Seere Seere Shinglei, Kacha Rokot Sitadei

Leaders of a dynamic composite like the Students Union need people who are well versed with politics, economics, culture, literature and global happenings. We need student leaders who can deftly converse with a student or a bureaucrat or a politician across multi levels. We need student leaders who are not just good individuals but are also well qualified academically. Let us stop this voluntary ignorance.


By Henryy Sinha, New Delhi

I still remember that serene sea. The sea of three thousand human voices that rose with the defiance of a tidal wave, erupting and then splashing the air with fiery words that burnt the noon sky.

‘ Seere Seere Shinglei,

Kacha Rokot Sitadei’

It's been more then 10 years now. The sea remains as serene as ever. Silent. Passive.
But the voices, the three thousand voices, have been drowned to death into the labyrinth of our consciousness. The Nikhil Bishnupriya Manipuri Students Union, once upon a time, the lifeline of the community, is now a corpse. A lifeless corpse. I can see its blood smeared in your hands and mine. A post mortem examination of this dead body would reveal some important findings.
The findings will say the death of the NBMSU is essentially a case of suicide and murder.

Many of us have helplessly witnessed the grand mindlessness that the NBMSU had displayed right after one single successful demonstration. From thereon, it was done continuously with a stupid arrogance that later transformed into sheer shamelessness. It was a pervert butchering of hopes that the Union had subjected the entire Bishnupriya Manipuri community to. The community, the youth was conveniently made to accept that the role of a Student's Union starts and ends with a rail block or a road block. Soon it became an era when NBMSU was synonymous to only one word. 'Strike'. Only strike. Period. Result? A complete generation was paraded to ignorance and cultural impotence. Yes, you said it right. It was the in the 90s, the Union performed this perfect Hara Kiri for itself and the community.
In the process an optimism to set things right was blurred by the shortsightedness of the Union.
We missed the bus.

Our youth, our students could have been oriented on our culture, language, history at the grass root levels which I feel IS the biggest need of our community even today. Injecting into our youth, cultural and historical hygiene is, I repeat, the biggest need of the Bishnupriya Manipuri community. Today out of 100 students, 90 students do not know our history. The remaining 10 aren't sure about what they know.

The Bishnupriya Manipuri youth is in a dilemma how and where to voice an opinion or whom to pose a question. Leaders could have been groomed and trained to chart the way forward for the entire community. The cultural energy of the community could have been given a boost by the Union. In a nutshell, the Students Union could have led the Bishnupriya Manipuri youth to a constructive direction. Unfortunately none of this happened. Strategies were misplaced. Intentions were flaccid. True leaders were absent. This suicide was inevitable.

Apart from the self inflicted hemorrhage of the Union, what led to its indefinite hibernation is our decision to remain as mute spectators. Our mute spectatorship has given us wrong leaders to lead an entity like the Students Union. Have we ever questioned on what basis, we have chosen our Students Union leaders? What are their qualifications, their credibility and their talent? What is their vision for the Bishnupriya Manipuri youth or the Bishnupriya Manipuri community? Do they at all, have a vision? Do we know who is the President of the NBMSU? If yes, why is he the President? How old is he? How qualified is he?

Questions my brother, please ask questions. Or else you will be robbed, embarrassed and abused.

Leaders of a dynamic composite like the Students Union need people who are well versed with politics, economics, culture, literature and global happenings. We need student leaders who can deftly converse with a student or a bureaucrat or a politician across multi levels. We need student leaders who are not just good individuals but are also well qualified academically. Let us stop this voluntary ignorance. It will be cathartic for you, me and our youth. True, we are a minority. True we are a financially crunched community. True, we don’t have political patronage. True, we have a huge brigade of unemployed, illiterates. But Bishnupriya Manipuris are not complete idiots. We have students getting into IITs, IIMs (miniscule so what?), medical schools, engineering colleges, mass communication, technical institutes and the works. Can’t we choose a few good individuals to lead the youth? We can. Definitely if YOU, the students intent to.

Collectively lets us identify and understand where we have gone wrong, why we have gone wrong. Let us confess. Step ahead, YOU, the students take the initiative to set the Union in order. Don’t fall in the ‘Jetar Shokhi, Utar Gopi’ scheme of things. Apply your mind and to some extent, your courage too.

Please don’t elect a bunch of 40 year olds to lead the NBMSU, ever again.

Please don’t choose mindless individuals to lead the Bishnupriya Manipuri youth, to lead you.

Please, don’t choose those, who wish to be leaders. Choose those, who are leaders.

You, the Bishnupriya Manipuri youth deserve it.

In fact, you need it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read by the same author:

Gaurapei, Purijelei take charge
No identity. No existence

Please subscribe to the blog: receive email. Get Free alert on your mobile! Click here.