The other day, one of my friends introduced me to his bother-in-law.
He is one of those who wants to talk and talk and still talk. He talked about his business and how he tried to have a domain of the business on the web.
He is a small business owner.
He told me that consultant (who is also his friend) had told him that he had to fork out Rs 5000/- just for the domain registration.
Rs. 5000/- is too much, I told him. It should be less than Rs. 1000/-. Better still, why doesn’t he try a free hosting service?
Just had I spewed out the words, it became clear to me that I don’t like any of the free hosting service. They all look terribly static.
If Google can efface this ‘static’ look from its planned ‘Google ap for your domain’, it will be great product. Because, all the specs my friend’s brother-in-law wants in his domain seems to be included in the Google’s scheme of thing.
I think he is quite typical small business owner.
Personally, I’ve also found out that when Google Reader was added to the Google Personalized page, the resulting software becomes a very useful product. Actually, it surprised me. I’ve this feeling that when all the Google software are mixed to a cocktail to produce the ‘Google ap for your domain’ it will also become a great product. Their planned drag-and-drop scheme (already in the beta blogger), which will skirt even the minimum HTML, will also prove to be very popular and useful.
All said, I’ll admit that I’m still Google fan!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Chanakya must be fuming in the grave!
Apunba Lup came out with a press statement today (carried by all dailies) accusing ‘security force’ for carrying out the grenade attack at the ISKCON temple.
It said the ‘security forces’ are currently facing ‘defeat’ throughout the hills. And so they are trying to cause unrest in the valley.
Another point is that the grenade attack is one of the first steps in the larger plan to create an atmosphere for re-imposing the Arm Forces Special Powers Act.
The main thrust of their argument is that when the rebels killed almost a dozen innocent people in Jiribam (innocent people traveling in a Tata Sumo) the guilty rebel group came out in the open accepting its crime and asking the general public for forgiveness.
The statement quoted another two incidents where the respective rebel group came out in the open owning up their crimes.
One is the bomb blast in a passenger bus in Lilong, killing almost a dozen innocent people.
Another in a family in Yairipok ( I can’t remember this).
It’s all in the news. Why should I bother to re-cycle the news you can all read in the news.
Because, it forms the context for something I’m going to tell you. Something, that’s not exactly in the news.
The scene is in the Nongmaijing hills (Baruni). Personally, I have not been to the place but there is a Sanamahi temple under construction. It seems to be a somewhat major construction. (I’ve no exact information).
One fine morning, a horde of security men descended on the scene. They said they were there to provide ‘security’ to the temple.
Those people connected with the construction of the temple were perplexed. They said it is still under construction. So, where is the need for ‘security’ at the moment?
But the security personnel are not to be budged. They said they are there because of an explicit order from the Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi.
So, are some very, very important people in the Home Ministry too eager to prove a point?
You mean, WAY TOO EAGER?
EXACTLY.
For once, the ‘santaan’ of Chanakya in New Delhi are caught in the wrong foot!
Chanakya himself must be fuming in the grave!!
It said the ‘security forces’ are currently facing ‘defeat’ throughout the hills. And so they are trying to cause unrest in the valley.
Another point is that the grenade attack is one of the first steps in the larger plan to create an atmosphere for re-imposing the Arm Forces Special Powers Act.
The main thrust of their argument is that when the rebels killed almost a dozen innocent people in Jiribam (innocent people traveling in a Tata Sumo) the guilty rebel group came out in the open accepting its crime and asking the general public for forgiveness.
The statement quoted another two incidents where the respective rebel group came out in the open owning up their crimes.
One is the bomb blast in a passenger bus in Lilong, killing almost a dozen innocent people.
Another in a family in Yairipok ( I can’t remember this).
It’s all in the news. Why should I bother to re-cycle the news you can all read in the news.
Because, it forms the context for something I’m going to tell you. Something, that’s not exactly in the news.
The scene is in the Nongmaijing hills (Baruni). Personally, I have not been to the place but there is a Sanamahi temple under construction. It seems to be a somewhat major construction. (I’ve no exact information).
One fine morning, a horde of security men descended on the scene. They said they were there to provide ‘security’ to the temple.
Those people connected with the construction of the temple were perplexed. They said it is still under construction. So, where is the need for ‘security’ at the moment?
But the security personnel are not to be budged. They said they are there because of an explicit order from the Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi.
So, are some very, very important people in the Home Ministry too eager to prove a point?
You mean, WAY TOO EAGER?
EXACTLY.
For once, the ‘santaan’ of Chanakya in New Delhi are caught in the wrong foot!
Chanakya himself must be fuming in the grave!!
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Feel good
I do really feel good that the first photograph in my blog is of Dean Kamen’s. Don’t you remember that this blog was started inspired by a blooker? And the starting day happened to be 17th of April which is an important day in students’ activism in Manipur—for me it’s an important day.
All these developments make me happy.
I still remember vividly how I waited for the unveiling of Segway to the public. I was totally enraptured by it.
I still like the machine. It may be of a little contrariness in its concept but still a masterpiece of innovation.
And technically it’s ok so far. The only problem is that it lacks cool and it gets a lot of cheap alternatives, like a lowly cycle or a roller skate.
But his generator won’t need to be hip. It only needs to keep producing electricity as promised. And we can only hope that it’s technically fit as its predecessor, the Segway.
If we get these qualifications, I think it will be a boon for underdeveloped place like ours. In the urban areas, we can still depend on the established grids and continue making improvements on them.
But we need not try to expand the grids to the far flung areas. Together with wind energy, Dean Kamen’s generators would prove an alternative to the present technologies, which are all devastating to the environment and so, to the fate of our future generations.
All these developments make me happy.
I still remember vividly how I waited for the unveiling of Segway to the public. I was totally enraptured by it.
I still like the machine. It may be of a little contrariness in its concept but still a masterpiece of innovation.
And technically it’s ok so far. The only problem is that it lacks cool and it gets a lot of cheap alternatives, like a lowly cycle or a roller skate.
But his generator won’t need to be hip. It only needs to keep producing electricity as promised. And we can only hope that it’s technically fit as its predecessor, the Segway.
If we get these qualifications, I think it will be a boon for underdeveloped place like ours. In the urban areas, we can still depend on the established grids and continue making improvements on them.
But we need not try to expand the grids to the far flung areas. Together with wind energy, Dean Kamen’s generators would prove an alternative to the present technologies, which are all devastating to the environment and so, to the fate of our future generations.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Tipaimukh and Dean Kamen.
Why is that decision makers of the third world countries are finding it so difficult to comprehend that big dams are passé? In the long run, big dams bring only disasters to the societies, to which they are supposed to give benefits.
I’m totally convinced that point of use electricity is the future.
Let’s hear what Dean Kamen has to say about this. I’m quoting from TIME.
>> Here's a piece of technology that should empower people from the bottom up to make self-sustaining, new forms of infrastructure. And I think the lesson here is that technology, 50 years ago, was all mega-technology. Big Blue and mainframes ... Ma Bell had pieces of copper wire running from everybody's ear to everybody else's ear. It took 100 years to do it. It was big centralized power companies, nuclear power plants. Transmissions lines. Big, centralized phone companies.... And then look what happened. Communications is now point of use. You carry a cell phone. Computing — you carry a PC. I think in the next decade or two, as the rest of the developing world stands on the shoulders of what we've created over the last few hundred years of the industrial revolution ... they don't have to go through the painstaking evolution of all those tasks.
…….. .. ……
What if you could make point of use electricity, instead of waiting for the equivalent of Con Edison to build a massive infrastructure and transmission lines? Let's build technologies that scale down to deliver point of use water, point of use power, that don't have to get more granular than the village.<<
I think Dean Kamen is inching closer to what sci-fi writers dreamt of in their novels decades ago.
But, what’s happening in this part of the world right now?
Poknapham carried a news item yesterday telling us that the Prime Minister himself has given instructions to speed up the construction of Tipaimukh dam. The prime Minister wants the dam starting production of electricity by the 12th plan. I guess we are in the middle of the 11th plan and so, it means that the PM wants the dam going live within 7-8 years time.
Why are they so hell bent on constructing the dam that will bring havoc to the State of Manipur?
Still, the most striking feature of the news item is that the PM instructed the Home Ministry to pitch in Rs 500 crores from their budgetary provision to cover the security needs of the dam. This is amazing, to say the least. If they think that the dam will bring progress to the State of Manipur, why should there be a need to arrange for the security of the dam which will set back the Union of India by at least Rs 500 croes?
The underlying meaning is that they will use force to build the dam and put up a fortress ( at the cost of Rs 500 crores!) to keep away the natives of the State of Manipur from anywhere near the dam.
If we have to come to this pass, isn’t it time for all sensible people to start looking for other options?
Will Dean Kamen’s generator have that commercial feasibility? If that’s so, we can count it as one of the many options.
Let’s, again, hear what he has to say about this. I’m still quoting from TIME.
>> There probably is. Again, my rule is the same. If it's go and do that, but it's a distraction from the focus, I won't go there. But if it's, 'hey, how are we going to get the money to tool these things up?', there's enough people that want a small quiet machine like this that'll run year after year.
I’m totally convinced that point of use electricity is the future.
Let’s hear what Dean Kamen has to say about this. I’m quoting from TIME.
>> Here's a piece of technology that should empower people from the bottom up to make self-sustaining, new forms of infrastructure. And I think the lesson here is that technology, 50 years ago, was all mega-technology. Big Blue and mainframes ... Ma Bell had pieces of copper wire running from everybody's ear to everybody else's ear. It took 100 years to do it. It was big centralized power companies, nuclear power plants. Transmissions lines. Big, centralized phone companies.... And then look what happened. Communications is now point of use. You carry a cell phone. Computing — you carry a PC. I think in the next decade or two, as the rest of the developing world stands on the shoulders of what we've created over the last few hundred years of the industrial revolution ... they don't have to go through the painstaking evolution of all those tasks.
…….. .. ……
What if you could make point of use electricity, instead of waiting for the equivalent of Con Edison to build a massive infrastructure and transmission lines? Let's build technologies that scale down to deliver point of use water, point of use power, that don't have to get more granular than the village.<<
I think Dean Kamen is inching closer to what sci-fi writers dreamt of in their novels decades ago.
But, what’s happening in this part of the world right now?
