C'mon we need our Smiles back

Dessert Leelee *

There is no place for religious fanaticism in todays context. The need of the hour is socio-political, technical and infrastructural reformations.. Religious dysharmony is definitely not needed, more so when we are facing such a tough crisis at the moment.

Raising those anachronous issues like chandan senkhai, or sati, charana mrita and so on are not a solution to todays burning problems instead they will add up to the innumerable problems and headache we aleady have .

I dont see any caste system running in today's world nor sati or chandan senkhai being carried out .

If sati was in practice probably it was limited to some hindu fanatic groups who were trying to play one upmanship among themselves or to get favours from the kings by showing that they are purer hindus than the others. The limited numbers of sati in record is in itself an indication that it wasnt practiced properly or may be wasnt enforced properly

Todays' bamons are quite hi fi and I dont think they even practice hinduism properly most of them eat everything (makhong mari panbada kangdhonda ngaire, taruk panbdana helicopter da ngaire.....no racial comments intended just . good old fashioned heart to heart talk in good intention) Most of them dont even have a laishang nor they do lai seva.

I cant see any of my bamon friends wearing chandon. *Bamon nupi no longer go for bamon nupa only... they go where they would have a comfortable secured life. I dont see the bamon nupa to be the most financialy sound except for a few. ( * no harm intended just a joke.)

I even saw in one of our oja's ( our oja is a brahmin) home, a kom friend of ours surprisingly a vegetarian cooking dinner for us. Most of these issues become irrelevant because the orthodox eigya ahals have mostly expired and the head of the family in these bamon families are more or less educated.

Its not just about the Manipuri bamons. I have seen the purest of banarasi brahmins taking taking Mac Burgers at Macdonalds in one of my trips abroad. Which are quite tasty (fillet is beef though). .If we are looking for a revenge for what they did to us, the guilty parties are not here anymore.

If Shanti Das Goshai were alive today he would have gone to America and try to convert Bush rather than coming to Manipur ( he must be really turning in his grave considering how much we are using his name hmmm * orembogi monipurda chotchorure*)

More importantly those who are raising these religious issues ( which obviously are not relevent and not in use anymore) may well be seen in the eyes of common people as religious leaders rather than social or leader of the masses. Preachers and missionaries are not the need of the hour and the platfrom is not appropriate for that as well.

We need Leaders who can soothe and calm our people who have all the time been sufferring through the ages be it from the kings themselves, the avas (awaas), diseases, religion the British or discriminations. Yes we have suffered enough !! We need to rise from these issues if we are to compete at the top level.

The concept of India is not relevant anymore .....We are competeing against the best in the world.

What do we need for that?
A humble request

First of all, we need to work at least sometime in a year... we are competing with the best professionally trained people of the world who are working nonstopped 8am to 5pm dot Monday to Saturaday (friday/thursday in some countries) no bandhs no general strikes not even elections.

It is only logical whose culture will survive in the end. For those who work continously or for those who continously look for excuses not to work....No wonder our culture is going down and down day by day.

Secondly those who are staying abroad and has amassed a good sum of dollars/pounds and Deutsche mark/franc.. ...I have a request for you all.

Please invest some money in your family members, friends or relatives please and buy back some of the dukans in paona bazar thangal bazar et al. I am just a poor man but I tried talking to these owners most of them punjabis and marwaris and are willing to sell.

Almost all the shops are owned by them and the Manipuris working there as subordinates and helpers, many of them young women( not the most eye pleasing sight you will ever see). With such a soft heart I shed a few tears!!!!. Its not the most politically correct request but its coming out straight from the heart.

The dukans themselves do not cost much owing to the prevailing circumstances ... please become the Manipuri owners of these dukans. That way you will be serving Manipur and get rid of some of your guilt, even though I feel most of you will not be coming back..!!

Third -- Improve communication skills...

As we all know how people from from Manipur are so much in demand for the call centers BPOs run by International companies. Despite limited training and grooming our boys and girls have definitely come at the top its not just India, they are outsmarting people from as far as Phillipines, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Mexico, East Europe and Latin American countries.

Imagine how far we can go if we are trained properly from childhood. The International companies quote our sincerety and ability to adapt to accents of different countries as our best assets.

The age old problem of discrimination can disappear once and for all if we improve our communication skills as we all know we never do well in interviews and vivas even though in theory we usually top the list. Our poor form in IAS exams is a perfect example ....

We need to create a wave in Manipur where everybody can communicate without fear to the media (that includes international media BBC, CNN, not just NDTV and IBN ) at least in one language be it english or hindi or anything else.

Why can't our politicians, Eemas meira paibis and Naharols communicate in perfect english with a little effort from all of us, when our boys and girls are excelling at the world stage in BPOs without any training..

My Request to all concerned, all the student organizations (AMSUs, DESAMS, MSFs, underground or overground ..Please....

Lets take Manipur to the top. Lets make history ...Lets brink back the Smiles back to our people!!!