Bishnupriya Manipuri Online

We must celebrate our misery! 96 months of existence with no salaries is by no means a meek achievement. Thanks to an incredible display of efficiency by our administrators! Henryy Sinha, New Delhi Editor, bishnupriyamanipuri.org No please don’t call them a bunch of jokers. Not fair. You must understand the last eight years was a recce executed by our super efficient administrators, a preparation to survive the recession in 2009. This was meant to be case study for the welfare of global economy. The Bishnupriya Manipuris teachers and in fact, all the teachers of the world regardless of caste, creed and sex, must thank this state administration for making them a part of this prestigious project called Misery. At last, some perks come from being soft targets! Tell me, who would ever give such an opportunity to Bishnupriya Manipuris? Eight long years of extensive, in-depth practice of poverty, injustice and shit for a noble global cause. Now don’t rage with anger. For God’s sake see the s...

The Bishnupriya Manipuri language is in fact an eco friendly, cholesterol free language. It does no harm if spoken moderately, at least at home or with fellow Bishnupriya Manipuris. Injecting into the child the habit to speak in Bishnupriya Manipuri should be as crucial as polio vaccination is. By Henryy Sinha, New Delhi Grant me the privilege for a constructive crib! On the 21st December 2008, a Mahila Samiti was formed in New Delhi by the Bishnupriya Manipuri Nagarik Samiti, (New Delhi- NCR). Needless to say, it’s a great initiative. Most importantly, an important initiative. But somehow a wicked voice in my head says, this Mahila Samiti might end up as yet another feel good, cosmetic outfit. Sorry for my premonition. I might have just fallen prey to facts. Maybe plain history. It’s ritualistic to offer ‘privileges’ to a woman with a patronizing tone for the men. Be it America, Afghanistan or Japirbon, the plot remains the same. And this ritual, I bet is very much pronounced in o...

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 life...

By Henryy Sinha, New Delhi Well intentioned hard work often leads us, the Bishnupriya Manipuris, to an astonishing ramification. Indifference. Solemn indifference. As a community we have an etched legacy of being naturally indifferent to good work, hard work or achievements. We seem to have installed chronic allergy into our DNA when it comes to establishing a kinship with encouragement, appreciation or gratitude. Prominently or perhaps only so if it concerns a fellow Bishnupriya Manipuri. What potent elements compel us to be a composite of this sort will have to be left for extensive research.  At times self guilt leads to accept someone's achievement or good work, among the articulate few. This acceptance arises out of fear. Fear to be recognized as the indifferent ones. Fear to be recognized as someone who breeds jealously and insecurity. Therefore the acceptance. This acceptance is fatal. This acceptance now results a strategy, which propels a back handed compliment. Now this b...

By Henryy Sinha, New Delhi Paralysis. It is becoming astonishingly difficult for me to fix the gaze of my mind on words, in the middle of this wide sea of words that seem to be swimming in frenzy, in a haze, in a glimpse right in the middle of my brain. To baptize the imagination of a human brain, that has the capacity to think something as radical as ‘ Hakhan Leichondonor Selpakhan ’- is a difficult task. While witnessing a ballet of two marvelous relationships of a mother and a sister in one magnificent human soul through all these years might have killed the vision in me to peep through the incredible thoughts that soar so high with impossible melody, flying like white doves in a trance, flying, merging with the sky and landing in a world beyond, that’s so beautifully Bishnupriya Manipuri in its essence. Pristine. Divine. Beautiful.  Mrs. Padmaja Sinha - the womb of these thoughts. I take this opportunity to introduce this magnificent poet, lyricist,writer and creative artist. May I...

By Henryy Sinha I sip my coffee while my fear sips me. Fear. Salif Keita’s song ‘Tomorrow’ swims into my ears, while my fear takes a stance asking what’s for us tomorrow. My mind absorbs and observes the world that’s changing.China. India. The Obama Revolution. Sensex. NY Stock Exchange.James Bond. The Australian cricket team. Hollywood. Bollywood.Iron Maiden. Rolling Stones.Space technology.Maharashtra. In this bizarre motley crew where do we stand as a community? A question that haunts me. And at times - inspires me. The Sadhu Baba Utsav was a success. To me it was more than that. The Utsav was an occasion of insights. Introspection. Retrospection. Inspection. Correction. It gave me a sneak preview to some shocking realities. Realities that we all must have seen surely but never imagined they can act as potential speed breakers to a progressive sprint.They are so microscopic, so sporadic, so automatic and so customary in nature that you tend to ignore them. You ignore them. You let t...

