A Maiden Visit To Bibi's Home : Encountering With A Super Cop

D. Jangkholal Haokip *

As I sneaked into the vicinity/mansion of Pu Lunsieh Kipgen, IPS (one of my most respected Eimi officers) a couple of weeks back, I was 'armed-to-the teeth' to encounter with any eventualities, or any sniper attack from all angles, roof-top, ground or aerial bombardment! Why? For, this small fry, jobless chap was one of the 'culprits' if not, Wanted No.1/hit list by the the man-in-question (if not men-in-uniform) in the early 2000s.

Yet, I was shell-shocked to learn, feel and witness that I could freely read, and most importantly, 'write' a write-up for Eimi Times ( the only, & largest circulated daily of Thadou-Kuki speaking community. Hats off to our super cop, Pu Lunsieh (may I have the right & liberty to advertently omit his surname ad infinitum for I guess he ain't a clannish, separatist or chauvinist?) for his 'love & 'care' for news journal, dailies, magazines (both printed & AK magazines) till today.

The reason why I was uneasy, if not unnerved: Right after his successful era (read selection, not election to the prestigious post Indian Police Service, IPS (here, & for temporary rendition; "Intellectual Police Service"), a bi-lingual monthly mouth-piece of Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO-Delhi), LAMHIL mischievously christened him the "cheapest Eimi officer." Had he been armed with Kalashnikov-47 or 56 (which he himself &Sanjay Dutt possessed/allegedly possessed now & long back respectively), me, myself and Paokholal Haokip, Assoc. Prof. Puducherry Univ. would not have seen the light of day (today), and whose evil-filled spirits might have been in Hell.

My good friend, and p'raps intermittently becoming a 'foe', Mr. Paolal @ Tony played a 'dirty game' as he influenced this writer (who, by that time held the unpaid post of Editor-in-Chief of Lamhil, and the post of which was subdued and subjugated by my/our super-cop as he hurriedly occupied the post of his own creation, " CEO of Lamhil" ( Chief Executive Officer); (un)wasting time to hear the news of the seemingly foretold UPSC results. Why CEO? God, and all knows that the super-cop in question could handle the post of CEO's (be it Bussiness, Corporate,Intel-gathering agencies, etc., etc.)Mr. Tony (named after Tony Blair, the then British PM by Dr. J.Guite, Asst. Prof. Silchar Univ.& who was in return, named Than-Swe by Tony himself for his dictatorial leadership of KSO-D as a US President or Junta-regime in Burma) dubiously influenced me to insert that infamous word " cheapest" in an article well and neatly written by Pu Paolienlal Haokip (Amir Khan of KSO (S) in his youthful/gud ol' days?), then OSD (Officer-on Special Duty) to Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India, now at a Lok Sabha Cestt.

Holding no low rank & position, and a loving husband of Pi Lamkholhing Haokip-the Nightingale or Lata Mangeshkar of the Kukis. Indeed, the write-up in question was jocular, yet full of substance, underlining the "Jekyll & Hide" (side) of Pu Lunsieh Kipgen, IPSvis-à-vis his association with the Kuki Students' Orgn. (Shillong). Readers (particularly Eimi-Shillong-iites) of the said article might have got an iota of our super-cop, Pu & bro. Lunsieh…(may I have the right & liberty as well, to delete his surname here?).

I guess for my acts of omission & commission, he shall (not will) gimme a 'second chance to live life to the fullest'. But whether he is a 'real chip' or 'fake cheap' is for one to observe, see & analyse. (un)reliable sources informed me that the 'Man in Black' may have lots of chips,which well-guarded his " white-house" ( Bibi's Home) with bullet-proof, hi-tech/wi-tech/wi-fi; full of electronic bugs like the way the most powerful man on Earth, the then US Prez. Bill Clinton guarded/protected at Maurya Sheraton in Delhi during his itinery to the world's most largest democracy. Bibi's Home is pure & white. I guess it signifies "purity" (not necessarily in terms of Pure & impurity which dominated the burning issue/interesting topics for Sociologists from India & abroad), but in the sphere of Christian religious perspectives.

