My Memories of Imphal From 1941 : Chapter 6 :: Download

Dr Mohendra Irengbam *

Swadesh Seva Dal’ Scout group 1947. Standing at the back (L-R): 2nd author.
Standing: 4th M Gojendra Scout leader (Father of Shanti, ex-IGP) & Manilal.
Sitting: Surendra & Ch Nodiachand [some of the names I can remember).

Part 6
Ancient Meiteis in Kangleipak
Modern Meiteis in Imphal Town

I have become a wanderlust. My mind wanders back and forth between conscious thoughts. Mind wandering is ubiquitous to the human experience. My mind is no exception. My mind wanders when I am engaged in writing, which is an attention demanding activity.

This is called ‘thought sampling’. It is unlike ADHD (Attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder) of childhood where they have trouble in concentrating and are restless. My wandering thoughts are related but not tied down to the subject of my writing. They are just stray thoughts. Not a prodigious feat of memories. They have in fact, helped me to reactivate and retrieve my old memories.

At times, my mind aimlessly cruises for a while like a school of Japanese Koi carp in a glass tank with no destination. It then settles to task relevant thoughts. I do not daydream anymore, which I used to as a schoolboy and it was quite a pleasurable escapade.

My father had a small cubicle built for me as a study room. It was situated in the left side of the veranda of the two-room bungalow I lived in. It was walled on all sides with chicken wire in wooden frames and a chicken wire door. It was meant to keep away a global assembly of mosquitoes from biting me. It was always quiet. During my study my mind often wandered, inhabiting a different life of fantasy for a while.

They were pleasure pursuits at no cost, but they took quite a lot of time from my study. However, I believe every cloud has a silver lining. And during my present mind wanderings, I have stumbled on Meitei cosmology that is inexorably and cryptically associated with Lai Harauba festival, which is a symbolic creation and evolution of Meiteis with their reference to erotic imagery that I found quite vulgar during my boyhood.

In Meitei anthropology, Meiteis are people who have been living in Manipur since the dawn of time, speaking metaphorically, and up to this date. We know it from Meitei oral history that is just an invocation hymn:

Awang Koubru Asuppa
Leima-Laina Khunda Ahanba
Nongthrei Ma-u Lingliba
Irak Mapan Thariba
O Laingthou.

A rough translation in English goes like this:
Koubru, the guardian of the north
Where women-men first settled
Heavenly flowers and tress flourished
Living beings established
O! King of gods.

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