Poknapham carried a news item yesterday telling us that the Prime Minister himself has given instructions to speed up the construction of Tipaimukh dam. The prime Minister wants the dam starting production of electricity by the 12th plan. I guess we are in the middle of the 11th plan and so, it means that the PM wants the dam going live within 7-8 years time.
Why are they so hell bent on constructing the dam that will bring havoc to the State of Manipur?
Still, the most striking feature of the news item is that the PM instructed the Home Ministry to pitch in Rs 500 crores from their budgetary provision to cover the security needs of the dam. This is amazing, to say the least. If they think that the dam will bring progress to the State of Manipur, why should there be a need to arrange for the security of the dam which will set back the Union of India by at least Rs 500 croes?
The underlying meaning is that they will use force to build the dam and put up a fortress ( at the cost of Rs 500 crores!) to keep away the natives of the State of Manipur from anywhere near the dam.
If we have to come to this pass, isn’t it time for all sensible people to start looking for other options?
Will Dean Kamen’s generator have that commercial feasibility? If that’s so, we can count it as one of the many options.
Let’s, again, hear what he has to say about this. I’m still quoting from TIME.
>> There probably is. Again, my rule is the same. If it's go and do that, but it's a distraction from the focus, I won't go there. But if it's, 'hey, how are we going to get the money to tool these things up?', there's enough people that want a small quiet machine like this that'll run year after year.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Point of use electricity: By Dean Kamen.
I got this post and the accompanying image from TIME. I read the piece by RSS feed. So, I lost the link. You go there and search for it!
I'm really thrilled the first image in my blog just happen to be of Dean Kamen. You remember him? Yes, the inventor of Segway.
Though, you may call him a little eccentric, I'm a kind of fan of Dean.
He had just invented a generator, the details of which I extracted from Time below. But the interesting part is they are putting two of the generator in test run in Bangladesh.
I'll be very much thrilled if we can get a user review of the generators because Bangladesh is quite near to us.
On how his generator works...
My engine runs like your refrigerator runs. When's the last time you did some maintenance work on the compressor of your refrigerator? [The refrigerator] is a sealed system. You put electricity into that compressor, the bottom end gets hot and gets blown away, and the top end, because you've put electricity in and it's pumping, gets cold, and you cool down the refrigerator. So let's see, electricity into a sealed system, one end gets cold the other gets hot. Take that sealed system, and make [the bottom] end hot with your methane, and keep [the other] end cold, by cooling it with water — electricity comes out. So we're essentially running your refrigerator backwards, with a sealed system that makes about as much noise a your refrigerator, and will last as many years without maintenance. And it runs on any fuel. Anything that makes the bottom of that sucker hot, will give you electricity.
On a recent trial-run of the generator....
We put two of these machines to test it in two villages, 75 kilometers apart, last year in Bangladesh. And I thought, 'wow, it's going to run on cow dung, there will be all sorts of issues. We'll send engineers, and if we can get any data...'. Any data? Those machines ran flawlessly around the clock. Each village went from never seeing electricity, never having a light bulb at night, to being fully electrified. They're small villages. But they were fully electrified for nearly half year each. And the only fuel — there's no infrastructure for that either-that went into each of these boxes was [methane gas from] cow dung. A pit next to the box and the most basic bio-digester you've ever seen...the pipe comes out of it and into our engine, and it made electricity. And since the power was made locally, we had no transmission lines, and we had no infrastructure issues. And it created in each village three entrepreneurs. It not only wasn't sapping an economy, it was creating an economy. There was a guy now selling dung. If you annualized his 24 week income, he would have made $360 selling something that would not have had value. There was the guy running the generator. He was making a nice living. [And a third entrepreneur, selling things like light bulbs]
Police said
In connection with the arrest of the two human rights activists (my last two posts), the police came out with a press statement.
They said one of those arrested accepted Rs 10,000/- from a rebel group. That sum was used to organize a function at the auditorium at Kangla. That means it must be several months back.
It is really sad if some human rights activists work at the behest of any rebel. But that’s beside the point.
My main thrust is why they should arrest them at this particular time when the cross examination at Parbung was scheduled to commence.
The police said they recovered several CDs containing data about rebel activities from the other activist. But his family had already told the media that the raiding party came with some CDs and shove them to the hands of the arrested.
They said one of those arrested accepted Rs 10,000/- from a rebel group. That sum was used to organize a function at the auditorium at Kangla. That means it must be several months back.
It is really sad if some human rights activists work at the behest of any rebel. But that’s beside the point.
My main thrust is why they should arrest them at this particular time when the cross examination at Parbung was scheduled to commence.
The police said they recovered several CDs containing data about rebel activities from the other activist. But his family had already told the media that the raiding party came with some CDs and shove them to the hands of the arrested.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Riddled with riddles!
Manipur is, literally, riddled with, let’s say, world class riddles!
You just cannot say after reading the headline—‘Oh! Some of the human rights activists got arrested! Some of them really that shady?’
You have no choice but to go deeper into the context of the news. If you don’t, you don’t get informed of the real driving force making that news.
As I had said in my last post, the real purpose behind the arrest of the two human rights activists is to intimidate the larger human rights community in general, and Mr Baloo Loitongbam, in particular. Those scripting the arrest, and thus, the news, have no business to disclose this real context to the general reading public. Their game plan is to clinically convey their messages to the select ‘subjects’.
But the reading public’s real business is to understand those behind the scene machinations because they are happening in their own society.
Going a bit deeper, we can discern that by intimidating people like Mr Babloo Loitongbam, the military of this largest democracy of the world want to influence the judicial proceedings of the legaaly constituted inquiry commission. Their logic is quite simple: if people like Mr Babloo Loitongbam don’t make representation to the Rajkhowa commission to put the alleged victims of the Parbung rape cases under the test of commonly accepted norm of cross examination, then the Commission is more likely to give its verdict of ‘possible rape—but without any conclusive evidences’.
Going still a bit deeper, we are confronted with the stark reality of the military of the largest democracy of the world trying insidiously to influence the verdict of a lawfully constituted inquiry commission. This is a very serious matter with fearsome implications—not only for Manipur but for the whole world.
This is happening right at this moment but what had happened a week back is no less fearsome.
Shall we look at the bomb blast at the ISKCON simply as a random act of terrorism? But will this society afford to see the blast in isolation?
Personally, I don’t think we can afford it.
I think we must try to understand it in relation with the recent killing of a student leader in Moreh, with what’s happening in Parbung and with the furtive but hasty moves by the military to befriend the military junta in Burma. We have no other option but to wade through this vast mosaic of moves and counter moves and come up a lead. I think that will prove to be a life or death question for us.
We may call it our misfortune to find ourselves at the confluence of history, geo-politics and international relations of these particular times in this particular land. The sheer complexities of these forces co-mingling produce such an array of riddles right now in Manipur.
But on the positive note, we may expect the general reading public, compelled by the force of such riddles, to get their wits sharpened so that they may see through the coming machinations and riddles, which are more likely to get intensified in scale and ferocity.
You just cannot say after reading the headline—‘Oh! Some of the human rights activists got arrested! Some of them really that shady?’
You have no choice but to go deeper into the context of the news. If you don’t, you don’t get informed of the real driving force making that news.
As I had said in my last post, the real purpose behind the arrest of the two human rights activists is to intimidate the larger human rights community in general, and Mr Baloo Loitongbam, in particular. Those scripting the arrest, and thus, the news, have no business to disclose this real context to the general reading public. Their game plan is to clinically convey their messages to the select ‘subjects’.
But the reading public’s real business is to understand those behind the scene machinations because they are happening in their own society.
Going a bit deeper, we can discern that by intimidating people like Mr Babloo Loitongbam, the military of this largest democracy of the world want to influence the judicial proceedings of the legaaly constituted inquiry commission. Their logic is quite simple: if people like Mr Babloo Loitongbam don’t make representation to the Rajkhowa commission to put the alleged victims of the Parbung rape cases under the test of commonly accepted norm of cross examination, then the Commission is more likely to give its verdict of ‘possible rape—but without any conclusive evidences’.
Going still a bit deeper, we are confronted with the stark reality of the military of the largest democracy of the world trying insidiously to influence the verdict of a lawfully constituted inquiry commission. This is a very serious matter with fearsome implications—not only for Manipur but for the whole world.
This is happening right at this moment but what had happened a week back is no less fearsome.
Shall we look at the bomb blast at the ISKCON simply as a random act of terrorism? But will this society afford to see the blast in isolation?
Personally, I don’t think we can afford it.
I think we must try to understand it in relation with the recent killing of a student leader in Moreh, with what’s happening in Parbung and with the furtive but hasty moves by the military to befriend the military junta in Burma. We have no other option but to wade through this vast mosaic of moves and counter moves and come up a lead. I think that will prove to be a life or death question for us.
We may call it our misfortune to find ourselves at the confluence of history, geo-politics and international relations of these particular times in this particular land. The sheer complexities of these forces co-mingling produce such an array of riddles right now in Manipur.
But on the positive note, we may expect the general reading public, compelled by the force of such riddles, to get their wits sharpened so that they may see through the coming machinations and riddles, which are more likely to get intensified in scale and ferocity.
Friday, August 25, 2006
A warning meant for Mr Babloo Loitongbam
Two leaders of a lesser known human rights group (non-chalantly, named TIPS-Threatened Indigenous People’s Society) were arrested. They were arrested in a pre-dawn swoop in their respective houses by AR troopers and Manipur Police.
But, why the dramatic pre-dawn swoop?
They are human rights activists, leading a normal life. I think they can be easily arrested at any hour during the day.
And, why should AR troopers be involved in arresting human rights activists?
Even if, AR troopers have the hard intel regarding the involvement of the two in any unwanted activities, the arrest can be made by the Manipur Police.
Why? Because, AR troopers are issueing a threatening warning to Mr Babloo Loitongbam. They are, in effect, telling him that he should keep quite and not get involved in the comng cross-examination of the Parbung mass rape victims.
Do I sound like a little sweeping in my conclusion?
But, try to read this together with another arrest, also by the combined team of AR troopers and Manipur Police. They arrested a member of the MAFYF accusing him of involving in rebellion activities.
Do you remember that MAFYF and Babloo’s outfit (HRA) are the two entities demanding cross-examination of the rape victims.
Incidentally, the cross-examination was scheduled to take place this current week itself.
You may ask: why beating about the bush arresting other activists? Shouldn’t their aim be more served by simply arresting Babloo himself?
