Mission schools steal the lime light again with Nirmalabas taking the lion's share HSLC results out, highest pass pc scripted in last 10 years
IMPHAL, May 20: Results of the High School Leaving Certificate Examination 2013 conducted by Board of Secondary Education Manipur have been declared today with Miranda Mongbijam of Nirmalabas School securing the top position. Born to M Iboyaima and Non.....
Third topper sets eyes on donning IPS uniform
IMPHAL, May 20 : To become an IPS officer and wage a crusade against corruption is the aspiration of Ratimanjuri Devi Hajarimayum who secured the third position in the HSLC Exam 2013 conducted by BSEM. “It was because of blessing by the Almighty tha.....
Civil services on 2nd topper's top choice of list
IMPHAL, May 20: Fight crimes against women and children in the capacity of an IAS officer is the aim of Keisham Luxmirani who secured second position in the merit list of HSLC Exam 2013 conducted by BSEM. Luxmirani is the second youngest of five siblin.....
Topper eyes medical profession
IMPHAL, May 20 : Determined to pursue medical studies, HSLC Exam 2013 topper Miranda Mongbijam has been already admitted in an institute in Hyderabad even before the exam results were declared. When this reporter visited Miranda at her Thangmeiband Lai.....
SK Oil
IMPHAL, May 20: Amidst the irregularity of SK Oil distribution in the State, the Petroleum, Planning and Analysis Cell, New Delhi has cut down 32000 ltr of the State share of SK Oil without any rhyme or reason. Adding to this woe, 188 kl out of the to.....
Gen strike
IMPHAL, May 20: The Kuki Students’ Organisation (General Headquarters) has announced a 24-hour general strike from 5am of May 21 (Tuesday). Announcing this in a statement, the KSO said the general strike would be followed by indefinite economic block.....
UNC endorses
IMPHAL, May 20: Endorsing the decision of the Aze Longphang, the apex organisation of Southern Tangkhul villages taken in its emergency General Body meeting on May 11, that any encroachment on Sailent foothills will be responded suitably, the United Nag.....
Rs 10 lakh incentive for Everesters
IMPHAL, May 20: The State Government has today decided to give cash incentive of Rs ten lakhs each to all the Manipuris who successfully scaled Mt Everest recently. According to Government spokesman and Education Minister M Okendro, a decision to this .....
NPF flays
IMPHAL, May 20: The Naga Peoples Front (NPF), Manipur State has termed the eviction drive of the State Government of Manipur at Kabo Leikai along the Naga river as ‘demolition’ and said the Congress Government will be held responsible for any untoward.....
Demolition Team tag sits pretty on State Govt Residents of Kabo Leikai evicted unceremoniously
IMPHAL, May 20: Twenty two houses at Naga River Lane, Kabo Leikai were razed to ground today as part of the Govt’s eviction drive of the area. Meanwhile, pattadars of the evicted land have pledged to fight for justice. At the same time, the United Co.....
Profiling the muse in Irom Sharmila
New Delhi, May 20: A 1000-word “very long” poem, penned by Irom Sharmila, who has been on fast for the past 12 years to protest against what she calls repressive laws allowing widespread human rights abuses, forms part of a new book on the activist fr.....
Tml hospital work staring at dead end
TAMENGLONG, May 20 : The ongoing construction of a 50-beded hospital in Tamenglong is staring at a dead end due to want of fund for the completion of the project. Contractors undertaking the construction work of the Tamenglong 50-beded hospital rued th.....
Ibobi bats for mutual understanding
IMPHAL, May 20: Even if people settled around Singda Bazar do not possess patta for the lands occupied by them, they would not be evicted as of now. Rather, the Government would like come to an understanding with the people. This was stated by Chief Mi.....
India, China Vow To End Border Dispute, Sign 8 Agreements Lessons learnt from recent stand off
NEW DELHI, May 20: Taking stock of “lessons learnt” from the recent stand-off in Ladakh after a Chinese incursion there, India and China on Monday decided on further measures for maintaining peace and tranquility along their border. This was disclo.....
Politicians, men in uniform and law and disorder in Manipur
By Hijam Santosh Several people from all spheres have condemned AFSPA but to no avail and the reasons are because the persons at the helm of affairs stand to benefit. The .....
Cyclone Mahasen spares Manipur. Will UGC team do the same ?
By Khingba Luwangcha Manipur remained indoors when news of Cyclone Mahasen expected to sweep across the State (Churchandpur and Tamenglong first) on May 17 painted the region black and white. Holiday was declared for schools and colleges. Safety tips wer.....
Traditional healing methods with special reference to Manipur
By Dr K Paochunbou (Contd from previous issue) Some of the medicinal plants used in the treatment of Jaundice and Hepatitis-B infections Sl. No. English Botanical Manipuri Hindi or Latin 1 Ceylon Leadwort Plumbago zeylanica. L Te.....
Mis-selling Insurance
Contd from previous issue But the panic began when they looked at their account statements at the time of the second or the third year premium, they realized almost all their money had got deducted as costs. Those expecting double the money at the end .....
