It is said, the people of Nagaland state use to wonder at the continues flow of Manipuri travellers both old and young moving along the Dimapur highway for either further studies, pilgrimage or whatever reason one could think of. Such outflow is not a recent phenomenon as some people try to interpret by citing the difficult conflict situation in the state. In ancient times, waves of migrations from far off places had arrived in the Manipur valley which became a melting pot ultimately churning out a Manipuri civilisation 2000 years ago. Time had brought many changes in the Manipuri personality and outlook but it still could not weather down the martial tradition and core value system. And so also the spirit of adventure and the yearning for excellence remained driving the Manipuri youth to newer shores and to chase dreams. The conflict situation also plays a role in the temporary migration of Manipuri youth either for studies or employment but it is not the singular factor. And we want to make a point here that the Manipuri personality plays a bigger role in the outflow. Yet there is a flaw in the Manipuri personality. The spirit of adventure and yearning for newer shores could not sustain in the face of threat or insecurity. The Europeans forever in search of newer shores took challenges in their stride and settled in new lands despite threats and violent attacks from indigenous populations. The American dream was responsible for taming the Wild West and peopling vast regions. In the desi version, it is the Biharis who are forever migrating from their state to every part of the country including the northeast seeking fortune and employment. The other Indians resent the steady but continuous migration of the Biharis and there have been several instances of attacks on the Biharis throughout the country. Assam has seen violence against the Biharis. In the state of Manipur also, more than 10 migrant workers mostly Biharis were killed by armed militants. Yet they stood their ground except for a few who temporarily returned home. There was panic of course but it did not provoke an exodus. Neither did they flee Maharastra, when they were killed or maimed sometime back. We would like to examine the present Manipuri exodus from this angle. There has been definitely a few violent incidents in Pune region of Maharastra in which Manipuris were either attacked or threatened. But in Bangalore or the other southern cities there are few reports of violence except for some threats and intimidation and of course the hate campaign through SMS or MMS. The violent death of Richard Loitam a few months back and a few individual cases of intimidation besides the overworked MMS mill has created a sense of insecurity among the Manipuris leading to mass exodus. There also could have been individual cases of discrimination and harassment at the workplace and at educational institutions over the years. Such cases are everywhere. Bangalore is a place where Manipuris are thickly populated in various educational institutions and companies, call centres and hospitality sector. We look different and we are grabbing employment opportunities from the locals. As we resent outsiders grabbing jobs here in the state, there would certainly be resentment from the locals there. We have to accept this fact also and react accordingly. Somehow the cases of discrimination and harassment coupled with the violence in Pune and the prejudiced MMSs had triggered a panic situation and the exodus. The question is why. Are we that weak or are we a people who jumped at shadows? No, we are not. Our youth has tremendous energy and it is the driving force of our youth in education and sports. We had been able to dominate the Indian sports arena despite hostile attitudes from mainland Indians. Mary Kom conquered the hearts of millions with her guts and drive. So, where is the basis for this sudden panic and mass exodus? Please return to your institutions and workplaces and continue to excel. We must all remember that, Manipuris had never run away from difficulties.
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