But Babloo Loitongbam has already got, what you call the ‘standing’ in the arena of humna rights activism, not only in Manipur but also, internationally. You can’t finger at the exact process of how he got that ‘standing’ but he has it. So, they simply can’t barge into his house and arrest him.
The best they can do is to arrest some fellow activists, thereby trying to intimidate him.
But, Mr Babloo Loitongbam, don’t get intimadated by all these machinations but continue the good work of unearthing the truths.
We are all with you.
But, why the dramatic pre-dawn swoop?
They are human rights activists, leading a normal life. I think they can be easily arrested at any hour during the day.
And, why should AR troopers be involved in arresting human rights activists?
Even if, AR troopers have the hard intel regarding the involvement of the two in any unwanted activities, the arrest can be made by the Manipur Police.
Why? Because, AR troopers are issueing a threatening warning to Mr Babloo Loitongbam. They are, in effect, telling him that he should keep quite and not get involved in the comng cross-examination of the Parbung mass rape victims.
Do I sound like a little sweeping in my conclusion?
But, try to read this together with another arrest, also by the combined team of AR troopers and Manipur Police. They arrested a member of the MAFYF accusing him of involving in rebellion activities.
Do you remember that MAFYF and Babloo’s outfit (HRA) are the two entities demanding cross-examination of the rape victims.
Incidentally, the cross-examination was scheduled to take place this current week itself.
You may ask: why beating about the bush arresting other activists? Shouldn’t their aim be more served by simply arresting Babloo himself?
But Babloo Loitongbam has already got, what you call the ‘standing’ in the arena of humna rights activism, not only in Manipur but also, internationally. You can’t finger at the exact process of how he got that ‘standing’ but he has it. So, they simply can’t barge into his house and arrest him.
The best they can do is to arrest some fellow activists, thereby trying to intimidate him.
But, Mr Babloo Loitongbam, don’t get intimadated by all these machinations but continue the good work of unearthing the truths.
We are all with you.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
At last!
At last, I’ve a working phone!
Today, I went to the office of BSNL. I went there with the full resolve to notify the next level of officers if I could not get a definite answer to my problem.
Just at the entrance of the office, I met the ‘lineman’. I’ve got a good working relation with him. I’ve not yet notify the next level of officers mostly because it would maake him land in a very awkward position.
So, I asked him why it took him so long to get my phone working. He said that he was ‘loaned’ by his controlling officer to another circle where there is apparently a lot of dead phones. He said comparatively our circle is problem free. Only today he would resume his normal duty.
But what about the ‘lineman’ who tried to ring me up inquiring about my problem? He tried thrice during the last two days.
He was really surprised hearing that. He even summoned his assistant and asked if he did so. His assistant said that he was not near our circle during the last two days.
Who was that mysterious man?
Whatever, the good lineman came to my place in the afternoon and got my phone working again. God bless the lineman!
Don’t you notice that I depend so much on the personal relation with the ‘lineman’? Yes, I do and it will continue until there is a serious competition to this monopolistic BSNL.
But, for a change, a lady, apparently from the customer relations, took all the trouble of ringing me up and politely asking me if I had any other problem.
‘ No other problems, madam. Thank you very much’.
I replied.
Today, I went to the office of BSNL. I went there with the full resolve to notify the next level of officers if I could not get a definite answer to my problem.
Just at the entrance of the office, I met the ‘lineman’. I’ve got a good working relation with him. I’ve not yet notify the next level of officers mostly because it would maake him land in a very awkward position.
So, I asked him why it took him so long to get my phone working. He said that he was ‘loaned’ by his controlling officer to another circle where there is apparently a lot of dead phones. He said comparatively our circle is problem free. Only today he would resume his normal duty.
But what about the ‘lineman’ who tried to ring me up inquiring about my problem? He tried thrice during the last two days.
He was really surprised hearing that. He even summoned his assistant and asked if he did so. His assistant said that he was not near our circle during the last two days.
Who was that mysterious man?
Whatever, the good lineman came to my place in the afternoon and got my phone working again. God bless the lineman!
Don’t you notice that I depend so much on the personal relation with the ‘lineman’? Yes, I do and it will continue until there is a serious competition to this monopolistic BSNL.
But, for a change, a lady, apparently from the customer relations, took all the trouble of ringing me up and politely asking me if I had any other problem.
‘ No other problems, madam. Thank you very much’.
I replied.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
My phone
Below is what I meant as last night’s post.
__________________________________
My phone had come to life this morning.
As soon as I published my last post, my connection to the net failed and I could not log onto it again. Until now.
I notified the ‘line staff’ about my problem on Saturday. Nothing happened on Sunday. On Monday there were two attempts by the line staff to ring me up but I could barely hear what they were telling me amidst those electronic noises. So, Monday passed like that and my phone was not still working.
But this morning, at around 8 am there was this short burst of phone ringing. I picked up the phone and there was this normal dial tone. I’m fairly confident that no line staff would be working at 8 in the morning.
So, what had happened to my phone?
And, don’t you think that there was still a story told by my silence for several days now?
The story is : if the services of BSNL fail, we are effectively cut off the internet.
But we refuse to be fazed by that. To prove that, I even went to a movie on Sunday!
I like the movie but I’m not in a mood to give you a review of it.
I’m more interested in telling you that I came out of the theatre a humbled man.
I’m one of those guys who keeps telling you,constantly and jarringly , that Manipur’s films, if confined to this State only, have no futures at all. This is certain if we look at it from the stand point of the elementary economics. Besides, it needs to break out of its mould of parochial, even though, it may still be needed to draw its inspirations from our society. Any art, be it pop or otherwise, needs to have a universal appeal.
But this breaking out seems to be happening right at this moment, unnoticed and unsung. When I was in the movie (AYUKKI LIKLA) it was totally certain that it could not be pegged to ANY particular location or geography. I was transported to a fantasy world of the characters.
To say the least, it is a remarkable transition of the cinema here.
If you are with me even at this point, why don’t you try to connect this development with those happening in the more political arena?
Now, it is fairly certain that an outside (of this society) force is behind the ISKCON grenade attack. The game plan is to implode this society.
This sinister plan came after several failed attempts to provoke this society from the outside. See the 18th June, Parbung and Lungthulien, and the recent murder of a student leader in Moreh.
With the outside forces so fixated to this society and one of its pop art in the process of breaking out of its parochial mold, it is not that adventurous to say that something tremendously significant is underway in this society.
I’m a diehard optimist!
_____________________________________
But as I was about to publish the post the connection to the net failed. I was able to log on to the network for some minutes only. When I picked up the phone, it was back to the square one—only a feeble tone with the overwhelming noises around it.
I could not log on to the net again last night.
Until now.
This morning I found my phone mysteriously working again.
__________________________________
My phone had come to life this morning.
As soon as I published my last post, my connection to the net failed and I could not log onto it again. Until now.
I notified the ‘line staff’ about my problem on Saturday. Nothing happened on Sunday. On Monday there were two attempts by the line staff to ring me up but I could barely hear what they were telling me amidst those electronic noises. So, Monday passed like that and my phone was not still working.
But this morning, at around 8 am there was this short burst of phone ringing. I picked up the phone and there was this normal dial tone. I’m fairly confident that no line staff would be working at 8 in the morning.
So, what had happened to my phone?
And, don’t you think that there was still a story told by my silence for several days now?
The story is : if the services of BSNL fail, we are effectively cut off the internet.
But we refuse to be fazed by that. To prove that, I even went to a movie on Sunday!
I like the movie but I’m not in a mood to give you a review of it.
I’m more interested in telling you that I came out of the theatre a humbled man.
I’m one of those guys who keeps telling you,constantly and jarringly , that Manipur’s films, if confined to this State only, have no futures at all. This is certain if we look at it from the stand point of the elementary economics. Besides, it needs to break out of its mould of parochial, even though, it may still be needed to draw its inspirations from our society. Any art, be it pop or otherwise, needs to have a universal appeal.
But this breaking out seems to be happening right at this moment, unnoticed and unsung. When I was in the movie (AYUKKI LIKLA) it was totally certain that it could not be pegged to ANY particular location or geography. I was transported to a fantasy world of the characters.
To say the least, it is a remarkable transition of the cinema here.
If you are with me even at this point, why don’t you try to connect this development with those happening in the more political arena?
Now, it is fairly certain that an outside (of this society) force is behind the ISKCON grenade attack. The game plan is to implode this society.
This sinister plan came after several failed attempts to provoke this society from the outside. See the 18th June, Parbung and Lungthulien, and the recent murder of a student leader in Moreh.
With the outside forces so fixated to this society and one of its pop art in the process of breaking out of its parochial mold, it is not that adventurous to say that something tremendously significant is underway in this society.
I’m a diehard optimist!
_____________________________________
But as I was about to publish the post the connection to the net failed. I was able to log on to the network for some minutes only. When I picked up the phone, it was back to the square one—only a feeble tone with the overwhelming noises around it.
I could not log on to the net again last night.
Until now.
This morning I found my phone mysteriously working again.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Implosion?
Last, after I finished typing out my post in Word, I found my phone was not working properly. I got only a feeble dial tone with overwhelming noises around it.
But, this morning, when I re-checked it as I was about to notify the line staff about the problem, I found it ok! Weird.
Below is what I meant as last night post.
___________________________________________________
Images of bloodied women and children. All over the front pages.
I feel deadened. I don’t feel writing anything.
But where can I run away? There is nowhere to run to.
Life is meant for slogging.
So, here we go.
Today, volunteers from AMSU staged a sit-in protest in Keisampat Junction. They were protesting against the killing of their Moreh branch president and last night’s bombing, terming them as acts of terrorism.
Are they implying that there is an implicit link between the two carnages?
So far, Meeteis have steadfastly refused to be dragged into the realm of ethnic exclusivity and hence, towards the fight of one ethnic group against another.
We can see it in the aftermath of 18th of June 2001 when they refused to turn against the ordinary Nagas. This has been re-affirmed by its responses towards various economic blockades.
Then, there came Parbung and Lungthulien. Again, they refused to turn against the ordinary Hmars.
The latest is the killing of the AMSU leader in Moreh. Again, they refused to turn against the ordinary Kukis.
So, it is reasonable to think that provocations from outside do not succeed in making the Meetei mad and attacked other ethnic neighbors.
Do some agencies try to make moves to make the Meetei society implode from within? Is last night’s bombing the first step in that move?
And, today, I went to meet several people across Imphal. All are previously planned appointments. But, I made it a point to travel by public transport.
