It's Rs 104 a day or starvation !
A story of grit reflecting the survival instinct of Manipuri women
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 01 2010: "I must earn at the least Rs 104 every day to keep the kitchen fire burning and ensure that my children do not starve", said Memcha, a vegetable vendor at Pishum Keithel.

"Though I can fill the stomach of my children, I'm in no condition to send them to school", Memcha said in a disapponting tone.

For Memcha, Rs 104 is a must.

Anything less than this amount means her family consisting of her invalid husband and five children would go hungry for the day.

Rs 104 is for buying four kilograms of rice which now costs Rs 26 per Kg.

At times of bandh or general strike, the family has to buy rice on credit.

But it is always a huge burden for Memcha as she is obliged to pay for the rice bought on credit after bandh/strike.

Surviving against all odds women sell their wares at the market

After the prolonged economic blockade on National Highways and subsequent decision of transporters not to take NH 39, which has resulted in sky-high prices of essential commodities, Memcha and thousands of families like hers have to struggle for survival against all odds, not for well being.

With petrol and diesel not available at oil pumps though available in the black markets at Rs 75 per litre and Rs 60 per litre respectively, travel fares have also doubled.

Local rice now costs Rs 25/26 per Kg while the price of a match-box has jumped to Rs 2 from Re 1 pushing many families into deep distress.

Prices of all other food items like potato, dal, chilly, ngari etc have also escalated beyond the reach of many families.

With despair writ large on her sun tanned face, Memcha said "when prices of all food items are so high, I fear struggling families like ours would be able to survive the crisis or not".

Whatever proceeds Memcha earns from her vegetable trade go into buying rice after subtracting travel fare.

"Till last year, I could send my children to school.

But this year I can no longer afford their educational expenditures", Memcha said.

Memcha's three elder children should be reading in Class VII, Class VI and Class III this year.

The younger two have not reached schooling age.

"I'm disappointed that all my children have dropped out from school but I'm helpless", Memcha lamented.

All three of them were studying in private school but they have dropped out because their mother could not pay the school fees.

Even as Memcha suggested her children to go to a Govt school, the children are reluctant and said that no proper education can be expected from a Govt school.

For Memcha, it is an inescapable routine duty to rise early morning, go to Khwairamband Keithel, buy seasonal vegetables and re-sell them at Pishum Keithel for some trifling profit till eight in the evening.

Then she would go back home buying rice with the day's profit.

Memcha, just 37 years old, is also braving rain, sun, wind and all kinds of inconveniences for she owns no seat in the market shed.

She is doing her business in the open, at road side with just old, worn out umbrella over her head.

But Memcha fears neither wind nor sun nor rain.

What is most dreaded to the young struggling woman are bandhs, strikes and curfews.