Mary Kom: The Star Of Tahchanu
- Manipur Olympics Dreams 2020 Tokyo -

Ngamkhothang Haokip *

Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom :: Pix - Bullu Raj

The term 'tah-chanu' combination of two words; tah meaning truth and chanu means daughter. True-daughter known as tahchanu is traditionally use slogan that stimulates her zeal and inner self-esteem spirit of self-willingness tawmngaihnu as a woman for growth and prosperity.

Literate or illiterate, wise or stupid, bad or good, child, youth or old-aged, a woman is known as numei in Kukis. Damsel is known as nugngah and a married woman is called nupi. She is generally known by numei nature of her strength in obedience, kindness, softness in voice and body. Nupi is born numei woman of tahchanu (true-daughter) to learn, care, nurture and to preserve humanity towards growth and prosperity.

Recently recorded and the well known numei among the People-of-Tribes by the dawn of 21st century nupi feminism of the tahchanu frontier is, no other than the Hmangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, also known as MC Mary Kom. She was born on 1st March 1983 at Kangathei in the hill land of Kom locality, Churachandpur district of Manipur.

Born and brought up in her khankho village way of life, she completed her primary education from Loktak Christian Model High School, Moirang, up to class VI standard and attended St. Xavier Catholic School, Moirang, up to class VIII. She then moved to Adimjati High School, Imphal, for class IX and X, but was unable to pass the matriculation exam. Not wishing to reappear, she quit her school and gave her examination from NIOS, Imphal and later graduated from Churachandpur College.

Her parents, Mangte Tonpa Kom and Mangte Akham Kom, worked in jhum fields. Her parents and social system may find odd and she may not be always appreciated for playing game of boxing even during motherhood. However, her inner self determination and commanding tahchanu's spirit of courage, self-willingness, determination, zeal, self-esteem to face challenges of odds; she committed to struggled to catch hold of the top medal. She had been empowered by her husband like filling oil to the engine.

According to the Kukis' numei feminism of the tahchanu, whatever profession, position, ability or fame a numei has, she is fifty percent to her man. In the same manner Pasal (man) is also fifty percent to his numei (woman). This fifty plus fifty unity-in-couple makes hundred percent for growth and prosperity of a family called insung. In another word fifty/fifty make a couple one-body, as the scripture says, they are no longer two but one, therefore what God has joined together let no man separate' Matthew 19:6.

The notion of equality between man and woman had been set right by the words of Chung Pathien (God), the planner and maker of relationship between man and woman, for their prosperity in the tradition of villagers' humanity called mihing-khankho. Neither from his head nor from the toe but, from the middle portion, numei (woman) had been made out of the rib of man's body. In another word, prosperity of human flourished through relationship in love and understanding, where a man of fifty percent plus a woman of fifty percent making it hundred percent, can fully nurtures humanity.

Therefore, God made numei woman to walk equally hand-in-hand with man pasal for life-time as found in the scripture of the Bible Genesis 2:21-23 states, So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman' for she was taken out of man."

MC Mary, on her way to Holy-Marriage in the year 2005, she is found to be the upholder of her custom, culture, tradition and religion. In her traditional way of equality between man and woman, she hailed her true married-womaness numei feminism of the tahchanu (traditional hill village woman way of life). It is because, on her way to marriage, she was send-off from her home traditionally and according to wish of parents and went to her beloved chosen husband, Pu Onler Kom's traditional khankho way of village life.

MC Mary Kom or the Tahchanu Magnificent Mary entered her passionate field of Games and sports in the year 2000. She began her training under the Coach of Manipur Shri M. Narjit Singh, at Khuman Lampak, Imphal. She is an Indian boxer Nicknamed "Magnificent Mary", She began her first stage of the ring in her state of Manipur, then national level of India and also became six times champion. Kom won her first Gold Medal for any Indian at the Asian Game at Incheon, South Korea on date one of October 2014, by beating Kazakhstan's Zhaina Shekerbekova in the flyweight (51KG) summit clash.

Reception for MC Mary Kom by Kom Rem Union Manipur at Imphal on 30 September 2010 :: Pix - Daniel Chabungbam

Her won tallies under the Coach of M. Narjit Singh and Charles Atkinson are:

Sl. Nos	Name of the Competitions Participated	Weight	Position	Location	Year
1	WWABC (Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championship)	48	Second	Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA	2001
2	WWABC	45	First	Antalya, Turkey	2002
3	Witch Cup	45	First	Pecs, Hungary	2002
4	Asian Women's Championships	46	First	Hisar, India	2003
5	Women's World Cup	41	First	Tonsberg, Norway	2004
6	Asian Women's Championships	46	First	Kaohsiung, Taiwan	2005
7	WWABC	46	First	Podolsk, Russia	2005
8	WWABC	46	First	New-Delhi, India	2006
0	Venus Women's Box Cup	46	First	Vejle, Denmark	2006
10	WWABC	46	First	Ningbo, China	2008
11		46	Second	Guwahati, India	2008
12	Asian Indoor Games	46	First	Hanoi, Vietnam	2009
13	WWABC	48	First	Bridgeton, Barbados	2010
14	Asian Women's Championships	46	First	Astana, Kazakhstan	2010
15	Asian Games	51	Third	Guanghou, China	2010
16	Asian Women's Boxing Tournament	48	First	Haikou, China	2011
17	Asian Women's Championships	41	First	UlanBator, Mongolia	2012
18	Summer Olympic	51	Third	London, UK	2012
19	Asian Games	51	First	South Korea	2014

The year 2013 was another milestone for the tahchanu Chungneijang, because under the co-authorship of Ms Dina Serto, she wrote an auto-biography called Unbreakable and published by Harper Collins. Then comes the next for her to bloom with the quality of tahchanu's popular achievement in the screen of Bollywood. The actor Priyanka Chopra went to her local home for biographical film at National Games Village, Imphal West District of Manipur.

