Border villagers show the way in treating guests
True essence of hospitality
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 11 2009: They live with poverty.

They live under the perpetual fear of guns booming from any direction, but they have that intrinsic and rare quality of humaneness and nothing illustrates this better than the way they welcome guests with their meagre foodstock stored in the granary, not sure whether it will last for the year or not.

This is the story of the magnanimity of the villagers, especially the village chiefs living on the Indo-Myanmar border.

Lady chief Jubilee stands near a pillar post on the border

This reporter had a first hand experience of the magnanimity of the villagers, the village chiefs and the village authorities during a trip to the border areas recently to cover their stories.

While covering Behiang in Churachandpur district on the Indo-Myanmar border, its chief, Mrs Jubilee Moi, spared nothing in her kitchen to treat the visitors, whom she called her guests, to a meal, and spared all the woolens so that all had something warm to beat the winter chill.

This was something special and gave a new definition to what treating a guest should be all about.

Joupi and Molcham in Chandel district may have been in the news for all the wrong reasons, right from the days of the infamous Naga-Kuki clash in the 90s, and still have to live under the threat of clashes between militants and the security forces, but this did not deter the villagers and its chiefs from welcoming the visitors when they reached these places the dead of the night during the tour to the border areas.

Though movement after dusk is strictly monitored by the security forces, for reasons that are obvious, the village chiefs take on the onus of ensuring the security of their guests.

When this reporter reached Sorde village in Ukhrul while coming from Chandel side at about 11 pm, the village chief himself came out to receive 'his guest.' There was no prior information about the arrival of this 'guest'.

Hospitality has been an enduring tradition of all the villages in the border areas, said an elderly man while interacting with this reporter.

With co-operation literally written all over their demeanour, the villagers did not hesitate to come out and direct this reporter to the residences of the village chiefs at these two settlements.

True to their nature and love for brotherly co-existence, the village chiefs, during their interaction with The Sangai Express, informed that they have managed to struck a rapport with the village chiefs in neighbouring Myanmar.

They partake in each others' functions and get togethers, said the chiefs and added that now the ties of bond is now stronger.

Even if the village chiefs have to move out of station on some errands, the villagers make it a point that any guest are welcomed and made to stay comfortably at the houses of the chiefs.