Remembering Laishram Samarendra Singh : The Poet & Painter
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Dr Elangbam Hemanta Singh
I have selected three poems from the English translation of Laishram Sa-marendra Singh’s Mamang Leikai Thambal Shatle, a Sahitya Akademi Award-winning Manipuri poetry collection. Originally published in 1974, this land- mark work earned Sama-rendra both the Jamini Sundar Gold Medal of the Manipur Sahitya Parishad and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1976. The collection was republished by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, in 2016, and later rendered into English by Th Ratankumar as ‘Lotus Blooms in the Garden of the East’ 2020, thereby extending its literary reach to a wider audience.
The 36-poem collection breaks from romantic conventions, marking him as one of the pioneers of modern Manipuri poetry. Like TS Eliot, Samarendra (1925-2016) innovatively explores language and existential themes while grounding his work in Manipuri cultural struggles and perspectives. His poetry reflects hallmarks of English modernism— fragmen- tation of form, allusive style, symbolic imagery, and a shift from romantic idealism to psychological introspection. Much like the modernist concern with alienation, disillusionment, and the fractured human condition, Samarendra situates these themes within the specific socio-political realities of Manipur, thereby creating a dialogue between modernist techniques and indigenous cultural experience.
To begin with, the poem Lotus Blooms in the Garden of the East examines the socio-cultural change in the North Eastern Indian State of Manipur, especially among the Meitei community. It is both celebratory and satirical. The poet paints a surreal picture of progress, discipline, and unity replacing traditional corruption and inertia. The poet conjures a symbolic utopia that embodies both aspiration and irony through the use of recurring, nearly hypnotic refrains, such as “Lotus blooms in the Garden of the East /The bumble bee sings over the honeyed flower.”
On the surface, the poem extols change: “The Meiteis have become a wonderful people/The land has become a wonderful place.” These lines, which are interspersed throughout the poem, represent a societal reaffirmation of ethics, identity, and values. The overly optimistic tone, however, implies that the poet is using irony to criticise the very lack of these ideals in actuality.
For example, the lines “No Meitei has ever sat near the/Clerk’s table in the Office” and “They have stopped buying cigarettes and pan for the clerk” challenge the pervasive culture of nepotism and bribery while imagining a society free of bureaucratic corruption.
One way to interpret the poem is as a postcolonial allegory. We see how colonial structures have had a lasting effect on social hierar- chies, public behaviour, and governance by drawing on Homi K Bhabha's concept of “mimicry.” According to the poem, the “modern” Meiteis try to imitate the institutions of a developed postcolonial Nation-State: teachers are respected, doctors are kind, engineers are moral, and police enforce the law. This portrayal stands in stark contrast to the prevalent postcolonial reality that public healthcare frequently fails the poor. “Look at the Meitei Doctor/With a smiling countenance/Asking questions softly and coaxing”
The poem also reflects Gayatri Chakravorty Spi-vak’s concept of the “subaltern.” The Meiteis and other historically marginalised groups are frequently excluded from National narratives. The poet metaphorically empowers the subaltern by declaring, “The Meiteis have become a new race,” redefining them as change agents rather than victims. “The land has become a new place” is a recurring refrain that expresses a desire to regain pride, identity, and self-reliance.
Crucially, the poem uses mock-idealism (absurdity) to criticise socio-political degradation. It appears that the phrases “The contractor has changed his mind” and “The police Inspector has got angry so much/Has decided to catch the culprit” are meant to parody the moral decline and inefficiency that currently charac- terise public service. A desire for social harmony and respect between generations is reflected in the lines “The elders are no longer afraid of the juniors/There is no apprehension while roaming the streets.” This reality is frequently in peril by the rise in juvenile violence and lawlessness.
The poem ends with a powerful utopian vision: “The Meiteis have become a new race/The land has become a new place.” Here, the “new race” is not biological but ideological – a community redefined by progress, ethics, and unity. In essence, the poem is both a dream and a critique – a poetic postcolonial reflection on what could be, if only genuine change were welcomed and the burdens of the past were removed.
The next poem, beginning with Monsoon Rain, provides a deep and multi-layered depiction of the harshness of nature entwined with postcolonial India’s social, economic, and spiritual life. The poem develops into an observation of class inequality, capitalism, moral escape, and the vulnerability of societal structures in the face of nature's apathy, going far beyond merely describing rainfall.
The poem’s most frequently recited line, “The monsoon rain that does not know how to stop,” functions as a literal and symbolic motif. On the surface, it conveys the unrelen- ting power of nature, but in a metaphorical sense, it represents postcolonial society’s never-ending cycle of misery, poverty, and structural failure. The poem has an eerie rhythm because of this repetition, which also emphasises how powerless people are in the face of both man-made and natural disasters, especially the poor.