I didn’t strike any conversation with any particular people during the travel but I could gather that most of the people are numbed by the bombing at ISKCON.
I think, like me, most of the people feel deadened by it.
But, this morning, when I re-checked it as I was about to notify the line staff about the problem, I found it ok! Weird.
Below is what I meant as last night post.
___________________________________________________
Images of bloodied women and children. All over the front pages.
I feel deadened. I don’t feel writing anything.
But where can I run away? There is nowhere to run to.
Life is meant for slogging.
So, here we go.
Today, volunteers from AMSU staged a sit-in protest in Keisampat Junction. They were protesting against the killing of their Moreh branch president and last night’s bombing, terming them as acts of terrorism.
Are they implying that there is an implicit link between the two carnages?
So far, Meeteis have steadfastly refused to be dragged into the realm of ethnic exclusivity and hence, towards the fight of one ethnic group against another.
We can see it in the aftermath of 18th of June 2001 when they refused to turn against the ordinary Nagas. This has been re-affirmed by its responses towards various economic blockades.
Then, there came Parbung and Lungthulien. Again, they refused to turn against the ordinary Hmars.
The latest is the killing of the AMSU leader in Moreh. Again, they refused to turn against the ordinary Kukis.
So, it is reasonable to think that provocations from outside do not succeed in making the Meetei mad and attacked other ethnic neighbors.
Do some agencies try to make moves to make the Meetei society implode from within? Is last night’s bombing the first step in that move?
And, today, I went to meet several people across Imphal. All are previously planned appointments. But, I made it a point to travel by public transport.
I didn’t strike any conversation with any particular people during the travel but I could gather that most of the people are numbed by the bombing at ISKCON.
I think, like me, most of the people feel deadened by it.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Bomb blast in Imphal ISKCON temple.
I have no any other details but there was a bomb blast in the ISKCON temple in Imphal.
I have no information whether it was inside their campus or in the temple proper or in its vicinity.
At around 7.30 pm, there were some unusual commotions in the street. I went out and asked around. As soon as I learnt that it was in the ISKCON temple, I abruptly turned back towards my house because I didn’t want to hear any further details.
Setting off a bomb in an ISKCON temple, on this day, is tantamount to setting the bomb amidst a crowd of children and women.
It’s sheer madness.
The only saving grace is that I heard the wails of the sirens of the ambulances only once and that might mean the casualties might be light.
NOTE: Tonight being a planned outrage night for the electricity, I got it only a short while back and could only make this post just now.
I have no information whether it was inside their campus or in the temple proper or in its vicinity.
At around 7.30 pm, there were some unusual commotions in the street. I went out and asked around. As soon as I learnt that it was in the ISKCON temple, I abruptly turned back towards my house because I didn’t want to hear any further details.
Setting off a bomb in an ISKCON temple, on this day, is tantamount to setting the bomb amidst a crowd of children and women.
It’s sheer madness.
The only saving grace is that I heard the wails of the sirens of the ambulances only once and that might mean the casualties might be light.
NOTE: Tonight being a planned outrage night for the electricity, I got it only a short while back and could only make this post just now.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Interference?
My mind is still on the matters related to the last post.
My last post asked this question:
By its simple presence in the areas of Kuki-Chin-Mizo people, are the Meetei rebels, unwittingly, create a situation which is being perceived by the people there as a direct interference in the conduct of their affairs?
I would like you to look at the problem in this way.
>>There is this turbulent force ravaging the Imphal valley for some time now. This is what some like to call ‘extortion’ by the rebels. Nobody in the valley can make head or tail of this phenomenon. I also suspect that anybody in the rebel ranks do not plan it to happen like this. I guess it’s the case of one of thing leading to another, then to further another, till you reach this stage.
But it’s so turbulent that it invariably turns the society upside down with the result it left the upper class and the richer sections of the society dazed and numbed. Some of them are so angered by it that they left Imphal for good for some places like Guwahati, Delhi or Bangalore.
But why should I go all this length to describe a phenomenon in the valley in trying to answer something that’s also beginning to get hot up in the hills?
Because these ‘extortions’ re-incarnate as the enablers of the monetization of farm products and labour in the villages, located in the deep jungles of Manipur, especially those of the Kuki-Chin-mizo.
I’m not saying that the rebels are angels. They have no idea that they actually act as the agents for bringing the monetization process of the farm products and labour in the villages they are taking shelter. They are fighting one of the great powers of the world and so, any single false move would mean a bullet in the head. They are essentially trying to befriend the villagers by being nice to them and paying for their farm products and labour.
Whatever the motives, the villagers end up being enabled to sell their farm products and labour. This is a huge development for them. Normally, they are all subsistence farmers.
So, we are left either to collate these developments in a cause-effect logical structure or to try to look at them from the perspectives of the normal developmental process of a society, or, the normal relational process of a society with its neighbours.
Either way, we don’t find anything that connotes ‘interfernce’.
My last post asked this question:
By its simple presence in the areas of Kuki-Chin-Mizo people, are the Meetei rebels, unwittingly, create a situation which is being perceived by the people there as a direct interference in the conduct of their affairs?
I would like you to look at the problem in this way.
>>There is this turbulent force ravaging the Imphal valley for some time now. This is what some like to call ‘extortion’ by the rebels. Nobody in the valley can make head or tail of this phenomenon. I also suspect that anybody in the rebel ranks do not plan it to happen like this. I guess it’s the case of one of thing leading to another, then to further another, till you reach this stage.
But it’s so turbulent that it invariably turns the society upside down with the result it left the upper class and the richer sections of the society dazed and numbed. Some of them are so angered by it that they left Imphal for good for some places like Guwahati, Delhi or Bangalore.
But why should I go all this length to describe a phenomenon in the valley in trying to answer something that’s also beginning to get hot up in the hills?
Because these ‘extortions’ re-incarnate as the enablers of the monetization of farm products and labour in the villages, located in the deep jungles of Manipur, especially those of the Kuki-Chin-mizo.
I’m not saying that the rebels are angels. They have no idea that they actually act as the agents for bringing the monetization process of the farm products and labour in the villages they are taking shelter. They are fighting one of the great powers of the world and so, any single false move would mean a bullet in the head. They are essentially trying to befriend the villagers by being nice to them and paying for their farm products and labour.
Whatever the motives, the villagers end up being enabled to sell their farm products and labour. This is a huge development for them. Normally, they are all subsistence farmers.
So, we are left either to collate these developments in a cause-effect logical structure or to try to look at them from the perspectives of the normal developmental process of a society, or, the normal relational process of a society with its neighbours.
Either way, we don’t find anything that connotes ‘interfernce’.
Monday, August 14, 2006
In the middle
Last night, I was in a big hurry.
But tonight I’ll ask you to give a free reign to your imagination. Like, in making the following scenario.
Two groups of armed people are sharing tasks. One group is going to attack another third armed group. As a result, there is going to be battlefield like situation in a particular place.
The second group is going to blame the same third group as the purveyor of that battlefield like situation in that particular place, which, of course, is going to be termed as unacceptable to them. To get this message across, this group is going to hit a soft target related to the third armed group.
With a Kuki rebel group, which is having a ‘ceasefire’ agreement with the Government of India, owning up the killing of the student’s leader in Moreh, the above scenario might just have been the hush- hush scheming behind the conspiracy of the last few days.
As a result, counter insurgency management of the Indian State is taking another step forward in its goal of pitching the Kuki-Chin-Mizo people against the Meetei whereby they may start getting an antagonistic relation between the Meetei rebels and local populace near the Indo-Burma international border.
But what do the Kuki-Chin-Mizo people get in the bargain?
Something like driving out the Meetei rebels from the areas dominated by them.
Then, what do they achieve by driving out the said rebels?
Well, they will get a pristine pure land, uncorrupted by other non Kuki-Chin-Mizo people.
That’s simplistic. You simply can’t get that kind of thing in this age.
So, the Kuki-Chin-Mizo people get caught in the middle a fight for the fantasy of seeking gratification of a simplistic yearning. It’s a pity.
I personally believe that every community should have a free hand in conducting its own affairs. By its simple presence in the areas of Kuki-Chin-Mizo people, are the Meetei rebels, unwittingly, create a situation which is being perceived by the people there as a direct interference in the conduct of their affairs?
This is a huge question.
In case Kuki-Chin-Mizo people perceive the Meetei rebels as factors of interference in their affairs, is it legitimate for them to assist the Indian army troopers to drive them out?
Again, it is a huge question.
But tonight I’ll ask you to give a free reign to your imagination. Like, in making the following scenario.
Two groups of armed people are sharing tasks. One group is going to attack another third armed group. As a result, there is going to be battlefield like situation in a particular place.
The second group is going to blame the same third group as the purveyor of that battlefield like situation in that particular place, which, of course, is going to be termed as unacceptable to them. To get this message across, this group is going to hit a soft target related to the third armed group.
With a Kuki rebel group, which is having a ‘ceasefire’ agreement with the Government of India, owning up the killing of the student’s leader in Moreh, the above scenario might just have been the hush- hush scheming behind the conspiracy of the last few days.
As a result, counter insurgency management of the Indian State is taking another step forward in its goal of pitching the Kuki-Chin-Mizo people against the Meetei whereby they may start getting an antagonistic relation between the Meetei rebels and local populace near the Indo-Burma international border.
But what do the Kuki-Chin-Mizo people get in the bargain?
Something like driving out the Meetei rebels from the areas dominated by them.
Then, what do they achieve by driving out the said rebels?
Well, they will get a pristine pure land, uncorrupted by other non Kuki-Chin-Mizo people.
That’s simplistic. You simply can’t get that kind of thing in this age.
So, the Kuki-Chin-Mizo people get caught in the middle a fight for the fantasy of seeking gratification of a simplistic yearning. It’s a pity.
I personally believe that every community should have a free hand in conducting its own affairs. By its simple presence in the areas of Kuki-Chin-Mizo people, are the Meetei rebels, unwittingly, create a situation which is being perceived by the people there as a direct interference in the conduct of their affairs?
This is a huge question.
In case Kuki-Chin-Mizo people perceive the Meetei rebels as factors of interference in their affairs, is it legitimate for them to assist the Indian army troopers to drive them out?
Again, it is a huge question.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Kuki-Chin-Mizo in the middle
A disclaimer in the very first line. I’ve no intention of propagating the activities of the rebels. But it has been in the news for three consecutive days now. Even then, I have no intention of reiterating what the newspapers have already published.
