Meitei lad from Churachandpur keeps alive rocketry dream in relief camp
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, November 08 2023: Even as the whole country continue to celebrate the historic feat of Chandrayaan-3, a young lad in a dingy corner of a relief camp for displaced people of violence-hit Manipur is nurturing his bruised dream of becoming a rocket scientist.

The lad, 20-year-old Justice Konjengbam, a self-taught rocket enthusiast, has built rockets and test-fired them.

ISRO's LMV3 rocket made momentous soft-landing on the Moon on August 23 making India the 4th country to land successfully on the Moon after the US, Russia and China.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the historic day as National Space Day.

Before the Nation's remarkable day, 20-year-old Justice Konjengbam has test-fired improvised rockets thrice which all went "okay" .

Meitei lad from Churachandpur keeps alive rocketry dream in relief camp

Ever since the unprecedented violence between communities broke out on May 3, Justice with his parents and two younger sisters and hundreds of their neighbours fled Churachandpur.

Justice Konjengbam belongs to the Meitei community.

Following the violence that broke out on May 3, his family and hundreds of Meiteis from Churachandpur were evacuated to Moirang in neighbouring Bishnupur and Imphal.

Justice Konjengbam and his family are staying at a relief camp set up on the premises of Moirang College in Bishnupur's Moirang town.

Justice is currently pursuing 5th Semester under graduate programme in Physics at the Government-run college.

The rocket lover's first brush with success was in April last year (2022) when he test-fired a rocket made out of PVC pipe, plywood, and iron slab as launchpad.

The rocket touched a height of 100 feet, though his attempt was to reach at least 500 ft.

The experiment was conducted at Moirang College ground in full view of his teachers and friends.

Interestingly, the rocket, according to Justice, was assembled in a crude laboratory he set up in Churachandpur.

It took him 3 months to prepare the lab and the rocket.

Thereafter, there was no looking back for the rocketeer.

Justice again test-fired a second rocket in November 2022 which surpassed his aim and soared up to 1.5 Km.

In the latest test conducted this year, Justice's rocket reached a height of 3 Km.

Given the current law and order situation of the State, and having put up at a relief camp after getting displaced, Justice's quest with rocketry has faced many challenges.

"I felt really proud when I heard the news of Chandrayaan 3.I wish I could be part of the ISRO mission in any section.

I want to learn more about the propulsion engine," Justice said.

Never in his wildest dreams, Justice dreamt of becoming a refuge in his own State.

He never thought his family could face what they are facing at present.

Now, the violence on May 3 and the prevailing tension has forced them out of their home and conditioned them to take shelter at a makeshift relief camp at his college.

Though the family hail from Moirang, they had been staying at a rented house in New Bazar of Churachandpur district for more than 20 years.

The family sells vegetables to make a living.

It was in that rented house in Churachandpur where he set up his research laboratory.

"In my lab, I conducted many failed experiments which taught me valuable lessons.

The experiments helped me build my rockets.

I don't know if I would ever see my lab again," Justice said.

Justice has a name for his rocket project--"Project Cocoon" .

"My rockets are like butterflies.

They come out of my lab, the cocoon.

The rockets were born in my lab and they would soar up to the sky and touch the sky," Justice said.

The violence has taken away his house and his lab and is facing difficulties in carrying out his experiments with the rockets.

But, Justice said he is not ready to ever give up the dream.

"It is a popular hobby in the West to fly a rocket.

But for me, it is not a hobby.

I have put my heart and soul into my rockets.

I know I still have a long way to go," Justice said.

Justice said his mother is supportive and even helped him in his experiments.

Konjengbam Ranjana, 42, said she was happy and proud when his son's first solid fuel rocket touched the sky successfully in April last year.

"He (Justice) has always been ambitious.

He keeps assembling something or the other.

He wanted to make a robot when he was in 10th standard.

But we had no money to buy the gadgets," said Ranjana.

Ranjana is proud of her son's spirit and is aware of his dreams, but she fears if her family's humble background couldn't provide the support needed.

"Justice has a never-ending spirit and he is hard working.

He wants to fulfil his dream and we also want his dreams to come true.

But, we are poor.

We couldn't offer much but moral support," Ranjana said, lamenting that poverty may dampen Justice's dreams.

Justice said Hollywood Sci-fi movies have been a major influence since his childhood.

His venture into rocketry was a lonely journey with no one to share about his dream, and above all he had no money to buy the materials.

Justice said his first rocket was made with crude components mostly procured online with money borrowed from his friends, and the internet was his only guide.

"I am happy that my family has been very supportive even though we are displaced now.

Our Principal and teachers of Moirang College have given me a ray of hope to pursue rocketry," said Justice.

Manipur Education Minister, Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh recently declared Moirang College as one among 12 colleges selected for infrastructure development under 'College Phagathansi Mission' .

Much to the delight of Justice, a Science Corner with a dedicated room for him, and College Students Mentoring Initiative (COSMI), under the Department of University and Higher Education have also been launched in the college.

Principal of Moirang College, Dr Raheijuddin Sheikh said, "In my long teaching career, I haven't come across a student like Justice.

He is so passionate about his dream.

His scientific temperament needs to be nurtured and boosted.

I hope COSMI will be of much help to him" .

Deputy Director of ISRO, Dr Raghu Ningthoujam, who hails from the same district of Bishnupur, said Justice's rocketry besides infrastructure support needs a right kind of mentoring from a right person.

Justice's passion demands a proper scientific ecosystem for success, said Dr Raghu Ningthoujam, who was a part of the team that landed ISRO's rocket on the Moon.