The tale of 5 days old Laanjenthoibi
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 21 2023: Laanjenthoibi, the name can be tongue twisting, is a 5 day old survivor baby girl, blessed to Oinam Basanta and Echal who fled Moreh Khunou in the dark of the night being chased by the majority community in Moreh.

It was May 3 night when the majority community in Moreh started burning residences of Meitei, assaulting Meitei civilians, stone pelting and gun attacks and the couple with others belonging to the Meitei community had to leave behind everything and run to safe locations.

Sharing her ordeal to this reporter, Echal (34) who was in the advanced stage of pregnancy by then, said she was horrified on seeing Meitei houses being torched besides physical assault and gun attacks on the Meitei residents which ensued after sunfall of May 3 .

The tale of 5 days old Laanjenthoibi

Echal, mother of four then and now five, also shared how hard it took for them to reach Moreh Police station with miscreants chasing them from behind.

Though she was in excruciating pain, all she cared about during her run to the police station was that she don't fall to the ground, she said.

At one point, she thought that they wouldn't make it to the police station but had a sigh of relief when she finally reached the police station, she said.

After spending the night at the police station, they took shelter at Assam Rifles Camp the next day before being escorted to Khuman Lampak after three days, she said.

From Khuman Lampak, they were shifted to Kongpal Kongkham Leikai Relief Camp before taking refuge at a relief camp opened at Ideal Girls' College, Akampat under the Thongju Kendra Relief Committee, she said.

From the camp, she was brought to JNIMS where she gave birth to a baby girl on May 16, who was named "Oinam Laanjenthoibi '' today during her Eepan Thaba ceremony, she said.

The ceremony was organised by the Thongju Kendra Relief Committee, said Echal, who was once gripped by fear and trauma after the May 3 incident with a tone of gratitude to the committee.

Basanta, who left his house with his expectant wife barefoot and with a Khudei around his waist on that night of the communal attack, expressed strong discontentment over the incident.

He could not think of anything rather than the safety of his wife, he said while adding that he even forgot to pick money and the ATM card as the situation got aggravated all of a sudden.

They also said that their four children, two boys and two girls, who were lodged at a boarding school before the outbreak of the ethnic clash, are also safe and are now taking shelter at a relief camp in Wangjing courtesy safe passage ensured by school authorities and Assam Rifles.

They should have stayed with them at Wanjing but considering the condition of the newborn child, they are residing at the Akampat relief camp, they added.

Maibam Ningol Thangjam ongbi Anjali (19), a four month pregnant wife of Thangjam Jetlee of Moreh Ward No 7, also had the worst nightmare of her life on May 3 .

They, along with other displaced Meitei residents, also had to take shelter in a mud house after things turned bitter and miscreants ran riot attacking and burning down Meitei houses in the area.

They were also among those rescued from Moreh after 3 days and faced all similar hardships before reaching Akampat Relief Camp.

Speaking to this reporter, Anjali said that she is going for her regular check up at RIMS to ensure safety of her first child as medical camps conducted at the camp do not provide all required facilities.

Wondering when this turmoil would end, Anjali made an earnest appeal to the State Government and all concerned to restore peace and normalcy in the State.

Another victim from Moreh also shared how they escaped under horrendous situation.

With them being hapless and clueless where to go, their group, which included small children and women, had to hide in drains and riverbeds on that fateful night, he said.

After miscreants had burnt their houses to ashes and left, they were rescued by Moreh police personnel in the midnight and brought to the police station.

The arson, attacks, cries of the babies and women are still fresh and will continue to haunt us forever, he added.

A volunteer at the camp which is opened under the supervision of Thongju Assembly Constituency MLA Th Biswajit, the camp is sheltering 723 including 104 people from Churachandpur and 619 from Moreh.

There are also infants and many newborn babies at the shelter who are being supervised by 40 male and 30 female volunteers, he added.

Thongju Kendra Relief Committee, she said.

From the camp, she was brought to JNIMS where she gave birth to a baby girl on May 16, who was named "Oinam Laanjenthoibi '' today during her Eepan Thaba ceremony, she said.

The ceremony was organised by the Thongju Kendra Relief Committee, said Echal, who was once gripped by fear and trauma after the May 3 incident with a tone of gratitude to the committee.

Basanta, who left his house with his expectant wife barefoot and with a Khudei around his waist on that night of the communal attack, expressed strong discontentment over the incident.

He could not think of anything rather than the safety of his wife, he said while adding that he even forgot to pick money and the ATM card as the situation got aggravated all of a sudden.

They also said that their four children, two boys and two girls, who were lodged at a boarding school before the outbreak of the ethnic clash, are also safe and are now taking shelter at a relief camp in Wangjing courtesy safe passage ensured by school authorities and Assam Rifles.

They should have stayed with them at Wanjing but considering the condition of the newborn child, they are residing at the Akampat relief camp, they added.

Maibam Ningol Thangjam ongbi Anjali (19), a four month pregnant wife of Thangjam Jetlee of Moreh Ward No 7, also had the worst nightmare of her life on May 3 .

They, along with other displaced Meitei residents, also had to take shelter in a mud house after things turned bitter and miscreants ran riot attacking and burning down Meitei houses in the area.

They were also among those rescued from Moreh after 3 days and faced all similar hardships before reaching Akampat Relief Camp.

Speaking to this reporter, Anjali said that she is going for her regular check up at RIMS to ensure safety of her first child as medical camps conducted at the camp do not provide all required facilities.

Wondering when this turmoil would end, Anjali made an earnest appeal to the State Government and all concerned to restore peace and normalcy in the State.

Another victim from Moreh also shared how they escaped under horrendous situation.

With them being hapless and clueless where to go, their group, which included small children and women, had to hide in drains and riverbeds on that fateful night, he said.After miscreants had burnt their houses to ashes and left, they were rescued by Moreh police personnel in the midnight and brought to the police station.

The arson, attacks, cries of the babies and women are still fresh and will continue to haunt us forever, he added.

A volunteer at the camp which is opened under the supervision of Thongju Assembly Constituency MLA Th Biswajit, the camp is sheltering 723 including 104 people from Churachandpur and 619 from Moreh.

There are also infants and many newborn babies at the shelter who are being supervised by 40 male and 30 female volunteers, he added.