I am more interested in finding any pattern in the news so far.
This is no guerrilla-type fighting. It is more of a pitch battle between the rebels and Indian troopers near the Indo-Burma border. It started on the 10th and continued up to 12th(no news for today). It seems that they have been fighting for some hours at a stretch and then went to their respective bases for breaks and again resume fighting. That has been going on for three days now.
In the midst of this unusual fighting there was a very significant development in Moreh.
Kuki rebels kidnapped the president of All Manipur Students’ Union, Chandel(of which Moreh is a sub-division) Branch. They tortured him, as can be seen from his gorged eyes and badly burnt hands and executed him by a bullet in the head.
As a general rule, student’s organizations, especially AMSU is no attacked by any rebel groups. Nobody is talking about this rule but nonetheless it is firmly entrenched. That this rule was challenged was an extraordinary development.
The kidnapping happened just when the rebel group came out with a press statement that army troopers were using Kuki villagers as human shields in the ongoing battles.
So, the kidnapping gives out the clearest message that as the rebel have brought fighting in the Kuki inhibited lands, they would as well bring the war to the touchiest Meetei spot, that is, to AMSU.
Whatever the argument, the result in the ground is going in the direction of pitching Kuki-chin-Mizo people against the Meeteis.
I am more interested in finding any pattern in the news so far.
This is no guerrilla-type fighting. It is more of a pitch battle between the rebels and Indian troopers near the Indo-Burma border. It started on the 10th and continued up to 12th(no news for today). It seems that they have been fighting for some hours at a stretch and then went to their respective bases for breaks and again resume fighting. That has been going on for three days now.
In the midst of this unusual fighting there was a very significant development in Moreh.
Kuki rebels kidnapped the president of All Manipur Students’ Union, Chandel(of which Moreh is a sub-division) Branch. They tortured him, as can be seen from his gorged eyes and badly burnt hands and executed him by a bullet in the head.
As a general rule, student’s organizations, especially AMSU is no attacked by any rebel groups. Nobody is talking about this rule but nonetheless it is firmly entrenched. That this rule was challenged was an extraordinary development.
The kidnapping happened just when the rebel group came out with a press statement that army troopers were using Kuki villagers as human shields in the ongoing battles.
So, the kidnapping gives out the clearest message that as the rebel have brought fighting in the Kuki inhibited lands, they would as well bring the war to the touchiest Meetei spot, that is, to AMSU.
Whatever the argument, the result in the ground is going in the direction of pitching Kuki-chin-Mizo people against the Meeteis.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Last night at Keisampat
Last night, even the Poknapham was forced to fire up their back up gen set because there was a breakdown in the transformer giving electricity to their office.
I also happen to share the same transformer with the Poknapham.
But it does not mean that every time the Poknapham has power I also have it. When I do not get it, Poknapham would have it because they have a ‘service’ known here as ‘vip connection’.
The office of Poknapham is only some houses and a street away from where I’m typing this.
So, what’s a ‘vip connection’?
They let the newspaper houses to buy wires and string them along the streets up to the point of the transformer to be connected to the ‘vip switches’. The Poknapham is at reasonably short distance from the Keisampat power house where the transformer is and so, letting them have their own wiring along the street seem also quite reasonable. But the Sa-ngai Express, Matamgi Yakairol, Naharolgi Thoudang do have their own wirings along the street. They also have bought half a km length of wires for their ‘private grid’ beside the public ones along the streets.
Anybody has no complaint about this arrangement even though when whole neighborhood is plunged into darkness due to outrages newspaper houses have got their electricity. I have also no complaint about this arrangement.
May be, everybody is so addicted to news first in the morning that it’s ok for the newspaper houses to have some ‘vip’ privileges.
By now, you might have guessed that most of the newspapers have concentrated along a short stretch along Keisampat Airport Road. That’s exactly right. All of the newspapers which do not have offices along this stretch of road are forced to open sales offices there. If they don’t they are losing out. Because most of the hawkers simply do not have the time to travel to other newspaper offices besides those along this stretch of road. If hawkers do not carry your newspapers you as good as death!
So, nest time you visit this stretch of road, you will notice that every newspaper have sales offices there.
I also happen to share the same transformer with the Poknapham.
But it does not mean that every time the Poknapham has power I also have it. When I do not get it, Poknapham would have it because they have a ‘service’ known here as ‘vip connection’.
The office of Poknapham is only some houses and a street away from where I’m typing this.
So, what’s a ‘vip connection’?
They let the newspaper houses to buy wires and string them along the streets up to the point of the transformer to be connected to the ‘vip switches’. The Poknapham is at reasonably short distance from the Keisampat power house where the transformer is and so, letting them have their own wiring along the street seem also quite reasonable. But the Sa-ngai Express, Matamgi Yakairol, Naharolgi Thoudang do have their own wirings along the street. They also have bought half a km length of wires for their ‘private grid’ beside the public ones along the streets.
Anybody has no complaint about this arrangement even though when whole neighborhood is plunged into darkness due to outrages newspaper houses have got their electricity. I have also no complaint about this arrangement.
May be, everybody is so addicted to news first in the morning that it’s ok for the newspaper houses to have some ‘vip’ privileges.
By now, you might have guessed that most of the newspapers have concentrated along a short stretch along Keisampat Airport Road. That’s exactly right. All of the newspapers which do not have offices along this stretch of road are forced to open sales offices there. If they don’t they are losing out. Because most of the hawkers simply do not have the time to travel to other newspaper offices besides those along this stretch of road. If hawkers do not carry your newspapers you as good as death!
So, nest time you visit this stretch of road, you will notice that every newspaper have sales offices there.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
8888
Remember 08-08-88?
That is, 18 years ago, on the 8th of August, Burmese Army mowed down the students protestors seeking democracy with machine guns. 5000 of the protestors were killed and several thousands maimed for life.
Its 18th anniversary observation was held at a little known place in Churachandpur district.
But see, who were attending the observation.
>> MP of the abrogated Burmese parliament, representing Arakan League for Democracy, Mr Tanoi.
>> National League for Democracy (that is, Ms Suu Kyi’s party)’s Tamu region president, Mr Nilin Aung.
>> Burmese Solidarity Organization (main dissident based in India)’s president, Dr Thura.
>> representatives of All Burma Students’ Democratic Front, All Burma Federation of Students’ Union, Foreign Affairs Committee, Thailand and Zomi Human Rights Federation.
It’s not a coincidence that this year’s observation was held in Churachandpur. It’s the manifestation of the ongoing moves to pitch the Kuki-Chin-Mizo communities against the Meeteis. For the start, it’s an attempt to divide communities along the lines defined by who’s with Burmese army and who’s against it. Yes, it’s an attempt to redraw the ethnic canvas with a very broad brush. But you won’t be disappointed—subtler moves are sure to follow in no time.
It also shows the desperation of the ruling class of New Delhi to thwart any emergence of a Kashmir-type front in the East. Looking from the opposite pole, it also signifies the relative success of strategy of the Manipur’s rebels to keep deeply enmeshed the ongoing insurgency into geo-political ‘real politic’ of the region. Now, New Delhi can’t carry forward any counter-insurgency measures in Manipur without an effective geo-political initiative.
For the Kuki-Chin-Mizo communities it heralds the arrival of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform themselves into a respectable player in the geo-political chess board of the region.
They are in a peculiar condition. You can start by scratching anyone of them and you will find a soul dreaming of the Chin State of Burma. The fertility and the goodness of the lands of the Chin State now carry a near mythical dimension and the scraggy hills of Manipur and Mizoram are all barren lands to their eyes. The only barrier to their promised land is the unobtrusive but relentless ethnic cleansing by the Burmese army. Thus the hatred for the Burmese army is ingrained in their bones.
But they have no choice but to live with the hated Burmese army. Now they can leverage the diplomatic initiatives coming from New Delhi to engage their ‘original enemy’. Right now, New Delhi is trying to buy the strategic importance of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo communities with hard cash. See the pouring in of crores of Ruppees in the guise of military civic action of the Indian Military. Besides saying a firm no to the attempt to buy their strategic roles, they also need not to be myopic and led astray by such short term gains like a self-rule piece of territory.
The choice is stark and simple—either they their strategic cards or be contents with being pawns in the geo-political power moves gaining steams in the region.
That is, 18 years ago, on the 8th of August, Burmese Army mowed down the students protestors seeking democracy with machine guns. 5000 of the protestors were killed and several thousands maimed for life.
Its 18th anniversary observation was held at a little known place in Churachandpur district.
But see, who were attending the observation.
>> MP of the abrogated Burmese parliament, representing Arakan League for Democracy, Mr Tanoi.
>> National League for Democracy (that is, Ms Suu Kyi’s party)’s Tamu region president, Mr Nilin Aung.
>> Burmese Solidarity Organization (main dissident based in India)’s president, Dr Thura.
>> representatives of All Burma Students’ Democratic Front, All Burma Federation of Students’ Union, Foreign Affairs Committee, Thailand and Zomi Human Rights Federation.
It’s not a coincidence that this year’s observation was held in Churachandpur. It’s the manifestation of the ongoing moves to pitch the Kuki-Chin-Mizo communities against the Meeteis. For the start, it’s an attempt to divide communities along the lines defined by who’s with Burmese army and who’s against it. Yes, it’s an attempt to redraw the ethnic canvas with a very broad brush. But you won’t be disappointed—subtler moves are sure to follow in no time.
It also shows the desperation of the ruling class of New Delhi to thwart any emergence of a Kashmir-type front in the East. Looking from the opposite pole, it also signifies the relative success of strategy of the Manipur’s rebels to keep deeply enmeshed the ongoing insurgency into geo-political ‘real politic’ of the region. Now, New Delhi can’t carry forward any counter-insurgency measures in Manipur without an effective geo-political initiative.
For the Kuki-Chin-Mizo communities it heralds the arrival of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform themselves into a respectable player in the geo-political chess board of the region.
They are in a peculiar condition. You can start by scratching anyone of them and you will find a soul dreaming of the Chin State of Burma. The fertility and the goodness of the lands of the Chin State now carry a near mythical dimension and the scraggy hills of Manipur and Mizoram are all barren lands to their eyes. The only barrier to their promised land is the unobtrusive but relentless ethnic cleansing by the Burmese army. Thus the hatred for the Burmese army is ingrained in their bones.
