To the peoples of pluralistic Manipur, past and present, who make it what it is! Who can still focus on intercultural understanding and cosharing of values; by deconstructing cultural integers and then reassembling them with new 'motifs'; rather than even a throwback into the past or a rehash of the arbitrary recent past; when intergroup happiness used to spill-over from each to another blissfully.
Adam Smith's famous example of a tombstone inscription can hardly be forgotten : "I was well, I wished to be better : here I am" may as well apply here with greater justness. To distress of disappointment and ambition - escalating moral values beyond 'legal norms'; with worldly wisdom, how can present Manipuris indulge in innumerable useless squabbles! And miss oncoming opportunities of globalization, reminiscent of the ancient Silk Route!
Let's reflect on the centrality of the "rolling hills" to the 21 century Manipur's identity! Yes, from Koubru or Siroi, entire length is rolling down to Chingnunghut unendingly! Recalling that Imphal valley from Kangla to Sugnu Hump itself inclines 200 ft. And yet, abutted and interjutted by gradients and hillocks, it is a roller-coaster, start to finis! Lo! Tibet, the roof of the world has been tamed, rails laid over chemically-treated permafrost.
Ethnically they share a deep common ancestry (DNA chromosome), same migration route. They share a common culture, language stock, workplace, neighbourhood, promised future! Therefore let a realization dawn on the upcoming generation that hills roll on to valley. Then with what logic at which point will the humans call hills 'stop' and where not; after all, the continuous rolling foothills and land-filled valley (formed by eroded hill soils). Then how can the tiny valley be sequestered from the hills merely because of some past folly? So as to convince, current leaders need to be "twice as good" as perhaps the Meitei kings; in contrast, think of look east policy and borderless India as a global economic powerhouse! In which the hitherto landlocked Manipuris get assimilated as globalized citizens. Live heretofore under the rule of the house - tolerance and good fellowship. |
