Bombna Houraga Poklaobina Loishinba

Louriyam Bebica *

"Until philosophers are kings or kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy , and political greatness and wisdom meet in one and commoners natures who pursue either to the exclusion of the other are compelled to stand aside , cities will never have rest from their evils" – Plato.

When Plato says that every king should be a philosopher he doesn't mean every leader should obtained the degree from philosophy discipline. He definitely also doesn't mean that your intellectual ability to corruption should apply or spread its wings when he says of political greatness. For him a good leader is the one who meets philosophical wisdom (the one who can think of future for his people) and political greatness (the one who can act on immediate reality i.e., who can handle any situation at a sudden point of time keeping the welfare of his people). Most of the leader tend to go with neither one of them (philosophy or political greatness) and this was the reason for failure of a state or a city according to Plato.

Plato wasn't happy of the fact that his leaders lacked one of this quality. In case of our leader, we don't have even one of them. They are not philosophers as they don't think of our future. So they keep on selling us now and then for their silly profit. They don't have political greatness as I never seen them solving any kind of issue. It is Mr. TIME that erase the issues with the yards of his steps. Or the continuum of happenings ( issues after issues), their folder became so huge that the earliest one became almost invisible. No doubt, it is not our leaders who is handling the situation.

SELF

The most difficult term to understand. It is very easy to know OTHER as we are shown only the outer part of them . We judged them through the outer surface. Problem sink us when it comes to SELF. We are well aware of the presence of two faces in us. Our elders termed them as EVIL and GOOD. Grandma always says if you wanna go heaven where angels are there, be good, if you are bad, Satan will keep you in hell where only fires are there. So it is universal acceptance of the truth that we have two identities within us.

These two identities often clash at each other's head. One is rule by the king call Mr. GREEDY (this will led to become an object, manipulated by power and money) and another one is under Mr. HUMAN (this will led to become a subject to the reality of the world). The mental condition of Dr. Faustus is the exact happening with each and every one of us. We can listen to both the voices before we do anything. But we tend to ignore to Mr. HUMAN's voice. Mr. GREEDY's voice seems more louder to accept in our society.

I was surprised to learn from one of my friend that the unemployment loan which are allocated for those unemployed youngsters normally goes to ministers, special contractors and UGs leaders. Common people has to bribe the bank manager and the rest if he ever dreamt of getting it. Does it mean those ministers, contractors and UGs are unemployed? Or they are more in need of financial help since they can't live without good car and their wives get fever without jewelry on their hands and necks ? So the need of those poor fellows who are running after a day's bread is less important? What do your SELF says on this? Or your SELF is under complete control of Mr. GREEDY?

Have you ever seen a smile that is worth a virtue? I bet you didn't. Because normally snatching their lives is your way. You must be seeing only their cry and pain. Give them their lives, allow them to live. In return they will give you a smile that's worth heaven. Once you have this smile, you/your women won't need jewelry around your necks to trap the BEAUTY. She will grant you her eternal beauty. Trust me , give a try on that.

AN AMAZING STARTING BUT HORRIBLE ENDING

Our way of reacting to any kind of happening is ....beyond words to coin in a concept. At the beginning we act as if 'THAT'S IT, WE WILL NO LONGER TAKE IT'.

On the first day - everyone with boiling blood will call for a bandh. Second day - we will burn vehicles on road or destroy public property if the demand is against government/organization (in case if it's against individual they will break his house, burn his stuffs and alienates his whole family from that present leikai). Third day - we will still shout for justice. In this process, some might get hurt or even get killed. Fourth day - if such thing happen then we will extent the bandh/curfew. Fifth day - we will hesitate to shout as another issue will be in our hand. Six day - with a press release 'Yasinnakhre'(compromise), the issue came to an end.

But we won't be knowing between whom, how and when they compromised. This 'Yasinnakhre' often throw us in this confusion for whom and what we were fighting for? Those who get hurt or killed are voiceless, nothing can be done on that. And for justice they sacrifice their life – after some days and months, we will forget what had happened in the first place. The dear ones of those victims only will remember it and shed tear for them.

