Gift of this new year 2013

Louriyam Bebica *

IT was believed that the Roman emperor Julius Caesar established January 1 as new year .As he believes that it was the month name after the god Janus (who has two faces – one looking at front another looking at back) the God of doors and gates will be appropriate to celebrate the beginning of the year. He ordered the violent routing of revolutionary Jewish force in the Galilee. It was said that flood flowed in the streets.

What could be the greatest gift on this NEW YEAR. No idea what would it be in a state like us. Everyone must be busy, every shop will be crowded buying and selling gift for one another. I wonder if it's the gift we are looking for ? Or do we need to wait for those three magi to come and deliver us the gift? Christmas, New Year, Ningol Chakouba ... are the days to celebrate and live like a life.

I remember those days in our graduation , we did nothing then waiting for those occasions so that we can get a chance to go home and eat mom's kangsoi. There won't be anyone who doesn't feel this way. Those five star hotel or best chef's cook are at the bottom of the bottle when we put home and mom's cook, together. The feeling of coming home from a far place is like falling in love with the most wonderful person when we smile at every movement of those tiny leave.

The common conversation among those people (specially students) when the month of December comes will be "hey when are you going home" rather than "hey are you going home". That means we pre-supposed or expect everyone to be home during this season. And there were many times we are left out with no money in the pocket yet dying to go home. So the best and possible thing we usually does was book the train ticket and save Rs 400/500 for the bus fare. As much as possible we try to adjust with this amount to reach home.

Many students like us who did not have that much money though dying to reach home, their parents disagree him/her to come home. It was not bcoz they were not willing their presence but they were not as rich as the parents of their kids' friends' parents. Their rejection on us going home were hardly taken on to our mind and ears .

We knew that they will be more happy to see us home. So we come home with the minimum balance in pockets without informing our parents. Since Guwahati is the only hub of North East and connecting to the rest, it's the place of our half way to home. Once we reach Guwahati station the next thought that bang on us will be ..."Manipur basti gee chak". But there were times , we need to hold back the saliva bcoz of the limitation of the money we have.

Can you imagine the situation if we've to stay back there even for a day delay? It's a place where we've to pay, even to take my own share of air to breath. But the situation of our state often hurt our own people dragging into the pit of suffering. I saw many of our people (Meitei, kuki, naga....) at the Guwahati railway station this season. They came to spend their time with their love and dear ones but got stuck there. There wasn't any bus to ply bcoz of the bandh, nor with enough money to get a shelter there.

When bandh was removed for a day it seems the bus counter got few bus to ply. They hike the price all of sudden. The normal bus fare from Imphal to Guwahati is Rs 500 to 600 but Mr. Bandh has pull it up to Rs 1500 per head. It's totally like a day-light robbing system. We are not willing to help each other in need but rob when you get the chance.

We talk so much of outsiders looking down at us, not recognizing us but 've we ever talk on the hatred we are creating among ourselves? We said we are a family and they are outsiders. Then why we fighting with each other ? 'Ve we forgot the fact that a split family will never be respected by any one. That's the reason why we were taught the story of "Unity wins" when we were young . Why not now ? Bcoz we are grown up?

When I was in Chennai for three years I never experienced a day when they called bandh. It doesn't mean those people 've no problem. Then why not we? Is bandh, strike, violence - the only solution to our problems? If it is so, let's not do anything, let's called bandh, strike, curfew or any violence and pull out our solutions so that the common people can live in peace after that. Else everyone is dying. We are human different from the rest of the kind of this world, We are gifted to think and talk to communicate and solve our problems. Why are we giving preference to our hand (to shoot) than our mind, like a paw of a tiger?

You talk so much on girl education, equal rights but did you really mean on what you are speaking? Did you give the equal property , love, respect to your daughter as you gave to your son? No you don't. Women are still look as material not a part of your body and soul. If you happened to feel us as a part of your body and soul, you would 've never hurt us bcoz you too will feel the same pain.

The case of rape, molestation, eve teasing, killing of wife by husband and his family is increasing day by day. Some dear ones of the victim will call bandh, strike and 've a public's eye for few days. At the longest the pain of the victim might get stuck on people's heart for a week, month not longer than that. Bcoz another victim will come in the scene and she will take the place again.

What about those accused people? Did they get the adequate punishment on what they did? Did we gave them the same pain they gave to the victims. No we don't. Even if the police caught them they will be in the jail for few days then they will be out on bail and roam in this society again as if nothing happen.

Is this we call justice? If so, I hate this justice. Even death won't be appropriate punishment for those type of people. Death will cause the pain only once. Why can't we break the hand that reach some innocent's body to moles so that his hand can never lift up again?

How do you define a girl or woman? A thing to use or living being like you? 'Ve you ever try to think how we think on our body? It is a like a temple for us. A mere touch in a crowd place haunt us even in dream that we can't sleep. So you can think how will we be in a condition like rape or molestation or.... when I put those terms in words it sounds light and normal but to experience it is more than feeling the death of my own self.

You said it's the short skirt or the string we wear turn you on if it is so why don't you spare those small girls who are under the shawl of their mothers? Why ?Bcoz it is not the dress, we wear that cause the problem but the dress that cover your dirty mind.

It's a shame on you when you try to negotiate with money after raping a lady. Hello, money system was introduced only for handy way of buying 'things'. Mind you I said THINGS here. Women are not a thing that you can buy. We are a kind of you, your own kind. Even those animal who has least brain to think sacrifice their lives to save their kinds. And we ....tearing our own kind for some silly desire of lust... So stop raping your own kind.

Government doesn't listen to us till we are thrown ourselves into some violence. Why is so? For this new year let 'Peace' and 'Respect to Women' be the gift for every citizen.

That's what we badly need to live a life like a life. Living is not enough, grant us a life that is like a life. Let us not use bandh ,strike ...as an instruments to manipulate our needs, let us not turn it into living being. Let it be the last option to opt for, not the first priority to catch our eyes.