But they have no choice but to live with the hated Burmese army. Now they can leverage the diplomatic initiatives coming from New Delhi to engage their ‘original enemy’. Right now, New Delhi is trying to buy the strategic importance of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo communities with hard cash. See the pouring in of crores of Ruppees in the guise of military civic action of the Indian Military. Besides saying a firm no to the attempt to buy their strategic roles, they also need not to be myopic and led astray by such short term gains like a self-rule piece of territory.
The choice is stark and simple—either they their strategic cards or be contents with being pawns in the geo-political power moves gaining steams in the region.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Getting crazier
It’s getting crazier.
Poknapham said yet other truckloads of armament rolled into Burma from Moreh on the night of 6th August. It was at around 8 pm and people there saw the trucks speeding into Burmese territory, with their head lights turned off completely.
Poknapham carried the news item on the front page of its 7th of August edition.
The report did not mention the no of truckloads that went into the Burmese side that night.
But the interesting thing is that it mentioned another number. 125 trucks.
Poknapham is very specific about this. On the month of July the number of consignments of arms and ammunitions to the Burmese Army was 5. And for this current month the number is 3. The total consignments delivered to the Burmese Army in the months of July and August stand at 8 and the total military trucks involved in all the consignments are 125 nos.
It can be safely said that 125 truck loads of military hardware and weapons are quite considerable. They are substantial delivery of armaments if we remind ourselves that the recipient of those armaments is none other than the acknowledged pariah of the international community.
Here again Poknapham is very specific. It said the all the armaments are meant for the North West Tenth Command of the Burmese Army based in Moiwa. For the efficient delivery of the armaments, they even opened an artery camp is Kalemyo. From there the trucks are taking a new route towards Moiwa via yeji road which was constructed and opened to traffic only recently.
Poknapham wrapped up the story saying the arms shipments were also reported by BBC and DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma).
But what really stood out in the news item was when it was mentioned that some Indian military officers were actually posted in Kalemyo to oversee the smooth transfer the armaments. It mentioned that there were a lot military movements in and around Kalemyo.
The strategy seems to be keeping in touch with Burmese Army under any pretext. I mean, under any pretext. This can be construed as a practical manifestation of the notorious Indian dictum-‘We agree to disagree’. Even if we are unlikely to agree on any point we are determined to keep on talking! (Beware, Mr Muivah!!). So, put some officers inside Burma, under any pretext and try to talk, talk and talk!
Better still, it can be construed as a military dharma necessary for engaging a notorious military junta. Military dharma—it’s a nice concept!
If dharma commands who is not going to obey?
Let's say it--CHANAKYA-ESQUE!!
Poknapham said yet other truckloads of armament rolled into Burma from Moreh on the night of 6th August. It was at around 8 pm and people there saw the trucks speeding into Burmese territory, with their head lights turned off completely.
Poknapham carried the news item on the front page of its 7th of August edition.
The report did not mention the no of truckloads that went into the Burmese side that night.
But the interesting thing is that it mentioned another number. 125 trucks.
Poknapham is very specific about this. On the month of July the number of consignments of arms and ammunitions to the Burmese Army was 5. And for this current month the number is 3. The total consignments delivered to the Burmese Army in the months of July and August stand at 8 and the total military trucks involved in all the consignments are 125 nos.
It can be safely said that 125 truck loads of military hardware and weapons are quite considerable. They are substantial delivery of armaments if we remind ourselves that the recipient of those armaments is none other than the acknowledged pariah of the international community.
Here again Poknapham is very specific. It said the all the armaments are meant for the North West Tenth Command of the Burmese Army based in Moiwa. For the efficient delivery of the armaments, they even opened an artery camp is Kalemyo. From there the trucks are taking a new route towards Moiwa via yeji road which was constructed and opened to traffic only recently.
Poknapham wrapped up the story saying the arms shipments were also reported by BBC and DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma).
But what really stood out in the news item was when it was mentioned that some Indian military officers were actually posted in Kalemyo to oversee the smooth transfer the armaments. It mentioned that there were a lot military movements in and around Kalemyo.
The strategy seems to be keeping in touch with Burmese Army under any pretext. I mean, under any pretext. This can be construed as a practical manifestation of the notorious Indian dictum-‘We agree to disagree’. Even if we are unlikely to agree on any point we are determined to keep on talking! (Beware, Mr Muivah!!). So, put some officers inside Burma, under any pretext and try to talk, talk and talk!
Better still, it can be construed as a military dharma necessary for engaging a notorious military junta. Military dharma—it’s a nice concept!
If dharma commands who is not going to obey?
Let's say it--CHANAKYA-ESQUE!!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
The script and the prophet
A lot is happening regarding the introduction of Manipuri script. Yesterday, a rebel group had come out with a press statement threatening death sentence to anyone not going along with the guidelines it prescribed.
I’ll give you a very brief backgrounder.
Starting from the later parts of fifties, there were numerous open discussions to bring out a consensus script from among the 4 or 5 competing groups which all claimed to have the authentic and original Manipuri script. That consensus could only be reached on the later parts of the seventies.
That consensus is what the Government of Manipur had approved as the official Manipuri script, which is generally known as the script of 27 characters.
Among the 4 or 5 groups mentioned above there is one from Cachar district of Assam, which owes allegiance to the sect established by Naoriya Phullo. This sect is known as Apokpa Marup and is rapidly gaining adherents in all parts of Manipur.
Now, this group wants to re-convene the open discussions to re-examine the authenticity of script of 27 characters.
Thus, the rebel group issued the dictate freezing the re-convening of open discussion until August 30, 2016.
I don’t like any dictate issued by anybody. But what I’m trying to say is something besides all these things.
It’s more or less true that Naoriya Phullo commands a lot of respects in our society. He us ungrudgingly given the title of ‘ Laining-hal’, which I would translate as ‘the one who was initiated first’.
But here is some twist. Only recently his followers want to re-package the ‘Laining-hal’ as a prophet a la the Semitic religions. The words of a prophet are infallible and so are the script connected with him.
I suspect that the followers of the Apokpa Marup have no quarrel with the script of 27 characters. But if this script continues to be accepted as the official and consensus one, then, their strategy of re-packaging the ‘Laining-hal’ as a prophet meets a dead end.
Remember anything connected with a prophet is infallible!
I’ll give you a very brief backgrounder.
Starting from the later parts of fifties, there were numerous open discussions to bring out a consensus script from among the 4 or 5 competing groups which all claimed to have the authentic and original Manipuri script. That consensus could only be reached on the later parts of the seventies.
That consensus is what the Government of Manipur had approved as the official Manipuri script, which is generally known as the script of 27 characters.
Among the 4 or 5 groups mentioned above there is one from Cachar district of Assam, which owes allegiance to the sect established by Naoriya Phullo. This sect is known as Apokpa Marup and is rapidly gaining adherents in all parts of Manipur.
Now, this group wants to re-convene the open discussions to re-examine the authenticity of script of 27 characters.
Thus, the rebel group issued the dictate freezing the re-convening of open discussion until August 30, 2016.
I don’t like any dictate issued by anybody. But what I’m trying to say is something besides all these things.
It’s more or less true that Naoriya Phullo commands a lot of respects in our society. He us ungrudgingly given the title of ‘ Laining-hal’, which I would translate as ‘the one who was initiated first’.
But here is some twist. Only recently his followers want to re-package the ‘Laining-hal’ as a prophet a la the Semitic religions. The words of a prophet are infallible and so are the script connected with him.
I suspect that the followers of the Apokpa Marup have no quarrel with the script of 27 characters. But if this script continues to be accepted as the official and consensus one, then, their strategy of re-packaging the ‘Laining-hal’ as a prophet meets a dead end.
Remember anything connected with a prophet is infallible!
Monday, August 07, 2006
In a soup
I could not find any worthwhile recipes which were both wheat and milk free. Only now, I can feel the proverbial gravity of the situation. Right now, I find myself in pretty harsh terrain of dietary permutation and combinations.
Mostly, I hate the timing. It is now the time I myself feel that I should devote all time writing.
My aim is cutting the amount of rice intake. But when you are going in for wheat free food, there is inevitably some amount of rice flour in it. And that defeats my very purpose of searching the recipes.
During the last few months, I had been eating pork without any rice or bread. But I want to restrict pork to once or twice a week.
Now, it dawns upon me that I have to devote considerable time and efforts for finding the kind of foods which are both wheat and milk free.
Mostly, I hate the timing. It is now the time I myself feel that I should devote all time writing.
My aim is cutting the amount of rice intake. But when you are going in for wheat free food, there is inevitably some amount of rice flour in it. And that defeats my very purpose of searching the recipes.
During the last few months, I had been eating pork without any rice or bread. But I want to restrict pork to once or twice a week.
Now, it dawns upon me that I have to devote considerable time and efforts for finding the kind of foods which are both wheat and milk free.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Still on the recipes
Last night, just when I logged out of blogger after telling you that I would be looking for recipes, there was a sudden power cut.
I quickly shut down my computer and thinking that it may be short outrage, I waited for some minutes, still sitting in front of the computer, in the darkness.
Nothing happened.
So, I dragged myself to light up the kerosene lamp.
I washed my face, still thinking that there would be light in any minute.
Wiping my face with a towel, I again waited for some more minutes.
Well, after that, I had to go to bed.
While I was trying to settle down in my bed, I heard the back up diesel generator installed inside the Keisampat power house revving up. This back up is only meant for emergency supply to residences of the Governor and the Chief Minister and other ministers and VIPs as well. That means there was a major breakdown along the grid.
Just when I was about to embark on a ground breaking recipe search, there was this damned major breakdown in the State’s power grid!! All the power grids be damned! I cursed in my bed.
7 a.m. --- that’s when I went out of bed—still no electricity.
8 a.m. ---I finished my breakfast—no electricity.
10 a.m. ---Now, I badly needed that stuff named electricity—but still no sign of it in the house.
12 a.m. ---Now, it was 12 hrs since it went out—still no sign it returning in the house.
2 p.m. ---Got it!
Again, I’m just about to start that ground breaking search for the recipe! Wish me luck!!
I quickly shut down my computer and thinking that it may be short outrage, I waited for some minutes, still sitting in front of the computer, in the darkness.
Nothing happened.
So, I dragged myself to light up the kerosene lamp.
I washed my face, still thinking that there would be light in any minute.
Wiping my face with a towel, I again waited for some more minutes.
