TODAY -

Amerikan Thinking, Manipuri Living

Arambam Kapil *

born in the USA , Amerikan Thinking, Manipuri Living



I should have been born in the USA. I love every bloody Amerikan rock n' roll bands; I would lose myself in reading Ginsberg's poems, Thoreau's essays and watching CNN. Most of the time I do the thinking in Manipuri, my mother tongue; but sometimes, I also think like an Amerikan in broken English. My girlfriend is also in Amerika; perhaps, you know her. Sharon Stone. I should have been living in Amerika.

But I cannot help and was born in Manipur. Is it fair nobody has the chance to know where to get born in this big bad world? I don't think so, and unfortunately, I have been also living here. Naturally, it is not hard to admit I have a very critical attitude towards anything, everything here, especially in my hometown, Imphal. The fact that I was born here though I wanted to be born there, is definitely not the reason — for my critical attitude in my own submission, which could be sheer pessimism in other's opinion. I do have other reasons for my sickness with yearning for a better place to live in. Amerika is just a poor excuse.

FIRESTARTERS

How can you expect to find someone light and glowing with optimism when load-shedding is a way of life? Electricity is a luxury here. You heard me right; I didn't mention Armani or Audi, but electricity. We are lucky if we get electricity for five hours a day. Last week, there was a news report about the power department, which was blamed for selling illegal energy to other states. The scam is pegged at four crore rupees by Naharolgi Thoudang, a vernacular daily in their exclusive report.

This is another great way of a Manipuri life. Taking and giving bribe is our hobby. But I would rather be a guard in Amerika like in Baywatch than pay kickback for a job (so what if there is no other way to get the scarcely available government jobs) in this heavenly filthy place.

It is not all dark all black, though. Some months ago, the electricity department had started a pre-paid system to check the widespread illegal connection and rap the defaulters on their knuckles. The department might be having some other plans as well, at least we hope so. But where did I read that this same electricity department is also included in the list of defaulters?

Last month, the Chief Minister met the Union Power Minister in New Delhi. The CM had apprised the power minister that he enjoys regular power along with his herd of ministers at Babupura but that the people are really ballsed up. And I failed miserably in understanding a line on the next day's newspaper: Even though the power minister listened to Ibobi with keen interest, he gave no assurance. (The Sangai Express)

PLEASE RETURN THE CHANGE

Good-hearted men, happy women, hardheaded folks might whine if I keep knocking the authority. I agree, in fact, I fully endorse that we are responsible to ourselves. We are to blame ourselves for this sorry state of affairs and this should mean there is a lesson for us to learn. But we will never learn to keep and use the coins. Where are all the coins and change hiding in Manipur? Where have they vanished?

At the shop, how can you bloody give me candies for seven rupees because you don't have the change? Give me a small-size Gold Flake, a match box and a piece of that Eclairs. A few coins should not be the reason for my habitual jumping to conclusion, here regarding my view about the superficial bigheartedness of me and my tribesmen — who are ever ready to care not about the silly trifles and worthless coins. Caring about meagre, useless coins hurts our Amerikan-made egos. Besides, we are already bogged down by so many bigger problems like fighting for fatherlands and motherlands, right to live, right to basic amenities, and the Golden Triangle Proximity Syndrome and so on. But this mentality sucks!

TARZAN'S DILEMMA

There is also a habit of overcharging, thanks to the frequent blockades and bandhs. Today morning, I went to buy a bottle of coke and the salesgirl was trying to sell it at 35 rupees – she said it is normally 30 rupees, though the MRP is 27 rupees. The five extra rupees was for the chilled bottle! When it comes to business, we are like a Tarzan with his hallmark naivety. Needless to say, the Gujaratis are running the show at the commercial centres in the valley and elsewhere.

But there is one thing that is quite unique to this place. If someone starts a chicken centre, the local parlance for small stores selling chicken meats; half of his neighbours will start dealing in the same business.