Another question is - did those culprit ever get punishment? No, no, it doesn't happen. After months of what happened with them, people will accept them as a man/woman of principle, wow. There is a saying in Manipuri – bomb na houraga poklaobina loishinba. That's what is happening in our place.

A BEAUTIFUL CULTURE IS IN RUIN

As a child I noticed my mom serving visitors with tea. She always says it's the way to show our hospitality to the person. So the concept I have on this beauty of tea culture was HOSPITALITY. I was proud of the fact that we are the people of culture and hospitality. I felt humiliated by the thought that we are using its beauty to run the most dirtiest thing in the world' CURRUPTION'.

One day, I was on auto-rickshaw, way back home from Imphal. Some traffic police were there by the side of the road when we reached Mantripukhri. The auto driver was from my village. He is a poor fellow who supports his sibling and family by driving auto. They stopped us. He went to them muttering.
-"Touradoune".
-"Why did they stop you?" I asked him when he came back .
-"They wanted to check the papers".
-" Oh! So you have them right?"
-"Yes I have but they took fifty rupees".
-"But why?"
-"I don't know. it happens. They said it's for tea".
-"What? For tea?"
-"Yes.. cha thaknaba khara thanmmo hairak e".
-"Next time you carry a tea maker and served them whenever they asked you for the tea".

We end up laughing that moment. But the truth is they are really ruining this culture. They take bribe in name of tea. It is ridiculous. In every office, organization or any place, they bribe you in the name of 'cha thaknaba'. No work will be completed until they mugged you in the name of tea. I wish they prefer Leishangbi's tea rather than Mahatma Gandhi's tea. I agree CHANGE is needed in a human society for a better way of life. Animal doesn't need change . They live the way they were born. But I really don't understand why should we accept or allow the change if its only turning us into animal. Isn't this change horrifying , HOSPITALY 2 CORRUPTION. It's like you are giving a cocktail of oil and water with your cunningness and asking us to believed – look this is the purest form of water!!

LEGAL VS ILLEGAL

I really don't know how do I define legal and illegal in my state . Because, everything when done by powerful people are legal whereas everything when done by poor people are illegal. For instance, every one of us are aware of the fact that petrol is often seen in one litter bottle rather than in petrol pump, in front of petrol pump. Mainly they are the womenfolk who is running around fighting for their stomach. Authorities often take them into custody or crash them if the scarcity is at the highest point. But no one try to find the SOURCE of it. The one who sold it for their some silly profit, the one who knows no humanity than money, the one who will never be satisfied even if the whole world's bank is into his feet because greed won't leave him even at his graveyard.

I don't think those women is the owner of any petrol pumps nor they are the mothers of those special dealers. They are simply the victims of those GREEDY and empty stomach. But they are categorized as illegal because they are poor and helpless whereas those GREEDYs are legal. No one will question on what and why they did. The reason is – they have ministers at their right hand, officers at their left hand , money and UGs at back and front. So who will dare tell them their deeds were illegal ?

During Diwali, Durga puja, you will see 'Lagao' (a kind of gambling) being played in almost every leikai. It is illegal according to norms. Authorities will be looking and checking around for them. When they see such a place, they will rush with anger to make a complete stop of what is going on there. But once these people held out the MONEY, you will notice a sudden change on their (authorities) face. Those anger will vaporize into a smile. See how suddenly that illegal game became a legal one.

We are living in the best society where we don't need an authority to legalize a rule. It's all in your hand. If you have money and power you can make as many rules as you want . You can break them again when you are bored with it.

Arnold Kettle said it well when he expressed that KING LEAR is a story about a king learning to be a man. I wish if we can have more daughter like Cordelia to bring more man in a King. We knew its wrong . We knew the system is worsening but we prefer keeping in dark in this labyrinth instead of moulding it back . What can I say "we are just amazing!!"