Well, after that, I had to go to bed.
While I was trying to settle down in my bed, I heard the back up diesel generator installed inside the Keisampat power house revving up. This back up is only meant for emergency supply to residences of the Governor and the Chief Minister and other ministers and VIPs as well. That means there was a major breakdown along the grid.
Just when I was about to embark on a ground breaking recipe search, there was this damned major breakdown in the State’s power grid!! All the power grids be damned! I cursed in my bed.
7 a.m. --- that’s when I went out of bed—still no electricity.
8 a.m. ---I finished my breakfast—no electricity.
10 a.m. ---Now, I badly needed that stuff named electricity—but still no sign of it in the house.
12 a.m. ---Now, it was 12 hrs since it went out—still no sign it returning in the house.
2 p.m. ---Got it!
Again, I’m just about to start that ground breaking search for the recipe! Wish me luck!!
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Off to finding recipes
My grocer has flour of arrowroot, corn and bajra, besides, of course, wheat.
The corn flour is sold for Rs 35/- a kg. The corn whole grain never sells for Rs 10/- a kg. Why should there be a difference of more than Rs 25/- between the two?
The Bajra flour is for around Rs 40/- a kg. He could not say the exact price because he could not sell much of that stuff.
So, I bought a kg of arrowroot flour at Rs 28/- a kg.
But I could not make dough out of this flour. When you mix it with water, it reacts with a funny manner. It acted as if it was some gooey stuff in a sci-fi movie. Try pouring some water over arrowroot flour and see it for yourself!
So, I figured that if it is not meant for kneading into dough, the only other possibility is to cook it with some ingredients. I put it with some vegetable in a pressure cooker and cooked them.
Well, it sure smells like some medicine!
And, eating it is like eating some very oily food. I could not eat much.
But, I’m determined to find a non-rice and non-wheat food for my dinner. So, now I’m off t finding some recipe with arrowroot flour.
See ya!
The corn flour is sold for Rs 35/- a kg. The corn whole grain never sells for Rs 10/- a kg. Why should there be a difference of more than Rs 25/- between the two?
The Bajra flour is for around Rs 40/- a kg. He could not say the exact price because he could not sell much of that stuff.
So, I bought a kg of arrowroot flour at Rs 28/- a kg.
But I could not make dough out of this flour. When you mix it with water, it reacts with a funny manner. It acted as if it was some gooey stuff in a sci-fi movie. Try pouring some water over arrowroot flour and see it for yourself!
So, I figured that if it is not meant for kneading into dough, the only other possibility is to cook it with some ingredients. I put it with some vegetable in a pressure cooker and cooked them.
Well, it sure smells like some medicine!
And, eating it is like eating some very oily food. I could not eat much.
But, I’m determined to find a non-rice and non-wheat food for my dinner. So, now I’m off t finding some recipe with arrowroot flour.
See ya!
Windy and strange
At around dusk, Imphal became suddenly windy.
I found myself shivering walking along the windy street. The wind was not that cold. But I was shivering. It was strange.
Along way back home from the library, I heard several people saying that it was strange, freaky weather.
I found myself shivering walking along the windy street. The wind was not that cold. But I was shivering. It was strange.
Along way back home from the library, I heard several people saying that it was strange, freaky weather.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Throwing lights on the jigsaw
I’m not certain what prompted it but the story of Isaac Hmar’s killing had begun to surface again in the media.
First I read a touching piece by Isaac’s sister, Ms Linda Mawii. She was writing from France and I read that in the Imphal Free Press.
What’s most touching is to hear that Isaac was planning to marry this November. So, Linda was shopping for the formal dress for her two daughters for the wedding. After buying the dresses, she returned home, only to be slapped with the news of her brother’s untimely dead.
Sometimes, life is so cruel.
You know, I had had no opportunity for knowing Isaac on a personal level. But I kept reading his articles in newspapers and online forums. So much so that he came to me as quite a familiar man.
Yesterday’s editions of both the Sa-ngai Express and the Imphal Free Press carried a letter from a gentleman named James Toulor, Haflong, North Cachar Hills, Assam. His letter has added yet another dimension to the jigsaw puzzle that Isaac’s killing was.
First, this disclaimer is called for. The writer of the letter is a completely unknown quantity and so, the best we can put to use his letter should be to treat it as yet another narrative that may (just may) throw light to, the killing of Isaac, in particular and, the present day conditions of the Hmar as a community, in general.
The letter tells us that:
>> Bairabi is crucial. It is in the North West Mizoram, bordering Cachar district of Assam and it is from this area that Isaac was planning to get supply of bamboos for his company, Zoram Carbon.
>>Zoram Carbon was planned with the logistic and financial support from his broher-in-law (Linda’s husband, a French national). On that fateful day, Isaac had scheduled to meet the officials of CP Consultant Ltd, Delhi as a first step towards the incorporation of the company.
>> Bairabi is crucial because Hindustan Paper Mills, located in Silchar, depends on the supply of bamboos from it. The Mill depends on many contractors for the supply of bamboos to reach its factory. All these contractors are rich and powerful Mizos of Mizoram. Naturally, those people do not want to share the bamboo crop of Bairabi with Isaac’s soon-to-be established company.
But the most intriguing thing that comes out of the letter is the following:
>> Any trifle (let alone the killing of a man) which have the slightest possible involvement of either Hmar Peoples’ Conventin (HPC) or HPC-democratic would attract the whole might of Mizoram Police and its intelligence apparatus. That’s not happening.
As an aside he also mentioned that Hmar have been clamouring for a Hmar Autonomous District in Northern Mizoram,with HPC going all the length to take up arms against the Mizoram Government. Their struggle started from 1987 and it’s still continuing.
So, the people of Mizoram do not like HPC in particular and Hmars, in general. In other words, the Hmar don’t feel fulfilled with the creation of State of Mizoram which is supposed to be the culmination of the aspiration of the Kuki-Mizo-Chin people, of which Hmars is thought to be a constituent.
Nearer home, the Hmars do not get fulfilled living as a part of the State of Manipur.
In such a situation, the Hmar leadership will surely feel that their salvation lies in New Delhi.
Seen in this light, it is not surprising that the Hmars have gone head over heel to please the ruling class of Delhi by helping the military in its counter insurgency drive against the rebels of Manipur who are entrenched in Tipaimukh area.
Tipaimukh which happens to have constituents like Parbung, Lungthulien etc, is the area having the main concentration of Hmar and, of course, is the only fairly contiguous piece of geography, which one day might be instrumental in fulfilling their dream of getting a self-admistered entity, like a union territory.
In seeing what’s happening in and around Parbung and Lungthulien, we can easily deduct that they are not particularly anti-anybody. Rather, they are chasing a dream, albeit with not-so-fair means.
First I read a touching piece by Isaac’s sister, Ms Linda Mawii. She was writing from France and I read that in the Imphal Free Press.
What’s most touching is to hear that Isaac was planning to marry this November. So, Linda was shopping for the formal dress for her two daughters for the wedding. After buying the dresses, she returned home, only to be slapped with the news of her brother’s untimely dead.
Sometimes, life is so cruel.
You know, I had had no opportunity for knowing Isaac on a personal level. But I kept reading his articles in newspapers and online forums. So much so that he came to me as quite a familiar man.
Yesterday’s editions of both the Sa-ngai Express and the Imphal Free Press carried a letter from a gentleman named James Toulor, Haflong, North Cachar Hills, Assam. His letter has added yet another dimension to the jigsaw puzzle that Isaac’s killing was.
First, this disclaimer is called for. The writer of the letter is a completely unknown quantity and so, the best we can put to use his letter should be to treat it as yet another narrative that may (just may) throw light to, the killing of Isaac, in particular and, the present day conditions of the Hmar as a community, in general.
The letter tells us that:
>> Bairabi is crucial. It is in the North West Mizoram, bordering Cachar district of Assam and it is from this area that Isaac was planning to get supply of bamboos for his company, Zoram Carbon.
>>Zoram Carbon was planned with the logistic and financial support from his broher-in-law (Linda’s husband, a French national). On that fateful day, Isaac had scheduled to meet the officials of CP Consultant Ltd, Delhi as a first step towards the incorporation of the company.
>> Bairabi is crucial because Hindustan Paper Mills, located in Silchar, depends on the supply of bamboos from it. The Mill depends on many contractors for the supply of bamboos to reach its factory. All these contractors are rich and powerful Mizos of Mizoram. Naturally, those people do not want to share the bamboo crop of Bairabi with Isaac’s soon-to-be established company.
But the most intriguing thing that comes out of the letter is the following:
>> Any trifle (let alone the killing of a man) which have the slightest possible involvement of either Hmar Peoples’ Conventin (HPC) or HPC-democratic would attract the whole might of Mizoram Police and its intelligence apparatus. That’s not happening.
As an aside he also mentioned that Hmar have been clamouring for a Hmar Autonomous District in Northern Mizoram,with HPC going all the length to take up arms against the Mizoram Government. Their struggle started from 1987 and it’s still continuing.
So, the people of Mizoram do not like HPC in particular and Hmars, in general. In other words, the Hmar don’t feel fulfilled with the creation of State of Mizoram which is supposed to be the culmination of the aspiration of the Kuki-Mizo-Chin people, of which Hmars is thought to be a constituent.
Nearer home, the Hmars do not get fulfilled living as a part of the State of Manipur.
In such a situation, the Hmar leadership will surely feel that their salvation lies in New Delhi.
Seen in this light, it is not surprising that the Hmars have gone head over heel to please the ruling class of Delhi by helping the military in its counter insurgency drive against the rebels of Manipur who are entrenched in Tipaimukh area.
Tipaimukh which happens to have constituents like Parbung, Lungthulien etc, is the area having the main concentration of Hmar and, of course, is the only fairly contiguous piece of geography, which one day might be instrumental in fulfilling their dream of getting a self-admistered entity, like a union territory.
In seeing what’s happening in and around Parbung and Lungthulien, we can easily deduct that they are not particularly anti-anybody. Rather, they are chasing a dream, albeit with not-so-fair means.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
A doc...a little different
The doc did not write out a prescription. I mean, that day.
That might be because I was not ill but on a getting my stomach ‘right’ foray into the clinic.
