-one in different events, is also our best answer to the question of arrogance from the mainland. We can be damned but we cannot be ignored. We can play, for that matter, any type of sport without any prejudice.
We are typical; we love to eat ngaari and hawaizaar, though it may be surprising to them — we can compete with anyone at the global level. We are not the children of lesser gods. Even if we are neglected because we belong to a frontier of the country, where the military has to rule the roost, we have the guts to stand up on our own and fight in any discipline. India can discriminate us by our looks, though it is regretful many of them, the well-stocked Aryans do bear the brunt of racism on and off, elsewhere in some corners of the globe. And our stars have shown the world what we are made of.
What we eat and how we look do not count, especially in a country where we have to protest for our own nationality, not denying it but to include ourselves in. Yet the sheer discipline and passion in our chosen field determine who we are and what we achieve in life. This is the biggest lesson that our stars have taught us. This is also the same reason why we have more respect for them, why we desperately want them to bring home the medals and more medals.
Again we are extending our heartiest wishes to all the Olympians from the North East region, representing India at the Olympics. We also wish all the budding sportspersons, cutting across caste, caste and creed from the country, to rise and shine in London.
The Manipuri Olympians will always be more special than the others. May they win many laurels and bring glory to the land. Let us glorify them as much as we can. Unleash your Herculean sporting passion and bring home the medals. All the very best to all the Olympians from Kangleipak!
PS: With or without medals, they will always remain our stars. Cheers to them!
MANIPURI FORUM FOR PEACE (MFP)
MANIPUR (INDIA) vs Any country, like CHINA or USA. We should use like it our Manipur name in honor of our Manipuri Olympians. Thanks.
Peace
For Bring home the medals: article writer. We all love your article and appreciate that we have good writer like you. However, Mary Kom (Boxing) is not an Manupuri(s), not meitei though she is from Manipur. If mention to our Olympians as Manipuri (s) medalist, it hurt the sentiment of tribal people. Mary Kom (Boxing) is from KOM tribe and not Meitei. If we use Olympians Medalist of Manipur, it would be more appropriate.
