Yechipao, the forgotten land

R.K. Shivachandra *

The Meiteis in Myanmar are not accustomed to the gathering habit in groups; be it festival or social meetings etc. This is a common drawback the Meitei society of Myanmar faced today. There are many reasons behind this.

One reason being there is hardly any organiser to envisage it. Secondly, as a rule any gatherings in large numbers require to sought permission from the authorities in Myanmar.

On the other hand "kates" or "Ponas" as the Manipuris are known by the Myanmarese, are mostly daily wage earners and this crippled them to devote much time in the social issues. Except for few section of Meiteis in localities like Minde Ekin, Ningthem Purohit village and Paona Gong (Bamon Khunjao) in Mandalay, the rest are under the poverty line.

My association with the Meiteis in Myanmar started way back in 2001 when I joined a group who had traveled to Mandalay enroute Tammu, Kalemyu and Kalewa by land route. That was how the Indians have started entering into the Myanmar territory without passport and Visa.

The tour was organized by Late M. Indrasen who was then a pioneer in developing Indo-Myanmar relationships in many fronts. Unfortunately he could not see his dream comes true as he was kidnapped and killed on 2nd January, 2006, reportedly for being unable to meet a whooping Rs. 6 crore ransom.

Since 2003 till date people from Manipur have been visiting Myanmar every year in the month of June to take part in Lai Haraoba Ceremony in Yechipao otherwise Gaave, a village some 25 Kms. from Mandalay. These tours have been organizing under the banner of Indo Myanmar Fraternal Alliance.

During good days, the Indo Myanmar Fraternal Alliance was entrusted to carry out border tourism activities between Myanmar and India by the Myanmar Authorities. A permit to this effect was also issued by the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism, Myanmar to the Alliance.

Yechipao (Gaave) is a forgotten land for many Manipuris in Myanmar. Despite the remote village proud of possessing the oldest traditional assets in the three shrines of Meitei deities viz. Ema Leimaren Shidabee, Ebudhou Marjing and Ebudhou Pakhangba in the vicinity of the village, yet they are forgotten people in the forgotten land.

The village stood the test of time since long. It is believed that Yechipao is the oldest village in Myanmar inhabited by thousand of Manipuris who bade adieu to their loving motherland way back to the historic Chahi taret khuntakpa (1819-1826).

If one wishes to do a piece of research on the Meiteis in Myanmar than Yechipao is definitely the answer. The village spreads around the "Ninge River" and there are 3000 odd Meitei inhabitants as being cut off from the rest of the Meiteis in Myanmar. Perhaps, the caste system within Manipuris might have given a jolt to them or the common ailment "Struggle of Existence" could have pushed them off the track.

Unfortunately none of the living souls in Yechipao speak "Meiteilon" neither understands it. Their comfort is only to display the swords (Lai thang) with multiple blades that had been preserved in the temple for ages when their cousins from Manipur visited them.

The 10th of June is the day they observe the festival in Myanmar. However it varies from year to year for a day or two. The poverty -stricken people in Yechipao have not celebrated "Lai haraoba" for consecutive two years in the village due to economic and social hardships in the past.

Coincidentally there occurred famines in the village and further compounded their woes by unknown epidemics that causes loss of many lives. Wiseman in the village soon discovered their guilty and since then not a single year passes by without celebrating the ceremony.

Due to communication gap among the Meiteis in and around Mandalay, this important occasion had been left alone to the Meiteis in Yechipao over the years. Hardly the Meiteis in Minde Ekin or Ninse from Mandalay took part in the ceremony.

Of late members of Indo-Myanmar Fraternal Alliance came to learn the existence of Yechipao. The sprawling village that stretched far and wide spoke languages that moved everybody. In the recent development many Manipuri youths girls and boys alike from certain villages have started taking part in the Lai Haraoba.

Manipuri team who formed a part of the ceremony would organize transportation for the devotees coming from different villages. This way a wider platform for the Meiteis could have been created, we feel. This also throws one privilege where Meiteis from every walk of life could join together without even obtaining permission from the authorities for law of the land permits this occasion.

Being participating in the ceremony was of pure bliss. That's how I would describe my trip to Yechipao, a remote and adorable village that observed the "Meitei Lai haraoba" in a Myanmar-Manipuri mixed style. A real emotional integration it was.

In the last three years some hardcore people from Manipur who value their cultural ethos have been participating in the ceremony. Some "easy going" souls however say they are travelers. But in my view they are crusaders, the unsung heroes who keep the records.

The nearest Tammu-Mandalay road had been blocked by the authorities now. The cost for traveling to Mandalay including stay in Star hotel came up to about Rs 6,000 during those hey days.

But now we have to change the route. Imphal-Kolkata-Bangkok-Yangon than finally to Mandalay. A long winding road and one had to cough up about Rs 45,000 thousand to reach Myanmar.

My unqualified thank goes to India Government for making Manipur a "land lock" state despite its accessibility to many neighboring lands.