My Memories of Imphal From 1941 :: Download
A Precis to end the series of 'My Memoirs Of Imphal'
Dr Mohendra Irengbam *
In loving Memory of my late Father and late Mother, and in fond memory of my childhood friend, the late Dr Ibetombi, who had endured my sudden escapade to a foreign country
The book, My Memoir of 411 pages, is some of my recollection of a period in which I was growing up from preteen into teenage years. It was a very small world I knew then, and the more I got older the further it receded into the cosmic void, and the more appealing it retrospectively became. The book is not a collection of historical essays, but some recollection of myself, the memory of the tranquil sleepy town of Imphal and its complacent and easy-going people.
They are not exhaustive, but in varying combinations that are related and not so related . They are undertaken to dabble, but not delve too deeply. I write it as a memoir of what happened in Imphal cum Manipur, eighty years ago. That is beyond the lifetime of an average Manipuri.
I remarked in the original Forward of the book, that I did not find it easy to remember all that happened during that period, when I was a young and callow boy. Besides which, because of my advanced age, I could have failed to lay down many events that I could have written in my endeavour to pen in the story, which took me two years to complete in bits and bats.
This book is little bit about me, telling my story to myself, which has certain advantages and some disadvantages. One advantage of putting me as the narrative nucleus is that it forces me to keep the thread of my rendering in an orderly sequence and in a chronological set up. I can only tell myself what I have seen, heard or done as I grew up. I have not finagled my way through it.
The main disadvantage is that, as I am the central character in the story, many a time I might fail to see that I may be presenting myself as a vainglorious, handsome, and smart fellow as I relate my deeds, which are marked by apparent heroic resolutions, while stupid enough not to see it. I can only say that I, as the author of my own portrayal, see myself from insight, which nobody can. And thus, I can only ask the readers to overlook my shortcomings where they appear to be.
Download the entire Summary of this book here
* Dr Mohendra Irengbam wrote this article for e-pao.net
The writer can be contacted at irengbammsingh(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This article was webcasted on June 18 2023 .
* 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.