Nefarious interpretation of Ningol Chakkouba in Manipur

Rebika Laishram *

It is my appreciation of Mr.Oinam Anand's article on "Love hidden in Ningol Chakkouba", which I came across in e-pao that, exhilarated me to write this article to the e-pao team .

He had so beautifully construed in his very brief yet elating article, the beauty of celebration an age old tradition of Manipur culture in the form of Ningol Chakkouba and its nefarious new age interpretation of equating the values of tradition or rather diluting traditional values in the name of "Dhakhina".

Being a Ningol myself and having lived my life throughout outside Manipur, I have always admired the many facets of our tradition and especially Ningol Chakkouba for the values that it stands for .

Ningol Chakkouba I personally feel that, it commemorates the lives of our forefathers, for having dedicated a day exclusively for showering adoration to their loving daughters.

Given such an honor by our forefathers, for being a women in our community, is a clear analogy of achieving part of the struggle know as "Women's empowerment" which many societies' still aspire to achieve it even till date, which Manipur society through festivals like Ningol Chakkouba has been practicing for decades and has so meaningfully handed it down for generations.

To my dismay it is this same society who has polluted today this beautiful tradition of Ningol Chakouba into a materialistic culture, without any regard for its genesis.

I feel disheartened pondering that soon after I get married, I would also be placed into this competitive gift exchange culture, giving me no space & time to either relive or memorialize the memories of our "epa epu", who had endowed us with such a beautiful tradition.

My resentment is more towards our brothers & fathers, who are suppose to guide their daughters in inculcating genuine traditions & customs, are today encouraging such malpractices and also giving in so easily to their wanton demands.

I strongly believe that, showering fatherly or brotherly love should not incapacitate them to also give "Tough Love" and correct a demand which is so unreasonable & unrealistic at times.

Festivals are supposed to be celebrated with great pomp and show and not bring undue woes to the family.

It is also disheartening to observe that, women who are highly educated and who often sport a successful career, take excessive interest in engaging with such high profiles gift exchanges, either as an announcement of its financial independence or to earmark the pride of being the daughter-in law from an affluent family, which I rather think is nothing but an expression of insecurity and an education which had failed to instill any human values what so ever.

I think that it's time that civil society organizations, meira paibies or local clubs should create awareness on these issues, to resist people from indulging into such acts of opulence, which is unnecessary and uncalled for.

It would be rather better if we can all try and truly understand the genesis of our tradition and genuinely celebrate the unprecedented love between a brother & sister.

Achieving such a stratum, I truly believe would be the mostly wonderful gift that I could ever expect from my community, to commemorate my birth as a "Girl Child" and rather not leave a bitter taste in my mouth each time, I observe how the new generation is tarnishing such an age old tradition.