Currently, I saw there is a trend for tutorial centres. When I counted last evening, there are six different tutorial centres in my locality. Possibly any tutorial centre is good, because the prevailing lawless condition is affecting the schools and colleges very badly; but when it comes to Tarzan's dilemma of following others, nothing can beat it.

What is wrong with the people? What is wrong with us? We are paralysed by the contradictions: Everything is possible and nothing is also possible, like peace is possible because peace exists but we cannot have it because we have no space for peace; we protest against AFSPA but we would pay 15 lakh rupees for a sub-inspector's post; we would continuously bash New Delhi yet in elections, we would readily go and cast our votes after a few shots of free drinks. The list goes on.

POINT OF SEDATION

Anytime I go out of my house, I always meet a friend or the other. Again this morning I met Iboyai on his bike, standing at the junction of our locality. He was thinking over which way to go and he looked worried. He had been there for fifteen minutes. The road would lead him to BOC where he will get a shot of heroin if he went straight and to the left road, to an NGO-run medical centre where he is taking a heroin-substitute medicine as a part of harm-reduction therapy. He would get the substitute drug for free, but it is kick-less, just too easily available and less exciting. So he went straight.

BOC is a neighbourhood synonymous with heroin and prostitutes. It is located so close to so many important places: the commando complex, the interstate bus parking, two major hotels in Imphal, the historic Kangla fort and others; but it will take some sort of a rocket science to understand why the place has been existing eternally and there has been no important crackdown so far.

There is another parameter that indicates the beauty of the town, already accentuated by BOC. Two things are really messing up the place: human rights' violation and drug abuse. These factors have made a huge blot: drug-related NGOs are mushrooming at a rate only the NGOs dealing with human rights abuse in the hills and the valley can challenge. No wonder, ours is a land where morality is measured by the warmness of condoms found in seedy restaurants during raids by the moral police.

We are also a dry state but half of the youth in the Imphal town are available in the evening in the khun, at the drinking vendors. What's more, the best places to buy the imported whisky and beer are from the two police canteens, one of them which is just a stone's throw from BOC.

ROAD RAGE

If drug is a killer, the roads are its partners in crime. Accidents, rash driving, speeding are another story of road rage we usually find elsewhere. Without elaboration, there have been sarcastic anecdotes of patients dying on the bumpy and hellish roads, just because the streets leading to one of the premiere hospitals in the Northeast, the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, are not even spared. Right now there is not a single stretch of one-kilometre road which is free of caves, kettles and potholes. Terrible roads, irregular power and water supply, gutless administration. Pathetic infrastructure. As pathetic as me. As pathetic as the people.

Two negatives make a positive only in Mathematics. With all the negatives plaguing the state, it is easy to infer why it took years to complete any developmental work. Even the Amerikan thinking is of little help because most of the time we are only trying to imitate their superficial triviality, without the substance.

Oversimplification might aggravate the problems we are facing in this land, still we are in a position in which everything can be negated because nothing is working. Questioning ourselves should be our first step in the collective journey towards peace and prosperity. Otherwise I should be applying for my passport. I'll be going to Amerika.


* Arambam Kapil wrote this article for e-pao.net
The writer can be reached at kupelderanged(at)gmail(dot)com and blog here
This article was posted on July 23 2012



* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.




