When the woman in her 50s walked over the microphone to address the crowd there was an 'equivocal murmur' in the public galleries, "Who is the flamboyant speaker? One among the crowd replied in a low, indistinct utterance of tone "One of the EMAAS" The question of the person was relevant and logical too. When he asked about the identity of the women on the microphone he also meant, "Whose mother was she?" Not that wonder - not an unusual remark for most of leaders of the "EMAS" representing various "Meira Paibis" have their own belief, an unquestioned royalty and affiliation etc. towards the kind of doctrine which was known to them best. There are faces of EMAS under many - layered of illusion that always abets her younger generation to adopt an aligned culture, which cut across the people into slices of groups with different motives and ideologies. Manipur is already microscopic in term of her size and populace and creating barrier among the public would only add more to the confusion. But this fact is yet to be understood. Most of the EMAS claimed to be mother to all however at times it appears as if they embarrass and kiss only those of the same thought and logic.

There are groups of Meira Paibis with divided opinion as seen in almost all the sectors/village/Leikai with varied mixture and mélange so also their ideologies these days. When a group of EMAS came out to support an agitation pertaining to the society the other one who are deathly against the former will refrain to join hands simply because "They are of different feathers".

When there is a public meeting one would ask to the other lived next door "Who is organizing the public meeting whether it was X or Z?" None bothered to ask the reasons for the public meeting instead the question of the organizers always came first. This is an unfortunate phenomenon and how such a culture could be adopted by our EMAAS- left everyone to wonder. There are some women who, with certain vested interest spreading such disease around and inflict venom to the innocent and ignorant ones. It is always said, "God could not be everywhere and so he made mothers". Mothers should be neutral and her love among her sons should not have a distinction and difference.

Way back in 1939 during the regime of the British Colonialist there were IMAS also in Manipur. One will however find a gulf - difference between the present days Emma and those EMMAS before 6 decades. The Manipuri EMAS during the early 40s had suffered untold miseries and hardships in the hands of the White Man.

The Britishers along with their Marwari stooges and under the behest of the then Maharaja, had exported all the local consumption of day to day essential commodities outside the Manipur which had plagued with an 'artificial famine' in whole of the Manipur.

The stocks during that period ran miserably short and even an attempt to procure at least few Kg of rice in the market became impossible. Khwairamband Keithel, which was believed to be the perennial source and giver of everything, lost its virtue. It was at that point of time the women folk of Manipur emerged as one body and stood against the great British Empire.

They have demanded the Britishers and the Raja of Manipur to stop the illegal export immediately and the women folk didn't allow anybody to come out the Palace until the demand was settled. However their pleas were never heard. The desperate and angry women who wrap their waist with cloths to lessen the pangs of hunger were brutally attacked with bayonets. This war was supposed to be waged by the men folk but it didn't occur thus was born the legacy of "The Nupi Lal".

This is not all the same in the new millennium. Some of the EMAS now a day always presented themselves as part of the problem in the already overloaded Manipuri's problem. Some of them in the name of the sacred banner of "Meira Paibis" have been working to serve some dirty and canny politicians and thus offered themselves to become a pawn in the big political chessboard. There are many 'son and daughters of the soil' or 'son of the soiled' who act and pretended as if they have a taste of motherland but not in the real spirit. The famous philosopher WR Wallace once said, "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world". Mothers are creator so also destroyer. The destiny of hundred of thousand youths are in the hands of the EMAS.

When the question of duality arises even the Gods in Manipur can't escape from the complaint of the public. As there are two groups in every Meira Paibis, student bodies and other matured pressure groups, the distinguished deities in Manipur too followed suit. Look the case of Koubru Laikha - is he the lord Mahadeva or the Meitei traditional deity Ebudhou Koubru? Let us switch over to the controversial shrine of 'Mongba Hanjaba' there we worshipped two Gods one being the Hanuman Prabhu and other Ebudhou Mongba Hanjaba. Than let us climb up the high stiff of Baruni hill whom would you offer your offerings- to the lord Mahadeva or the Ebudhou Nongpok Ningthou? Than let us move to Hiyangthang there lies the goddess from whom people come to seek blessing "Emma Hiyangthang Lairembi". No …No… that is the goddess Druga Mata. There are lots more. We became corrupt in their holy presence.

Whenever I stood in front of Koubru Laikha I can't offer a peaceful and sincere offering to the God. It is always disturbed so also in any part of the shrines. I was so afraid if I take the name of Mahadeva than our traditional God Ebudhou Koubru will never forgive me and in the same way if I take the name of Ebudhou Koubru our foreigner God Mahadeva may not spare me. In such circumstances why should I put my finger in the fire only to invite the wrath of the God? In every temple there are two colors of sindur to impress on your forehead one red and another clay color. The priests are also highly manipulative when asked upon why was he arranging two colours for the shame devotees his one line answer is " There are two worshippers of two different faith one prefers red and other brown". The same tradition is followed by the people of Manipur when the 18th June comes.

Disney's World famous best selling cartoon picture "Lion king" had few ideals worth learning. The king lion asked to his son Sinba why had he entered the enemy's boundaries? Sinbad replied "father I simply wanted to become a brave man like you" the angry father replied "Brave doesn't mean that you go around and looking for dangers" the version and sequence in the language could be slightly different but this was exactly what it meant. For me too I always wanted to offer something for my motherland to whom I owe a lot and my contribution of views in the newspaper despite my ignorance undoubtedly marked the first step. But asking the question of duality, which god himself confused on his self-stand better just skipped-off once for all. Moreover asking the same question to those, who are reluctant to answer, would not be nice. Moreover I should not be the kind of Sinba who were looking around for trouble to become brave.

When my pen writes down 'EMMA" many times, I never mean to tarnish or distort the images of my revered womenfolk in Manipur whose bravery and patience had been known for too long. I have the mother's love in my mind and respect of the bodies of Meira Paibis who for the last two decades have painstakingly been struggling for justice. My humble contention is always towards bringing about a unified body of the EMAS under a single umbrella with concerted efforts. This way we can dream of many positives dreams without closing our eyes.