Ima leibak Manipur

It's true what they say, no matter how far we are from our motherland, there is an invisible thread which binds us to Her, and it is hard not to be affected by the things which happen back home. Not a day passes when I am not grateful for the privilege I have received as a result of very good luck and loving parents of being able to study outside my home town of Imphal. But happy as I may be, I feel a sense of frustration and despair at the way Manipur is currently functioning.

The load sheddings as a result of electricity shortages which have now become a part of life for Manipuris makes it hard to believe for me that we are living in the 21st century. While the rest of the world are already secure with their 24 hour electricity and thinking of eco-homes and what not, we Manipuris are still struggling to light our homes even during the night. While smoke detectors are now an item in very household of the UK and burning candles something they do only during the holidays or special occasions as a matter of choice, most Manipuri households are forced to use it as the only way for lighting their homes.

So it is true, ignorance is bliss and if I had not stepped out of my hometown, I would have lived happily in my candle lit town of Imphal but once that ignorance is shattered, it is hard to get back to the real world.