LATEST IN E-PAO.NET
  • 31st Governor Cup Polo Tournament : Gallery
  • Violence in Manipur 2023-2025 : Timeline
  • PM welcome to Manipur: Feel the reality
  • Kainkhol wins best Social Message Film Award
  • Distortion of facts: Manipur sports movement
  • Govt services reach Manipur's tribal villages
  • 134th Durand Cup Trophies Flag Off
  • COVID-19: Update 05 July 2025 : Manipur
  • How to take care of oily skin in monsoon
  • First-Ever Tripura Esports Championship
  • Konung Kang Chingba #1 : Gallery
  • Manipur Iskcon's 25th Ratha Yatra 2025
  • Native Threshing machine made for farmers
  • COVID-19: Update 04 July 2025 : Manipur
  • Riso Ejang: Youth-led Transformation
  • Include males too in addressing HPV
  • Whispers from the past :: Poem
  • LPU opens permanent outreach centre
  • Raj Bhavan moving on the right track
  • Speculations over PM Modi's visit to state
  • Colonial Knowledge Production in NE #7
  • Make Yourself Visible to Opportunity
  • Orange bowl: tradition with ecological wisdom
  • 10 ways to keep a kitchen garden disease free
  • Between PR, military mandates & AFSPA
  • Allocation fund for MLALAD Fund during PR
  • Denounces Killing of KNA Deputy C-in-C
  • COVID-19: Update 03 July 2025 : Manipur
  • Cases of fake Aadhaar cards
  • Sincere dealing must for stricter Aadhaar
  • Archaeology: Culture of Manipur : Booklet
  • Wanna be a singer? Get Botox
  • A Central institute in Manipur
  • Nagging in the name of love
  • COVID-19: Update 02 July 2025 : Manipur
  • 'Benefits' of Indira's Emergency
  • Social Stigma :: Poem
  • Inking a peace pact: Why, how: SoO quagmire
  • Van Mahotsav under shadow of declining forest
  • 11th Th Kishan Memorial Lecture : Gallery
  • Shinthoibi, Jangvei, Tamphaton : eMing
  • Manipur crisis & the Left media's blind spot
  • COVID-19: Update 01 July 2025 : Manipur
  • Bombom RK : Musclemania Universe NYC
  • The Grief :: Poem
  • Music Concert & Quiz (MCQ) 2.0
  • SoO agreement unlikely to be scrapped
  • Regulating use of plastic carry bags
  • Mera Houchongba @Kangla #4 : Gallery
  • International Day of Yoga @JNMDA : Gallery
  • BD Behring: The inimitable Gentleman I knew
  • Violence in the name of patriotism : Misguided
  • Daily oral vs long-acting injectable for HIV
  • COVID-19: Update 30 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Smile :: Poem
  • Why was President's Rule imposed ?
  • BJP under pressure to forge unity
  • Kang @Leikai in Imphal : Gallery
  • July Calendar for Year 2025 : Tools
  • COVID-19 : A recurring crisis in Manipur
  • DC Kaith and Forestry in Manipur : Book
  • COVID-19: Update 29 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Longing for Peace :: Poem
  • Black badge, slogan protest by peeved scribes
  • Present the true picture before Delhi
  • Pung-Cholom @ Polo Tournament : Gallery
  • Life: A Journey Through Thought & Being
  • Khongjai Hills & Kuki claim to indigeneity
  • Master Time by Managing Information
  • COVID-19: Update 28 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Pride & patriotism in CCpur's army families
  • The Power of Poppy - 87 :: Poem
  • World Decarbonisation Day: green environment
  • Welcome Home - Nganthoi #2 : Gallery
  • Loss of two precious lives from Manipur
  • Balancing civil liberties with public safety
  • COVID-19: Update 27 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Gender equality & human rights are indivisible
  • Stay hydrated this summer season
  • Silent Half of the Sun :: Poem
  • Connecting the dots in the wishlist
  • Assembly record tampering claims by ex-CM
  • The immortal legacy of Pukhramba Kajao