The poem is filled with striking imagery, such as “The trappings and clothes of the poor have/ Brought by the current,” “The rain pours over the tin roofs of the city houses,” and “A black cow remains standing alone / Its fur drenched with rain.” These lines highlight how vulnerable the urban poor are, as they suffer disproportionately from natural disasters.
The rain, however, protects and even benefits “Dhananjoy...with his youngest wife”, who is presumably of a higher class: “Have already collected the firewoods for a year / Dry fishes, fermented fishes, pulses...” While the impoverished are left in the midst of chaos, he is safe, indoors, pricing paddy.
From a postcolonial perspective, the poem cha- llenges the socioeconomic structures that colonial rule left behind. The way wealth protects the rich while making the poor disposable is a clear legacy of capitalism and class division. With his “Dhoop Kambi” floating amid the flood debris, the “Mahajan” turns into a tragicomic figure, his religious rites, “Hari om Hari Hari Hai” proving pointless in the face of nature’s unadulterated might.
The invocation of Hindu deities, such as “Ganesh, Lakshmi, Shiva, Parvati ... / All the thirty three crore gods have arrived,” also demonstrates the privilege’s tendency to escape into ritual rather than face socio-political realities. Even “The shopkeeper broods near the window” hoping the rain continues — for profit — as the poem subtly parodies these divine comforts.
The frequent flooding of “Khwairamband Bazar” serves as a metaphor for the breakdown of colonial legacies and economic systems that put trade ahead of human resiliency. Thus, Monsoon Rain is more than just a weather report; it is a poetic protest that offers a potent interplay of ecology, class, and culture.
Through the seemingly commonplace image of trousers, the final poem in this review, Black Trousers, presents a powerful allegory of identity, uniformity, violence, and cyclical oppre- ssion. On a deeper level, the poem is a powerful metaphor for postcolo- nial power structures, specifically the state apparatus, violence, and the invisibility of the individual in the face of systemic control.
The black trousers, “ironed / Perfectly, with much care,” stand for obedience, order, and disci- pline. “At two O’clock, it is ironed” and “it is again ironed / Perfectly” are repeated actions that emphasise a cycle of schedule. The work that goes into preparing someone (or something) to fit into a prescribed social role—such as that of a soldier, police officer, or even a protestor— is reflected in this poem.
(To be contd)
I have selected three poems from the English translation of Laishram Sa-marendra Singh’s Mamang Leikai Thambal Shatle, a Sahitya Akademi Award-winning Manipuri poetry collection. Originally published in 1974, this land- mark work earned Sama-rendra both the Jamini Sundar Gold Medal of the Manipur Sahitya Parishad and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1976. The collection was republished by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, in 2016, and later rendered into English by Th Ratankumar as ‘Lotus Blooms in the Garden of the East’ 2020, thereby extending its literary reach to a wider audience.
The 36-poem collection breaks from romantic conventions, marking him as one of the pioneers of modern Manipuri poetry. Like TS Eliot, Samarendra (1925-2016) innovatively explores language and existential themes while grounding his work in Manipuri cultural struggles and perspectives. His poetry reflects hallmarks of English modernism— fragmen- tation of form, allusive style, symbolic imagery, and a shift from romantic idealism to psychological introspection. Much like the modernist concern with alienation, disillusionment, and the fractured human condition, Samarendra situates these themes within the specific socio-political realities of Manipur, thereby creating a dialogue between modernist techniques and indigenous cultural experience.
To begin with, the poem Lotus Blooms in the Garden of the East examines the socio-cultural change in the North Eastern Indian State of Manipur, especially among the Meitei community. It is both celebratory and satirical. The poet paints a surreal picture of progress, discipline, and unity replacing traditional corruption and inertia. The poet conjures a symbolic utopia that embodies both aspiration and irony through the use of recurring, nearly hypnotic refrains, such as “Lotus blooms in the Garden of the East /The bumble bee sings over the honeyed flower.”
On the surface, the poem extols change: “The Meiteis have become a wonderful people/The land has become a wonderful place.” These lines, which are interspersed throughout the poem, represent a societal reaffirmation of ethics, identity, and values. The overly optimistic tone, however, implies that the poet is using irony to criticise the very lack of these ideals in actuality.
For example, the lines “No Meitei has ever sat near the/Clerk’s table in the Office” and “They have stopped buying cigarettes and pan for the clerk” challenge the pervasive culture of nepotism and bribery while imagining a society free of bureaucratic corruption.
