Adding a new flavour to War on Drugs : Musically speaking
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 26, 2022 -

Adding a flavour to the Government's War on Drugs campaign and it could not have come better than from Thangmeiso Shinglai, a young Tangkhul singer who shot into fame with his hard hitting number 'Haophi Su Lumba Mallida' some years back, which took a long, tough look at the interrelationship between the Meiteis and the Hillmen, referred to as Haos.

This time under the initiative of Chief Minister N Biren, the young Tangkhul singer with music back up from Guru Rewben, another Tangkhul music genius who is also a Padma Shree awardee to boot, has taken the fight against the drug menace one or two or three notch higher with his soulful and meaningful rendering of Tokpiro a beseeching urge to stop the drug trade, starting from planting, cultivating and harvesting Poppy plants and save the upcoming generations.

One wonders why no thought was given to this earlier, that is to take the fight to the drug menace musically but now that it has come, this is welcome and one hopes the sublime lyrics at least manages to stir the conscience of all those who have been financing and extending the needed financial clout, not to speak of muscle power to the drug trade.

The said number seems to have caught on with the young folks of the land and one hopes this goes some way in triggering a series of chain reactions from the people.

Perhaps a cue can be taken from this single number and study the possibility of roping in a number of musicians cutting across genres but all drawn from Manipur to come together and cut a single.

Something along the line of USA for Africa, when a number of artistes from the world of music came together to belt out the number We Are the World in 1985 to assist the famine stricken people of Africa.

Co-written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, We Are the World brought together a number of mega stars including the two writers, Cyndi Lauper, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Stevie Wonder among many others and managed to bring the world together in the aid of the famine stricken people of the said continent.

'Tokpiro' could perhaps be the first stepping stone towards bringing together many artistes from all over Manipur and take the fight a notch or two higher.

Arrange a platform to let artistes drawn from different genres and from different communities join hands and dedicate a number addressing the mayhem and chaos created by the drug menace in today's society in Manipur.

The Government may seriously think along this line and let the Directorate of Information and Public Relations do the public relations work to make the initiative more successful.

Rope in the service of the Assam Rifles and the Army too if the situation and the logistic back up demand it.

Actors, actresses and personalities from the Manipuri world of glamour may also be roped in to spread the message wider and deeper.

In the hills, use the service of the Church and the Pastors and the deacons and all Church volunteers.

The War on Drugs has be fought from different fronts and to make the fight come anywhere near close to a success, the service of as many as possible is the need of the hour.

Reach out to the schools and colleges too and involve the Principals or Headmasters and the teachers to make the fight against the menace of drugs more rounded.

At the moment, Thangmeiso Shinglai has shown what an artiste can do with his God gifted talent.

It is only right that the Government takes off from here and see how it can expand its scope.