  • International Day against Drug Abuse 2025
  • COVID-19: Update 26 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Black pottery from Ukhrul - tribal heritage
  • Program on "Mission-Drug Free Campus"
  • Play makes a better world
  • Urgent Appeal to the Honourable MLAs
  • Tribal Empowerment Campaign at CCpur
  • Talk doing the round: PM to come
  • 'Emergency' relief for under-fire BJP
  • Golden Jubilee Art Fair @Imphal : Gallery
  • Declaration: Meetei People Convention, Delhi
  • A Flower Among the Rocks :: Review
  • Book Donation Campaign
  • Improved road connectivity boosts livelihoods
  • To Have Great Dreams :: Poem
  • COVID-19: Update 25 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Regret vs Sorry: Technical & moral insight
  • Cocktail of inept Govt, selfish people
  • State trailing others in cleanliness
  • Colonial Knowledge in NE India #6
  • UHI effect & rising temperatures in Manipur
  • Frequent road blockades cripple economy
  • COVID-19: Update 24 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Unite Health with Community health services
  • NSU, Imphal, tops IIRF Ranking 2025
  • Endless conflict :: Poem
  • Pak nobel pish prize for Trump
  • May 3, 2023 - June 24, 2025: Failure of Delhi
  • Hotter days, sudden rainfall no more a rarity
  • "The Great June Uprising" #2 : Gallery
  • How to Build a Career, Lead with Purpose
  • 2nd Foundation Day- Karnataka Meitei Assn
  • COVID-19: Update 23 June 2025 : Manipur
  • NSCN-IM Amnesty threatens to isolate it
  • Sunset :: Poem
  • Intl Yoga Day for a healthier environment
  • Of clogged drains and plastics
  • Poor roads testify Govt indifference
  • Welcome Home - Nganthoi #1 : Gallery
  • The Silent Erosion of Manipuri Language
  • Design health services around people
  • Serene Hills Host Inspiring Int'l Yoga Day
  • COVID-19: Update 22 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Chopper services between Senapati & Imphal
  • High Court Judges interacted with convicts
  • Redyeing the Fabric :: Poem
  • Differences yet to be resolved stand
  • Border fencing rage as solution eludes
  • Radio E-pao: 14 new songs updated
  • Climate Adaptive Agroforestry
  • Manipur overlooked demographic shifts
  • Young designers shine on Fashion Stage
  • COVID-19: Update 21 June 2025 : Manipur
  • International Day of Yoga at Lamphelpat
  • International Day of Yoga at JNMDA
  • The Power of Poppy - 86 :: Poem
  • Keishampat Lairembi Haraoba #1 : Gallery
  • Crisis in Manipur's Contemporary Education
  • Best 8 Performances in Manipuri Cinema
  • Identity: Caught between China & India ?
  • COVID-19: Update 20 June 2025 : Manipur
  • To The Father Who Listens :: Poem
  • How does net suspension affect youths ?
  • Targeting farmers to cripple state's economy
  • The virus is back and spreading
  • Who is afraid of Manipur ?
  • A threatened lily growing at Shirui Hills
  • World Environment Day in Manipur : Gallery
  • Ambubachi Mela at Maa Kamakhya
  • COVID-19: Update 19 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Dolls made from repurposed vegetable refuse
  • Condemns Attack on Farmer & Killing
  • Abhorrent politics of SoO
  • Police arrogance on harmless drivers
  • "The Great June Uprising" #1 : Gallery
  • Solution from Buddhist & Jain perspectives
  • AI sparks employment concerns in Manipur
  • Greatest Foe :: Poem
  • Chief Justice at Relief Camp, Kangpokpi
  • Call for Recognition of a 3rd Category of IDPs
  • Jun 18, 2001- May 3, 2023: Seed of violence
  • Contract scam in hill districts
  • Colonial Knowledge in NE India #5
  • Spaced Out - Panthung Di Kadaaida! : Rvw
  • Condemns the Killing of Abdul Qadir