One way to interpret the poem is as a postcolonial allegory. We see how colonial structures have had a lasting effect on social hierar- chies, public behaviour, and governance by drawing on Homi K Bhabha's concept of “mimicry.” According to the poem, the “modern” Meiteis try to imitate the institutions of a developed postcolonial Nation-State: teachers are respected, doctors are kind, engineers are moral, and police enforce the law. This portrayal stands in stark contrast to the prevalent postcolonial reality that public healthcare frequently fails the poor. “Look at the Meitei Doctor/With a smiling countenance/Asking questions softly and coaxing”
The poem also reflects Gayatri Chakravorty Spi-vak’s concept of the “subaltern.” The Meiteis and other historically marginalised groups are frequently excluded from National narratives. The poet metaphorically empowers the subaltern by declaring, “The Meiteis have become a new race,” redefining them as change agents rather than victims. “The land has become a new place” is a recurring refrain that expresses a desire to regain pride, identity, and self-reliance.
Crucially, the poem uses mock-idealism (absurdity) to criticise socio-political degradation. It appears that the phrases “The contractor has changed his mind” and “The police Inspector has got angry so much/Has decided to catch the culprit” are meant to parody the moral decline and inefficiency that currently charac- terise public service. A desire for social harmony and respect between generations is reflected in the lines “The elders are no longer afraid of the juniors/There is no apprehension while roaming the streets.” This reality is frequently in peril by the rise in juvenile violence and lawlessness.
The poem ends with a powerful utopian vision: “The Meiteis have become a new race/The land has become a new place.” Here, the “new race” is not biological but ideological – a community redefined by progress, ethics, and unity. In essence, the poem is both a dream and a critique – a poetic postcolonial reflection on what could be, if only genuine change were welcomed and the burdens of the past were removed.
The next poem, beginning with Monsoon Rain, provides a deep and multi-layered depiction of the harshness of nature entwined with postcolonial India’s social, economic, and spiritual life. The poem develops into an observation of class inequality, capitalism, moral escape, and the vulnerability of societal structures in the face of nature's apathy, going far beyond merely describing rainfall.
The poem’s most frequently recited line, “The monsoon rain that does not know how to stop,” functions as a literal and symbolic motif. On the surface, it conveys the unrelen- ting power of nature, but in a metaphorical sense, it represents postcolonial society’s never-ending cycle of misery, poverty, and structural failure. The poem has an eerie rhythm because of this repetition, which also emphasises how powerless people are in the face of both man-made and natural disasters, especially the poor.
The poem is filled with striking imagery, such as “The trappings and clothes of the poor have/ Brought by the current,” “The rain pours over the tin roofs of the city houses,” and “A black cow remains standing alone / Its fur drenched with rain.” These lines highlight how vulnerable the urban poor are, as they suffer disproportionately from natural disasters.
The rain, however, protects and even benefits “Dhananjoy...with his youngest wife”, who is presumably of a higher class: “Have already collected the firewoods for a year / Dry fishes, fermented fishes, pulses...” While the impoverished are left in the midst of chaos, he is safe, indoors, pricing paddy.
From a postcolonial perspective, the poem cha- llenges the socioeconomic structures that colonial rule left behind. The way wealth protects the rich while making the poor disposable is a clear legacy of capitalism and class division. With his “Dhoop Kambi” floating amid the flood debris, the “Mahajan” turns into a tragicomic figure, his religious rites, “Hari om Hari Hari Hai” proving pointless in the face of nature’s unadulterated might.
The invocation of Hindu deities, such as “Ganesh, Lakshmi, Shiva, Parvati ... / All the thirty three crore gods have arrived,” also demonstrates the privilege’s tendency to escape into ritual rather than face socio-political realities. Even “The shopkeeper broods near the window” hoping the rain continues — for profit — as the poem subtly parodies these divine comforts.
The frequent flooding of “Khwairamband Bazar” serves as a metaphor for the breakdown of colonial legacies and economic systems that put trade ahead of human resiliency. Thus, Monsoon Rain is more than just a weather report; it is a poetic protest that offers a potent interplay of ecology, class, and culture.
Through the seemingly commonplace image of trousers, the final poem in this review, Black Trousers, presents a powerful allegory of identity, uniformity, violence, and cyclical oppre- ssion. On a deeper level, the poem is a powerful metaphor for postcolo- nial power structures, specifically the state apparatus, violence, and the invisibility of the individual in the face of systemic control.
The black trousers, “ironed / Perfectly, with much care,” stand for obedience, order, and disci- pline. “At two O’clock, it is ironed” and “it is again ironed / Perfectly” are repeated actions that emphasise a cycle of schedule. The work that goes into preparing someone (or something) to fit into a prescribed social role—such as that of a soldier, police officer, or even a protestor— is reflected in this poem.
(To be contd)