An Unsung Nationalist - (Shakhangbikhidraba Ningtamloi Ama )
- Part 1 -

A translation by Dr. Amarjit Moirangthem *

When he returned back from Manipur to Kanto in Kabow Valley, his birth place, everything had changed. His home was nowhere seen. The Burmese people had occupied the place and made their home. On enquiry he learnt that 2 years after he left his home, the British who then tooked over and ruled Burma, they had killed his father and brothers. They burned down their homes into ashes. His mother and sisters ran away and were neither found nor returned back again. The British army knew all about him, joining the INA troops and helping the Japanese who came to conquest Burma during the war in 1943.

So his family was persecuted. And those families in the village who didn't flee during the war had got assimilated with the then Burmese society. And thereafter the new Burmese Government banned speeking of Meiteilon, not allowing the natives to speak and communicate using their mother-tongue in public. Only they spoke in their homes quitely. The restrictions could be accounted for one of the main reasons for the diminishing population of native Meiteis in Burma.

In those years he has been staying with San-U, a Burmese orphan.

Nongsaba Ningthouja, the 80 years old bluffing to Shan Yu, " Last year, I went to Mandalay Bamon Leikai for the Pakhangba Haraoba celebration, there met some fellow meiteis from Manipur. They asked about me, and I told them all about me and my life. After listening my story , they asked me to come to Manipur. They gave assurance for welcoming me with pomp and ceremony. They would request the government for a freedom fighter pension too. I am very much eager to go to Manipur, my Motherland. I have been just waiting for your arrival."

''Yes uncle, but what if those Indian sepoys shoot you ? ''

''When I could lay my feet on my motherland, let them shoot me through my chest. My blood drench will into the soil and enrich those green floras, and my lifeless flesh will feed the hungry stomachs of the wild beasts making them healthier . Does it matter?"

After a momentry silence, feeling remorsed over his own promise of 45 years , never to return again to his mother-land , the old Nongshaba laments,'' I feel so insolent. Let me go to Manipur."

At the old man's insistent tantrums, the next day San-U went and arranged a cart and then they started their journey towards Moreh. Laying down in supine, gazing his eyes over the sky full of stars twinkling around, he rememembered his past moments one after another.

''Even though I am not trained, please teach me how to trigger a gun, then after I will take care myself. Let me join the war too'', Nongshaba Mangang begging to a Captain of Major General Md Zaman Kiani , the commandent of 1st division of INA (Gandhi Brigade) who came through the Kabow valley, along with the Japanese forces.

Thinking awhile for a moment, the captain asked,'' Being a Manipuri, would you be able lead the troops from Kabow valley towards Manipur ?

"Definitely , why not? "

''Thank you, that's all, Jai Hind''

On the Commandent Kiyani's recommendation, he became a soldier of INA. A brief training for few days, then he led the troops and invaded through the hills, villages one after another, then finally reached Moirang in 1944.

The Indian National Tricolor Flag was hoisted at Moirang, 14 April 1944 . The INA jawans gave salute, they sang together the national song of India, Vande Matarum. Then the jawans gave the guard of honour. The moment enthralled his heart, and tears rolled out of his eyes . And the tear droplets sparkled a spectrum of colours around, hallucinating him the 7 coloured Pakhangba emblamed flag of Manipur, remined him of the past how the British bloodsheded those brave sons of Manipur.

The British gave away his birth-place, Kabow Valley, which had been a territory of Manipur for more than 360 years to Burma, by forcibly signing the Treaty Of Yandaboo in 1826 . After the event Gambhir Singh, the king of Manipur died a broken heart in depression . Nongshaba thought himself , if the cat is driven out, then Manipur could regain kabow valley after 100 years. He yearns for killing a thousands of enemy British at the pull of a trigger. His heart pounding over his chest, he itched for rushing towards Imphal breaking from the parade.

The Jawans marching towards Imphal, reached Maibam Lotpa Ching (Red Hill) at Nambol. The seasonal rainfall too came much earlier before the monsoon. The Battle continued for 4 months, and necessary artillaries, ammunitions and rations didn't arrive , the soldiers suffered great s et backs. Dbesides, the Japanese air support were lacking, the British army took more upperhand and pushed on, at last the INA troops had to retreat back.

Returning back to Moirang, after receiving Netaji's special order of the day, he requested to the Commandent Kiyani '' Sir , I am not pulling my feet back from here. Allow me to plant the saplings of freedom, so I could help the INA when they come back here again .''

The INA troops had went back in despair. But Nongsaba became a runaway. As he know was not safe in Moirang, he ran towards Mayang Imphal Konchak through the Loktak lake by a boat, and took refuged in a home of his Grand-father's brother Lourembam Tonsana, telling them that he had come from Cachar, Assam. There he learned a secret about his family, that was when he was about 3 months old, the people came to know that his father has married a woman of the same clan from a far off place, the news reaches the King's ear. They were outcasted and pushed off to Kwatha.

But his stubborn parent decided not to stay in Manipur at all and went to settle at Kanto village in Kabow Valley. There were other Meitei villages too including Tashikhong, Sayachan, Homlin, Mwidi, Tanalan which they didn't choose. The Meitei people nearby the bank of Ningthi River were the descendents of those who had settled during King Kyamba's conquest of Kabow valley in 1471, they came as soldiers to guard the valley. Some of them includes the captives of the Burmese taken during seven years devastation of Manipur. But only a few people among them were able who speak clearly native Meiteilon.



To be continued...

( The story written by Nabakumar Nongmeikapam has won the Pacha Meetei Literary Award ,2009 , first price in the of patroitic short-story competition organised by Patriotic Writers Forum, Imphal . The story was published in the book Train Amagi Khonchat by the author.)
# A hearty thanks to my friends Robert Moirangthem, Usham Ronjan, Niranjoy Khaidem for lending their helping hand.