Grounding ground rules to dust The notuntouchables
They are not untouchables. The reasons must be compelling for none other than the Deputy Chief Minister who also holds the Home portfolio to come out with such a statement. The ‘not untouchables’, that the Deputy Chief Minister was referring to are th.....
Free detection camp
IMPHAL, May 20: A one-day free diabetes/BP detection camp was held on May 19 under the aegis of Namdunlong Youth Club. Many, among the 100 patients, were detected to be in pre-diabetic stage and diabetic. Free medicines were also provided to the patients,.....
Sunday Sentiments
By : Urmila Chanam
All in the name of a game
The badminton court was just adjacent to Mother Superior, Sister Annette’s office. Who would have thought that she was watching us playing ‘knocks’ there Himani and me, in whatever free time we got in between study periods. It was fun. There was no tension of knowing the rules of the game. I didn’t know any, I am certain, neither did she. All we knew is that if the shuttlecock fell on my side Himani was one up. In this we were good, we thought.
It’s true that being in the school team was never by choice, we were picked. Something most important was going to occur in my life soon. In the school assembly, a list of students had been handpicked by teachers to participate in the State Interschool Sports Competition to begin in few weeks time. They would get ample practice time with the school coach. They would get the school jersey and the likes to adorn in the sports events, which would be hosted in Holy Cross School, in the heart of Dimapur. It was a matter of honour to be representing your school and envy among peers.
I was standing lazily in our class row, bored of the long announcements being made after the day’s prayers. The morning sun had begun to feel hot at my nape and my shoes were getting uncomfortable. I would have to tell mom to get me a new pair, I was growing fast.
Responding to an announcement I found most of my friends look behind to smile at me. Himani standing right behind me in the row pushed me gently, and said “Congrats Urmi!!! I am so happy for you! Now go to the stage, Sister Annette is calling for you.” An unknown fear visited me just then. I had been chosen to represent St. Paul’s High School in the State Inter School Badminton Competition!
I lived in complete denial and wasted three weeks persuading Sister Annette that I was no good at badminton. Each day in the recess I would meet her for few minutes. From citing just how pathetic I was at badminton, to convincing her of being chronically sick and then at last, negotiating that I would participate in all the school competitions but this one, I tried my best to save my skin. Sister Annette on her past, would look at me silently seated at her big desk half smiling. “Don’t I know how well you play, Urmila? I wish you all the best,” was how she dismissed me. I wasted all my time which should have been used to learn the game, know the rules and try master it. In those three weeks I hadn’t even played the ‘knocks’ with Himani !
On the eve of the competition when I was certain there was no escaping I remember I went to my elder brother for help. “I have a badminton competition tomorrow. Can you teach me how to play?” It was 8 pm. There was no access to a court at that hour surely. My brother took out a notebook and pencil and drew a badminton court. He sketched the net that divides the court into two and two people in it to occupy each side. He told me the basic rules, most of which were hard to comprehend, harder to register and remember. Equipped with the knowledge of the basics of the game from a sketch on a notepad, I went to play the Inter School Badminton Competition.
In that auditorium in Holy Cross Girls High School I saw the largest crowd, double the size of what I had seen in my own school. The moment my name was announced and I heard some of my school seniors and friends cheer “Urmi, Urmi..”, I forgot everything my brother had taught me.
I breathed in deep, and entered the court with optimism. In class 6 my mind held on to the hope that I could still come out a winner without ever having played a game before!
If you think that the next few minutes were the most difficult for me, you are wrong- ignorance made the humiliation pinch less. For me it was as if I existed in a free ground and all I had to think about were the ‘knocks’ I knew well and that the shuttlecock should not fall on my side of the net. Simple. I focussed on only that part because that was the only part I knew. I remember when I picked up the shuttlecock to serve, there would be an uproar of laughter and giggles among the audience- perhaps, I was not meant to serve at all!! It was most embarrassing to be living this. The loud microphone announcements of the scores confused me further because I didn’t know who was scoring what. To be honest with you, I didn’t know if I was losing till the game was over, the crowd cheered, I looked at my friends who all looked sullen. I knew the loser in that competition was me.
When I walked out of the court I had only one emotion, that of being incompetent in front of others. I was met by my school coach who patted me on my back. The guy didn’t even know how hard I had tried that day but you can never beat knowledge and practice with faith alone. The feeling of not being good at something is a deep feeling, one that never really left me till today. I promised myself I would never ever find myself in a similar situation again.
Today I am very careful in communicating along with my skills, my limitations to those who matter. It’s dangerous to look the part, and not be any good at it. It’s wiser to excel at something and then on being discovered, show your talents than end up in a badminton court!
The writer is a humanitarian, campaigner and journalist with World Pulse & Voices for Human Rights and she can be reached at - urmila.chanam@gmail.com
Yasin Khan
The word 'game' attracted me a lot. The word is quite interesting theoretical umbrella term of realities of political issues, which was also my assumed perception of the story. I went through the lines, I felt eager enough to jump to the plot. The plot turned out something different from my perception nor some other plot that may bear the similar value/interest as that of my assumed perception of the word. Anyway, congratulation for the stuff. I would encourage women journalists should express more on issues more less relevant to the 'game'.
