May 3, 2023 : Not a fairy tale for Boong's Fairy Khoirom

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 15 : Accepting the BAFTA Award for Boong in London on February 22, director Lakshmipriya Devi prayed for peace to return to Manipur, and internally displaced children, including the child actors in the film, to regain their joy, innocence and dreams.
Boong won the BAFTA Award for Best Children’s & Family Film.
Displaced and uprooted by the May 2023 conflict, Fairy Khoirom is one of the child actors who helped Boong win the BAFTA Award and put Manipur and India on the global cinema map.
Aged 9 at the time of the shooting of Boong, Fairy has been staying at a relief camp opened at Khurkhul Mandap Yumpham with her parents since May 2023.
Boong tells the story of a young boy searching for his lost father, and Fairy holds the key to this journey.
Without Fairy, the film would be incomplete.
While the film has gained fame and news about the child actors are making headlines, Fairy's future and her dream of becoming a fashion designer seem to be fading quietly in a small room in the relief camp.
Fairy is the second of two daughters of Khoirom Robinkumar and Mayanglambam ningol Khoirom ongbi Mercy.
The family originally hails from Langthabal Mantrikhong, but they had moved to Senjam Chirang. The family ran a poultry farm before the conflict.
On May 7, 2023, their house was burnt and with it, their dreams.
"The small room of the camp is not comfortable, but we have no other choice but to stay here. I hope we are allowed to return to our home soon," Fairy said.
Unlike most children of her age, Fairy speaks candidly, and her words seem measured and mature.
Fairy said the violent conflict broke out soon after the shooting for Boong in Moreh was completed.
"It was my first time in Moreh, and it was fun, but I think I'll never be able to return to Moreh again," Fairy said.
At the relief camp, Fairy said she couldn't "connect with nature".
"At our village, we would often go out and watch the sunset over the hills. It was beautiful, and I also miss Niko. I don't know if Niko is being fed or not," Fairy said.
Niko is Fairy's pet chicken, she used to feed and play with everyday.
On her acting in the film, Fairy said she enjoyed it.
Her mother, Mercy, said Fairy has always loved acting.
She has also acted in a Manipuri digital film Manglangi Epakta.
Mercy said she was informed about the audition for Boong by a make-up artist.
Fairy attended three different auditions and took part in a month-long Thang-Ta training session for the film Boong.
The shooting in Moreh and Myanmar lasted 15 days, and the family returned home on April 27, 2023 only days before the conflict erupted on May 3.
Mercy said their poultry farm was burnt twice during the conflict, and they had to flee to survive.
Having lost everything to the conflict, Mercy said they worry about their children.
"We want Fairy to pursue her dream. We want her to be enrolled in a proper acting institution, but we are hapless at present," Mercy said.
Mercy and her husband leave the relief camp early every morning for work. While they earn livelihood, Fairy stays at the relief camp with her grandmother Khoirom Thambalshang.
"While the conflict has affected all, it quietly is taking a toll on the children. Our dreams and future have been shattered," Mercy said.
She said the Government must take up concrete steps to rehabilitate and properly compensate the displaced persons who have lost their homes and properties to the conflict.
"It wasn't just a poultry farm that was burnt. It was our children's future and all our dreams that were burnt to ashes," Mercy said.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, Manipur Alliance for Child Rights convenor Montu Ahanthem said at least four displaced minors under 18 years of age have died by suicide since May 2023.
He said, 80-90 percent of the children affected by the Manipur conflict may be suffering from mental health issues.
To address the conflict borne mental health related issues among children, Montu said the Government must intervene and take proactive actions.
There is a strong need for the Government to carry out a comprehensive assessment of mental health of the children who have been affected by the conflict. Counselling and other methods of treatments are necessary to address the problem, he said.
The problem would be resolved only when there is proper rehabilitation and living conditions of the inmates are improved, he said.
Displaced persons, especially children must be engaged in activities that would help them heal the trauma of the conflict. Their minds should be kept distracted and occupied in activities that encourage healthy thoughts, he added.
Without timely intervention and help, many children like Fairy could lose their talents, energy and curiosity for things they desire, and ultimately lose their dreams altogether.