The movie MARY KOM directed by Omung Kumar was released on fifth day of the month September 2014 at New Delhi. Kom also started a female-only fight club at Imphal to teach girls to defend themselves against sexual violence in India. To spread her academy all over the country, Chungneijang wants Priyanka Chopra to become its brand ambassador.

The Star of Tahchanu, has been honored with several awards and recognitions given below;

Sl. Nos	Name of the Awards	Year
1	Arjuna Award (Boxing)	2003
2	Contender for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (CRGKRA)	2007
3	People of the Year by Limca Book of Records	2007
4	"Magnificent Mary" by AIBA	2008
5	Pepsi MTV Youth Icon	2008
6	CNN-IBN & Reliance Industries' Real Heroes Award on April 14	2008
7	Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award of India	2009
8	Padma Shree (Sports)	2010
9	Padma Bhushan (Sports)	2013

She had been honored with Cash Award by several States of India and others like
1. Government of Rajasthan 50 lakhs (US$81,000) Cash Award.
2. Government of Assam 20 lakhs (US$32,000) Cash Award.
3. Government of Arunachal Pradesh 10 lakh (US$16,000) Cash Award.
4. Ministry of Tribal Affairs (India). 10 lakh (US$16,000) Cash Award.
5. North Eastern Council 40 lakhs (US$65,000) Cash Award.
6. Government of Manipur 50 lakhs (US$81,000) Cash Award with a Govt. Quarter at National Games Village, Imphal West District of Manipur, Two acres of Land and Govt. Job (SP Rank).

Her participation in the Indian National Level Boxing Tournaments given below;

Sl. Nos	Names of the Boxing Tournaments	Venue	Date and Year
1	Gold – 1st Women Nat. Boxing Championship	Chennai	6–1 Feb. 2001
2	The East Open Boxing Champ	Bengal	11–14 Dec. 2001
3	2nd Sr. World Women Boxing Championship	New Delhi	26–30 Dec. 2001
4	National Women Sports Meet	New Delhi	26–30 Dec. 2001
5	32nd National Games	Hyderabad	2002
6	3rd Sr. World Women Boxing Championship	Aizawl	4–8 March 2003
7	4th Senior. WWBC	Assam	24–28 Feb. 2004
8	5th Senior WWBC	Kerala	26–30 Dec. 2004
9	6th Senior WWBC (29 Nov.-to-3 Dec)	Jamshedpur	Nov-Dec 3, 2005
10	10th WNBC (Lost)	Jamshedpur	Oct. 5, 2009

The tahchanu Chungneijang Mary Kom is known to be the bravest numei of daring and valiant fighter. Indeed her action is colorfully seen brighter than her words as saying goes, action speaks louder than words.

She did set tears of pain, suffering, abuse, discrimination and the like. But her inner self commanding tahchanu's spirit of courage has been empowered by her faith of Chung Pathien (Above Holy Father) God seen in the Messiah Jesus. Her trust in the living and the speaking God of spirit works strengthened her in prayer like petrol to the engine that empower dynamo to run for its destination.

Overwhelmed by her strength of God's blessed stamina, she even used to cry out of joy in victory. Her popularity became the source of courage and challenging not only to her Kukis' numei people-of-tribes but also for the women of her country India.

Her story of struggle being seen, heard and read, now she is recorded frontier, pioneer and deem fit to be honored as 'The Star of Tahchanu' for the new trend. Because she is the true woman of numei who hails 'numei feminism of the tahchanu' for getting married in, Kom's traditional Kuki hill village way of life for growth and prosperity called khankho, with due respect and honor to her indigenous custom, culture and traditional-polity in collaboration with religious life. In fact every religion prays for her, as she represents her country India.

In her profession, well-married life, achievement and prosperity the Tahchanu Chungneijang Magnificent Mary Kom is the pride to her God, herself, her husband, her children, family circle, for her People-of-Tribes and she is now an icon of Indian nation as a whole.

Indeed, the Star of Tahchanu is a realist who can outshines and promotes the right value of woman in Numei Feminism of the Tahchanu. Her commitment must advocate humanly love, equality, peace and prosperity of the humanity.

The growth and prosperity of Pu Onler Kom's Family is now seen through his persistent support and co-operation towards passionate and valiant career of his beloved wife. They are blessed with three sons and he is now well shattered after endurable support to his fifty percent of life, Chungneijang. They are blessed with three children, twins sons namely Rechungvar and Khupneivar, her third son born in the year 2013 is named Chungthanglen. Who can find a numei of virtue? For her value is far above rubies (Pro 31:10).

May God continue to bless their family, their future career and the determination of the Star of Tahchanu.

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* Ngamkhothang Haokip wrote this article for e-pao.net
The writer, resident of Delhi is the Author of the book: The Kuki Worship Service towards Community Transformation ISPCK, New Delhi 2012 and a Chaplain of KWS-Kolkata (2011-2013).
He can be reached nkthang(dot)chibai(at)gmail(dot)com
This article was first posted on October 03, 2014 and later updated on October 13 2014 and further updated on July 5 2021.

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