But, still, he seems to be a little different. Patients are going out in droves to the clinics and hospitals outside the State. Their main complaint against the docs here is that they usually examine their patients only for some minutes and write page-full of prescriptions! Personally, I’ve been to doctors who ask you of the complaints you are facing while his hand with the pen never leaving the notepad, apparently itching to start writing prescriptions right away. And I’ve been to several doctors, who, only after hearing me out of my complaints I was facing for, may be, 2 minutes, writes out a page-full of prescriptions. That’s it. End of treatment. What do you call this? Regardless, it is laughable.
This doc, who runs a clinic near Khuyathong, have actually put up a sign in his tiny reception room which says that any patient who is not willing to wait for time waiting for his/her turn must go to other treatment centre instead! I went to his clinic with a book and waited for my turn, beginning at around 10 am and ending at around 3 pm. His reception room is so tiny that you have to sit on the bench face to face with other patients on the opposite bench which is hardly 2 or 3 feet across. Where do you put your eyes sitting like that? So, I hid inside a book and waited for my turn.
He examined me and made the following recommendations.
>> Not a drop of milk, from now on.
>> Drink a strong tea (of course, without milk) four times a day. He told me not to boil the tea-leaf but instead boil the water (with sugar, if preferred) and pour it over the tealeaf in the cup. I wanted to ask why but I restrained myself.
>> He said, for 4 days, I had to eat only the boiled rice, no vegetables, no nothing. Instantly, it reminded of my grandmama’s remedy. When we were kids having mild diarrheas, she would mix the boiled rice with some salts and forced us to eat only that portion without vegetable and all those stuffs. As it has something to do with a grandmamma, we always think it to be ‘unscientific’ and do our best not to remember it.
Backed home I quickly stated working on to the recommendations.
I was supposed to report to him again on the 5th day. But I spent the next few weeks finding out the stuffs that prove to be allergic to me. I must give the doc the credit for enabling me to finding out those stuffs and in the process, finding out a bit new thing for myself also.
But, now, I can’t restrain myself to give you a recommendation!
Next time you find your poor stomach out of tune or yourself in the throes of a mild diarrhea, don’t rush to the nearest drugstore. Instead, boil some rice with a pinch of salt and proceed to a couch in front of your tv. The trick is to keep your eyes on your favourite drama series and keep putting mouthful of that stuff in your mouth and keep chewing it and gulping down, mouthful after mouthful.
Do it in the name of your grandmamma and you will be ok in no time!
That might be because I was not ill but on a getting my stomach ‘right’ foray into the clinic.
But, still, he seems to be a little different. Patients are going out in droves to the clinics and hospitals outside the State. Their main complaint against the docs here is that they usually examine their patients only for some minutes and write page-full of prescriptions! Personally, I’ve been to doctors who ask you of the complaints you are facing while his hand with the pen never leaving the notepad, apparently itching to start writing prescriptions right away. And I’ve been to several doctors, who, only after hearing me out of my complaints I was facing for, may be, 2 minutes, writes out a page-full of prescriptions. That’s it. End of treatment. What do you call this? Regardless, it is laughable.
This doc, who runs a clinic near Khuyathong, have actually put up a sign in his tiny reception room which says that any patient who is not willing to wait for time waiting for his/her turn must go to other treatment centre instead! I went to his clinic with a book and waited for my turn, beginning at around 10 am and ending at around 3 pm. His reception room is so tiny that you have to sit on the bench face to face with other patients on the opposite bench which is hardly 2 or 3 feet across. Where do you put your eyes sitting like that? So, I hid inside a book and waited for my turn.
He examined me and made the following recommendations.
>> Not a drop of milk, from now on.
>> Drink a strong tea (of course, without milk) four times a day. He told me not to boil the tea-leaf but instead boil the water (with sugar, if preferred) and pour it over the tealeaf in the cup. I wanted to ask why but I restrained myself.
>> He said, for 4 days, I had to eat only the boiled rice, no vegetables, no nothing. Instantly, it reminded of my grandmama’s remedy. When we were kids having mild diarrheas, she would mix the boiled rice with some salts and forced us to eat only that portion without vegetable and all those stuffs. As it has something to do with a grandmamma, we always think it to be ‘unscientific’ and do our best not to remember it.
Backed home I quickly stated working on to the recommendations.
I was supposed to report to him again on the 5th day. But I spent the next few weeks finding out the stuffs that prove to be allergic to me. I must give the doc the credit for enabling me to finding out those stuffs and in the process, finding out a bit new thing for myself also.
But, now, I can’t restrain myself to give you a recommendation!
Next time you find your poor stomach out of tune or yourself in the throes of a mild diarrhea, don’t rush to the nearest drugstore. Instead, boil some rice with a pinch of salt and proceed to a couch in front of your tv. The trick is to keep your eyes on your favourite drama series and keep putting mouthful of that stuff in your mouth and keep chewing it and gulping down, mouthful after mouthful.
Do it in the name of your grandmamma and you will be ok in no time!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Confluence of ideas
Life is mostly about how you come into contact with ideas and how you make efforts to let them work for you and ultimately, how the direction of your efforts and the force and timing of the ideas result in little inflection points in your life.
That’s how you encounter ‘changes’ in life.
Lesser opportunities for coming into contact with ideas (meaning lesser education, not-so-good qualities of friend circle and community etc) will result in lesser likelihood of changes taking place in his/her life and that will ultimately result in the deterioration of his/her quality of life.
The first time I ever read about food allergic was on a blogpost. It was only some weeks back. She said that one of her friends found out that she was allergic to wheat. She was very concerned about how her friend was going to find foods without wheat in them. Well, I really could feel the dilemma she was in. Here is her blog.
Around that time I read a piece in the newspaper about how your stomach is working 24/7, remarkably, independently of the brain. It also said that if you can keep your stomach right almost everything will also come ok. That’s a remarkable idea.
Looking at myself, I found that I had spells of ‘indigestion problem’. So, I rushed to the doctor, acting on the idea that I should keep my stomach right. You should walk the talk, isn’t it?!?
One of the recommendations of the doctor was that I should avoid milk. He didn’t tell me I might be allergic to it. But the luck had it that the day’s edition of the Telegraph, in its technology pull-out, carried a piece on milk allergy. Reading that piece, I became suspicious that I might as well be allergic to milk.
So, I avoided milk. I felt better. But I was not satisfied.
Then, one fine evening, while I was making flat bread for my dinner, the above blogpost crept into me and made me asked myself about the prospect of skipping wheat for some days and seeing what happened to me then.
Totally avoiding wheat took some days because I had to find an alternative to sliced bread for my breakfast.
But when on diets free of wheat (and, of course, milk) for the next three days, the result came to me—I was satisfied at the level of wellness I felt.
More than that, I also feel good that I could really act quickly on some ideas and make some changes for the better, even if it is solely on a personal level.
That’s how I feel right now—RADIANT!
That’s how you encounter ‘changes’ in life.
Lesser opportunities for coming into contact with ideas (meaning lesser education, not-so-good qualities of friend circle and community etc) will result in lesser likelihood of changes taking place in his/her life and that will ultimately result in the deterioration of his/her quality of life.
The first time I ever read about food allergic was on a blogpost. It was only some weeks back. She said that one of her friends found out that she was allergic to wheat. She was very concerned about how her friend was going to find foods without wheat in them. Well, I really could feel the dilemma she was in. Here is her blog.
Around that time I read a piece in the newspaper about how your stomach is working 24/7, remarkably, independently of the brain. It also said that if you can keep your stomach right almost everything will also come ok. That’s a remarkable idea.
Looking at myself, I found that I had spells of ‘indigestion problem’. So, I rushed to the doctor, acting on the idea that I should keep my stomach right. You should walk the talk, isn’t it?!?
One of the recommendations of the doctor was that I should avoid milk. He didn’t tell me I might be allergic to it. But the luck had it that the day’s edition of the Telegraph, in its technology pull-out, carried a piece on milk allergy. Reading that piece, I became suspicious that I might as well be allergic to milk.
So, I avoided milk. I felt better. But I was not satisfied.
Then, one fine evening, while I was making flat bread for my dinner, the above blogpost crept into me and made me asked myself about the prospect of skipping wheat for some days and seeing what happened to me then.
Totally avoiding wheat took some days because I had to find an alternative to sliced bread for my breakfast.
But when on diets free of wheat (and, of course, milk) for the next three days, the result came to me—I was satisfied at the level of wellness I felt.
More than that, I also feel good that I could really act quickly on some ideas and make some changes for the better, even if it is solely on a personal level.
That’s how I feel right now—RADIANT!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
They are allergens!
Nothing particular in finding yourself at the fag end of the 1st of August.
But at least, it is the first of something.
Me think it’s appropriate to tell you of something which, in turn, makes me start something quite new.
I’ve just found out that I’m allergic to milk—and, now, hold your breathe!—to wheat, as well!
Well, you feel like shit when you are suddenly confronted with the stark truth that you know so little of yourself, despite the fact that you have already lived so many years of your life in this earth of ours.
If you are allergic to a certain kind of foods, you have no other alternative but to completely avoid them. I find it already very tough to avoid both milk and wheat. I’m not certain if non-wheat flour is available in this choice less, smallish place called Imphal. Within the next few days, I’ll find it out. If non-wheat flour is indeed available, I’ll buy a microwave and try making my own bread. I’m not happy in taking breakfast without sliced bread.
As a stop-gap measure, I’ve re-introduced apple. With eggs and some beans and, of course, with my green teas.
I’ve also reverted to rice for both lunch and dinner. And I think that it is too much consumption of rice.
But if non-wheat flour is not available, what are the options available to me?
But at least, it is the first of something.
Me think it’s appropriate to tell you of something which, in turn, makes me start something quite new.
I’ve just found out that I’m allergic to milk—and, now, hold your breathe!—to wheat, as well!
Well, you feel like shit when you are suddenly confronted with the stark truth that you know so little of yourself, despite the fact that you have already lived so many years of your life in this earth of ours.
If you are allergic to a certain kind of foods, you have no other alternative but to completely avoid them. I find it already very tough to avoid both milk and wheat. I’m not certain if non-wheat flour is available in this choice less, smallish place called Imphal. Within the next few days, I’ll find it out. If non-wheat flour is indeed available, I’ll buy a microwave and try making my own bread. I’m not happy in taking breakfast without sliced bread.
As a stop-gap measure, I’ve re-introduced apple. With eggs and some beans and, of course, with my green teas.
I’ve also reverted to rice for both lunch and dinner. And I think that it is too much consumption of rice.
But if non-wheat flour is not available, what are the options available to me?
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