LINE MARAK THATLAKANO," screamed the young girl--who must be still in her mid-teens, half as old as my youngest brother -- showing all her might of a Manipuri woman. No, I wasn't trying to jump queue to get a ticket for NONGALLABSU THABALLEI MANAM at Usha Cinema nor to get ahead of others while taking gas at the MM Gas, Lamphel.

I was just trying to get inside the BSNL's office opposite Chief Minister's residence to get the home telephone line reactivated, which had been dead for quite sometime, thanks to my ageing father's inability to clear the bills in time. But I could not help all those young boys, girls, recently married couples and somewhat elderly middle-aged tamos and echeys staring at me in anger.

In a way, it wasn't surprising to see the young girl so protective about her LINE, for she had been standing in queue repeatedly for the last two days, trying to apply for a mobile connection, like all those aforementioned. The queue was serpentine and "LONG" would be an euphemism to say the least!

I could understand it fully as I had been a party to standing in queue in the previous two days, though not for a cell phone connection.

Well, the process went like this, you go and collect the bills from BSNL's office (they don't send it at so home you have to go on your own to get it!). For this also you have to stand in queue. Then after that you go to the post office to pay the bills, on which they will issue the receipt. Here again another queue. Go back again to BSNL's office and after standing for a good many minutes in the queue you get a chance to tell the pabung, "Here's it, I have paid the bills". Sadly for me, the pabung took a quick look at the receipt and said, "But you have not paid the reconnection charges." Hmmm, just to pay another Rs 110 reconnection charge I have to go through the entire process of standing in the queue!

I have gone through it and that's why I could absolutely understand why the young girl was so furious when I tried to find a way inside BSNL's office, though I wasn't in any way going to the counter for which she was standing.

Her story was no less frustrating than mine. Two days back she got the application form for a mobile connection after standing for hours in the queue. The next day she went to pay for the charges at main post office (I am sure you all know where it is). "I stood for hours and when my turn was about to come the clock struck 2 pm and the eney at the counter refused to accept," she said, her temper still hovering at about 100 degrees.

So the next day she went early before the post office opened at 9 am (but many had already arrived before her) and could pay charges and there she was standing to submit the forms at BSNL's office. Now, she thought, even one fellow trying to jump the queue would be just too much for her nerves to accept coolly.

She calmed down only when I told her I don't need a cell phone connection and I was just trying to get my landline reactivated. She did gave me a sweet smile when I told her that this was the first time in my life I was seeing such a long queue to get a cell phone connection. "Yes, it happens only in Manipur," she agreed.

In the evening when the phone at my home rang finally after all those queuing, one thought struck me. While the rest of the world still sees Manipur as an economically backward part of India, somewhere down the line the Manipuris are out there to "SHOW" it is absolutely crap.

I haven't pondered on how those kids are going to pay the bills, (their parents must be scratching their heads) but those one or two who hold a mobile do love to speak loudly in public places, flaunt their handsets, pull it out at the parking lot, call up home just to say "I am reaching home in another minute".

Well all that I could say is HAPPY SPEAKING. Who cares for the bill? EH!!