  • COVID-19: Update 17 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Thoubal aspirant makes Manipur proud
  • Tamenglong hospital brings quality healthcare
  • Chief Justice at Relief Camp, Mayang Imphal
  • Kuki CM & Sixth Schedule
  • Selective protests, selective silence
  • Nailing the culprits need of the hour
  • UK Meetei diaspora run for Myanmar : Gallery
  • Erwin Khundrakpam : NEET-UG 2025 topper
  • Will we rise to #endAIDS challenge or stumble
  • COVID-19: Update 16 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Appeal to Prime Minister: Manipur Crisis
  • Urges Action on Misinformation
  • Condolences : 2 young cabin crew
  • Grateful To Be Alive :: Poem
  • Making bonfire on the roads
  • Aggression yet again, inspite of playing victim
  • Aftermath of flooding @ Khurai #2 : Gallery
  • Zomia, geopolitics, & the struggle for unity
  • COVID-19: Update 15 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Condolences : Demise of 2 Manipuri Girls
  • Manipur unites in grief after Air India tragedy
  • Hail arms recovery as step toward peace
  • Cleanliness Drive at JNIMS Campus
  • Global Wind Day for a clean environment
  • First came the rain, then the heat
  • Rise in Covid-19 cases
  • Thang-Ta Day @Khuman Lampak #3 : Gallery
  • Meetei diaspora in UK runs for Myanmar victim
  • Manipur empower children with disabilities
  • COVID-19: Update 14 June 2025 : Manipur
  • World Blood Donor Day 2025
  • The Power of Poppy - 85 :: Poem
  • A Northeast Gin Makes Its Mark
  • Mera Houchongba @Kangla #3 : Gallery
  • Saluting Nganthoi, Lamnunthem : Joining hand
  • Condolence : Nganthoi & Lamnunthem
  • 50 years of Pebet #2 : Gallery
  • Indo-Naga Talks (From 2012) :: Timeline
  • Colonial Knowledge in NE India #4
  • Namphake Monastery @ Dibrugarh : Gallery
  • Protest @Checkon -AT arrest [Jun 9] : Gallery
  • Protests - AT arrest [Jun 8 night] : Gallery
  • Aftermath of flooding @ Khurai #1 : Gallery
  • /li>
  • Flooding at JNIMS Hospital #2 : Gallery
  • North East NSS Festival @ MU : Gallery
  • 27th Meira Paibi Numit : Gallery
  • Trump's tariff legacy & its global echo
  • Flooding at JNIMS Hospital #1 : Gallery
  • Flooding Imphal East [31 May] #3 : Gallery
  • Flooding Imphal East [31 May] #2 : Gallery
  • Flooding Imphal East [31 May] #1 : Gallery
  • S Nirupama @Miss Universe : Gallery
  • Protesters to Raj Bhavan [May 25]: Gallery
  • Human Chain @Airport road [May 26]: Gallery
  • Miss Shirui Pageant Contestant: Gallery
  • 48 hrs Bandh: protest security forces: Gallery
  • Protest Rally: Journalist harassment: Gallery
  • HSLC 2025: Full Result (Check Roll No)
  • HSLC 2025: Important Info & Grading System
  • HSLC 2025 : Compartmental candidates
  • HSLC 2025 : Comparative Statement
  • HSLC 2025 : Statistical Abstract
  • HSLC 2025 : District Pass Percentage
  • HSLC 2025 : Govt School Pass %
  • HSLC 2025 : Aided School Pass %
  • HSLC 2025 : Private School Pass %
  • People's Convention on 3rd May #2 : Gallery
  • Featured Front Page Photo 2025 #2: Gallery
  • Riya Khwairakpam : HSE Science Topper
  • Keisham Hannah : HSE Arts Topper
  • Warepam Lidia : HSE Commerce Topper
  • HSE 2025 Result : Science Full Result
  • HSE 2025 Result : Arts Full Result
  • HSE 2025 Result : Commerce Full Result
  • HSE 2025 Information / Abbreviation
  • HSE 2025 Topper : Science
  • HSE 2025 Topper : Arts
  • HSE 2025 Topper : Commerce
  • HSE 2025 : Pass Percentage
  • HSE 2025 : Result Abstract
  • HSE 2025 : Candidates with Highest Marks
  • Ougri Lirol :: Part 1 : Ooba Video
  • President's Rule in Manipur : 1967 - 2025
  • Downloadable Manipuri Calendar :: 2025