I went to visit an uncle who is diagnosed with Hepatitis C in a hospital. My aunty was worried because the doctors have advised them that my uncle should be shifted to another hospital, that it’s better if he can be transferred to a hospital outside the state. The reason: lack of medicinal oxygen supply.
For the past one week, there has been economic blockade on the highways imposed by some organisations demanding for separate districts. First, we have only two highways we are connected to the world and secondly, barbarism knows no bound here. Even in war times, lines for medicines and food stock are kept clear, educational areas are kept clear and there is a limit to everything. But the rules are different in my hometown, Imphal. And this is the second time in two years.
In 2010, the highways were blocked for more than two months by another organisation. For plain information, our land is inhabited by more than thirty ethnic groups, each having different agendas and some of them are fighting for homelands and some others fighting for self-determination and independence from the union of India. In this part of the world, luxury is having a cooking gas to prepare food. Luxury is having electricity for at least six hours a day. Luxury is having food stocks to buy.
Things are still manageable till now. But last time, we had some hard-earned money but had nothing to buy. Life’s a tragedy.
Now my uncle’s worried. But I think he will feel better if he can go to, like, Guwahati. We are living in trying times of the Manipuri civilization. We are proud of inventing polo, developing a classical dance, being the sports powerhouse of India and things like that, but this pride means a big zero when it comes to life and death. After running here and there for the medicines for my uncle, I came back home feeling exhausted.
[* Image originally published by E-pao.net (http://e-pao.net/) at http://www.e-pao.net/epGallery.asp?id=37&src=News_Related/Archived_News_Photo/NewsPhotoArchive_2011_4]
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| The Bra Protest: Economic blockade, in early August 2011 * |
For the past one week, there has been economic blockade on the highways imposed by some organisations demanding for separate districts. First, we have only two highways we are connected to the world and secondly, barbarism knows no bound here. Even in war times, lines for medicines and food stock are kept clear, educational areas are kept clear and there is a limit to everything. But the rules are different in my hometown, Imphal. And this is the second time in two years.
In 2010, the highways were blocked for more than two months by another organisation. For plain information, our land is inhabited by more than thirty ethnic groups, each having different agendas and some of them are fighting for homelands and some others fighting for self-determination and independence from the union of India. In this part of the world, luxury is having a cooking gas to prepare food. Luxury is having electricity for at least six hours a day. Luxury is having food stocks to buy.
Things are still manageable till now. But last time, we had some hard-earned money but had nothing to buy. Life’s a tragedy.
Now my uncle’s worried. But I think he will feel better if he can go to, like, Guwahati. We are living in trying times of the Manipuri civilization. We are proud of inventing polo, developing a classical dance, being the sports powerhouse of India and things like that, but this pride means a big zero when it comes to life and death. After running here and there for the medicines for my uncle, I came back home feeling exhausted.
[* Image originally published by E-pao.net (http://e-pao.net/) at http://www.e-pao.net/epGallery.asp?id=37&src=News_Related/Archived_News_Photo/NewsPhotoArchive_2011_4]
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