Heirok victim cries, 'Will I ever see again?'
Source: The Sangai Express / Ng Liklaileima

Imphal, April 01: It was a long wait, almost 12 months for the annual Yaoshang festival.

It was not the Yoashang festival itself but the Thabal Chongba that comes with Yaoshang.

Young and old, all love to participate or watch Thabal Chongba.

This unique dance form never fails to flutter the hearts of young girls and boys, even the most astute one.

But for Rebika, Premila and Nirmala, it was doomsday.

The day they had been waiting for all the year turned out to be the last day for two of them, while Rebika is still undergoing treatment at Shija Hospital in critical condition.

Heirok survivor at Shija Hospital worries over her eye sight

The day was ominous.

Besides the night curfew imposed by the Government, there were hailstones and rain.

It not only rained.

It rained bullets.

Mortals as they were, like anybody they did not know what was in store.

Perhaps, they were dancing their best Thabal Chongba before the cruel rain of bullets poured over them.

Hit by a bullet on the right side of her forehead, Rebika's eye nerves were badly damaged.

Both her eyes are in critical condition.

Sanguine as she always has been, the 17 year old girl is hoping for the best on bed number 3 of the female ward in Shija Hospital and Research Institute.

She is unable to open her right eye herself.

Even though she can perceive things before her right eye, all look blurred and she cannot make out the objects.

This is the better side as she cannot see anything from her left eye.

Rebika is the second daughter of Wairokpam Inaobi and Shanti.

She belongs to Kairenbikhok village of Thoubal district.

Since childhood Rebika was always active.

She also loved sports.

This is testified by many certificates given to her for winning races, long jumps in annul sports meets of her school.

Despite her potential in sports, she couldn't get any proper training in any sports discipline due to poverty of her parents.

Her father is a carpenter and her mother runs a small tea stall at their residential income.

It has been from these meagre incomes that the family has been sustaining.

Rebika is studying in class IX at Eastern Popular English School Heirok.

Helpless and poverty stricken Shanti sitting beside her daughter cried, "Doctors said that they will treat my daughter until she is recovered but what worries me is money.

I feel scared that I may not able to treat my daughter properly as the family has no money now, and so far nearly Rs 70000 has been spent with no help from any quarter".

"I just cannot stand the thought that my daughter may go blind for life", Shanti conveyed.

Giving her account of the fateful day, Rebika said that she had just joined the Thabal Chongba when she was struck by something with a strong force on her forehead.

"At that moment, I did not realise that I was hit by a bullet.

In the next I felt dizzy and my eyes got blurred.

As I sat down, my head started bleeding profusely" recounted Rebika. Disclosing that she has been praying daily to restore sight at least to one of her eyes, she questioned herself, "What should I do if go totally blind ?".

On the other hand, both the parents are being tormented and haunted by Rebika's regular question, "Will my eye sight be restored again?".