Imphal, August 29 2010: There are students in the economically backward Meetei Pangal community who sometimes come out with flying colours in state level competitions.

There are also female students among the Meetei Pangals, who, despite strong restrictions of the purdah system, win top positions in the entrance test for admission to high level study courses.

A Meetei Pangal girl, Miss BM Wasima Banu stood the 2nd position in the state level entrance examination for selection of state nominees for admission to Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences (BNYS) 2010-11 degree course conducted by the Medical Directorate, Government of Manipur recently.

She has become the first Meetei Pangal girl in Manipur who got selected in the entrance examination for studying BNYS degree course.

It may be recalled here that Miss Salma Begum Wangmayum of Lilong Ukoo Maning bagged the first position in the state level entrance examination for admission to medical course in 2009 .

Miss Wasima Banu is the second daughter of Md Abdul Majid and Minarjan of Lilong Haoreibi Mayai Leikai.

Miss Wasima Banu told the Hueiyen Lanpao at her home that since her very childhood, her ambition has been to be a doctor and serve the poor people.

As such she has always been studious.

She studied at the Alpha English High School from Nursery upto Class VIII.

Then she studied Class IX and X at Modern English High School and Islamic Baby English School, Marenkhul.

She secured 62% mark in the Higher Secondary Leaving Certificate Examination conducted BSEM in 2006.She studied in Class XI and XII at Standar Robarth Higher Secondary School.

She secured 70% mark in Class XII examination.

Talking about how she faced the entrance examination, Miss Wasima Banu revealed that she appeared in the MBBS entrance exam in 2009 and 2010, but she could not succeed.

However, she never said die.

Since there is nothing like only the allopathic doctors must serve the people, she appeared in the entrance examination for studying AYUSH (Ayurvedic, Yoga, Unani, Shidha and Homoepathic) course and got the second position.

She said, she had joined the coaching class at MECI (Medical, Engineering Coaching Institute) at Keishampat to prepare for the MBBS entrance exam.

As most of the syllabus with that of MBBS entrance exam, the entrance test for BNYS was rather easy for her, Wasima Banu said.

On a question about inconvienances that she had to face under the purdah system while trying to achieve her ambition, she said that following purdah restrictions within one's own heart is more important.

If one can't control one's heart, purdah is meaningless.

While going for coaching at MECI for preparing for the MBBS entrance exam, since her home is quite far, she stayed as a paying guest at the house of a Meetei family.

Even though she was staying in Meetei house, she performed daily prayers (Namaz) and joined Roja during the fasting month.

The Meetei family (host) rather encouraged her and treated her very well, she said.

There is no time and place in making one's own character.

It should be natural by oneself.

However, it is not desirable to suppress or kill one's own talent and creativity because of purdah, Wasima Banu said.

He elder sister Shila Rahman has completed course in Diploma in Hearing, Language and Speech in the RIMS.

More than 300 candidates had appeared in the entrance examination for BNYS.

Out of 17 candidates who were declared successful in the examination, Wasima Banu stood the second position in the merit list.

Elizabeth Oinam was the first and Galaxy Khomdram was the third position holder in the examination.

It is worth mentioning here that Dr Faridur Rahman, who is Medical Officer, AYUSH, at the Primary Health Centre, Kalapahar in Senapati district, is the first BNYS Graduate in Manipur.

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