This 'failed student' in a failed state gate-crashed the "white house", prowling to hunt down his most wanted super-cop at a given date and time, climbing (like the Himalayan mountaineers) gripped with fear psychosis. However, and much to my relief, mood of eagerness/joviality crept in all of a sudden as I happened to read (between the lines) the "writings on the Wall" , coined by the owner himself. Words/Sentences related to Character/Discipline/Rules of Life/Code of Conduct/Do's & Donts' etc. greeted me with open arms; compelling and forcing me to self-ask, re-evaluate,re-examine as to how & why a "soldier' (officer) of Bharat India (read mundane affairs) becoming/turning himself like a Soldier of God (ecclesial, not terrestrial). Those words/sentences are indeed, the writings on the wall for youths (particularly students) of today.

Finding/meeting a super-cop ain't Finding a Nemo these days in insurgency-ridden Manipur! Much to the chagrin (or amusement) of a revered pastor/evangelist, I happened to inadvertently dropped a chit (meant for my boss) to a door-lock of 'soldier of God' who fared well at Bibi's palatial/heavenly building (if not Babel-like wordly infrastructure/structure). However, as I tumbled down (like Jack & Jill), rushing into Eimi Times Office ground Floor, my most wanted man, bro.Sieh smiled at me as I extended my hand (for shaking).

Thank God! For he ain't forsake me still, though I remained his Wanted No.1 in a Brief History of Time (read initial/nascentIPS era). One hope and expect that his wanted No.1 includes Christ alone now, replacing HIS name from the 'criminals' (Yanglal @Elvis & Paolal@Tony, who; by design or accident, happened to belong to Haokip family). Brief Meeting withan IPS officer was warm,cordial, and most importantly, fruitful. It was a great opportunity for an aam admi (siki/makhai-less) like me. Albeit, it was and is, laudable of him for "un-chiippingly" forking out a sum of 2, added & followed by 3 (three) zeros for my return journey to CCpur (she-she-puldouna?), including fees/budgets for surfing, webcasting, facebooking, stationery & printing etc.

Who says the denouement of that brief ain't productive, or successful? The requests/demands which this 'gulliver's traveler put forth to the good offices of the Eimi Times includes, among others for:

Wider & larger subscription of Eimi Times (ET)-the largest circulated daily newspaper in the hill areas of Manipur
Appointment of hawkers, who self-cultivated moral, ethical principles and values so that ET do not follow suit the footprints of Goshem, the paper which was "nipped in the bud" by self-serving hawkers &"parasitic Kuki news readers" who didn't buy/subscribe paper/mag./journal yet, dependent on others to read and discuss happenings/events at a particular shop, or tea-stall. What a big (or small) SHAME!
More PC/s/laptops/digi-cams for ET Correspondents in and around Manipur, particularly CCpur.
Decentralisation (content-wise) of ET so as to ensure ET ain't SH/CCpur/Cdl-specific alone or; a mouthpiece of one particular entity/section of the society, or to wage war of words against one's own kith and kin
Allotting a "patta" of precious land (read column), inherited & owned by the ET for a weekly/monthly/yearly' Yangular Vein' column
Avoiding publishing on ET (if possible, and correct me if I hurt one's sentiment/ideas/views) pre-emptive strikes via social media vis-à-vis KIM & others, or for that matter, any personal ideas/agendas which could tarnish the IMAGE of the KUKI and its institutions

As the police officer jeepsied off, this writer was entry-denied by the ET staff. After repeated requests, he was told; "Under no circumstances, the ET COVENANT shall, and will permit anyone outside ET family to enter, dine or whine or sleep at the Office".

The end result: spending a solitary night (not like a solitary reaper) at a waiting shed, Khongshai Veng, Imphal. Without accusing/blaming anyone, or any entity, I could held my head high as I could 'pick-pocket' a visiting card of my most wanted man!. Adieu Bibi's Home…