By Henryy Sinha, New Delhi “ I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any ”. By Mahatma Gandhi. Surely we all must have seen this quote, read this quote, understood this quote and appreciated this quote. I have been doing that for the last thirty summers. Especially the last line. I repeat, “ But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any ”. What a line! What fascinating yet harmless arrogance. Resonates spine, gut and self respect. Couple of nights back while browsing the blog two things arrested my restless eyes. First, the name Pocha Heedol, then an insight, a shameful insight. He writes lots of Bishnupriya Manipuri people using the Assamese gamosa across numerous occasions. Shameful fact that Pocha Heedol is true in his observation and his concern is of deep import. Pardon my words. Pardon them as they are born more out...

By Henry Sinha, New Delhi None can take away from the Bishnupriya Manipuris one certain thing. Creativity. I can see God nodding his head in agreement. Nothing runs deep in our blood with so much intensity, with so much melody as dance, music, art do. As a community creativity is our second nature. It’s a proven fact. Would call it a ‘proven truth’ rather. I hear all agree in a chorus. No chance of a rhythm disruption at all in this count. Never. Somehow I observe, we as a community are not vocal about it. Never were. Something stops us from CLAIMING and telling the world, ‘Hey look I’m the boss here’. With changing times, with million showcase platforms surfacing every second day it would be a sin if you don’t show it when you know you have it. In fact, bloody flaunt it. It is a celebration of our own talent. It’s our way of thanking God for having given us this beautiful gift. Apart from studies, I believe and I will truly believe till the last gasp of my breath, if our children, our...

By Henry Sinha, New Delhi General Meeting of Bishnupriya Manipuri Nagarik Samiti - Delhi NCR, 24th of August 2008, C R Park, New Delhi. Agenda: Perceptive Plan to drive membership for all Bishnupriya Manipuris residing in the Delhi NCR region in the Bishnupriya Manipuri Nagarik Samiti. ( BMNS, Delhi-NCR) Blueprint for Shri Shri Shri Bhubeneshwar Sadhu Thakur Utsav Members present: Dr. Nirmalya Sinha (President) Mr. CM Sinha ( Vice President) Mr. Shashikant Sinha ( General Secretary), Mr. Harilal Rajkumar ( Treasurer), Mr. Jishnu Sinha (Secretary), Mr. Nirmalendu Mukherjee ( Joint Secretary), Mr. Vikram Sinha ( Block Officer), Mr. Henryy Sinha ( Additional Secretary) The next 60 – 65 days present some tough but exciting possibilities for the Samity to slice the apple in the way it should be, sort out serious issues, take up new challenges and chart the way forward for the community residing in the Delhi NCR region. Take out from the meeting, to summarize it. For a change it was great to...

by Henry Sinha, New Delhi One more day to go for tea, coffee, cigarettes, khaini, chutki, gua, pana, DTC, bikes, Santro , Zen, Corolla, scooter, autorickshaw, Levis, UCB, Nike, La Mode, Janpath, Fab India, idiocy, intelligence, arrogance, politics, justice, faff, genuine, introverts, extroverts, favouritism, principles, hunger for power, innocent dedication, amateurs, groupism, isolation, professionals, this sabha, that sabha, my sabha, Bengali, Hindi, English, amaar thar, sarcasm, respect, disrespect, jealousy, love, suspicion, trust, verbose, blunt, sharp, weak, strong, trying to be strong, upstarts, successful, trying to be successful, failures, show offs, turn offs, simpletons, Nokia, Motorola, Reliance, Airtel, Hutch, Idea, landline, Gagara, Chenkuri, Baromuni, Bogotpur, Dutpur,unaam, Silchar, Guwahati, Kamalpur, rajalokei, parougolokei, e lokei, hou lokei, e gotro, hou gotro, Saket, Palam, Sadurjung, Gurgaon, engineers, scientists, businessmen, ad professionals, journos, Vikram, ...

Henry Sinha with Om Puri during the shoot of the JK Lakshmi Cement television commercial and an AV in Mumbai Henry Sinha with Alyque Padamsee ( The advertisement GOD!!) during an event for a Out of Home brand

By Henry Sinha, New Delhi Vodka! Joe Satriani. Almost all my Fridays, 2am. I release my chained weekday slave thoughts, see them fly high in harmony, chasing the next dawn. Freedom. Undoubtedly I enter the revered zone of psychedelic bliss, feeling the cries of the guitar and the ethanol in my blood making love like serpents in a trance. I term this spectacular phenomenon as music. The force that escalates you to a completely new level of consciousness and realization. That’s music to me whether you have it with vodka or sip it, neat. Couple of weeks back, a friend handed over a CD to me. ‘ Nua amaar tharor CDgo ’ he said. My eyes studied the cover. Six lads. Denim. Canvas shoes. Long hair. Tattoos. Right body language and the works. They had it all. Sofa so good I thought. Lets see how they sound. Looking at the cover I teased, ‘ Girokgo kita kiti dorta mo re, din kaal amnou hoba naseta, douor ela kita thaile de, bujon oilang manuu ’ ‘ Bahare pakana, poila ehan hun. Pisede douor ela ...