The Root of Meitei Escapism
By M C Arun
“Ningthou Semba Yaorunu” is a Meitei proverb. King-making is not only illegal but also immoral. It is an evil act. You should always stand on King’s side. You are not supposed to rebel against the King. You are to follow His commands and obey him lifelong. The inner meaning of the proverb is that you should not think about the State, its affairs. Discontent in the state system cannot be yours. You should not rebel against the king, how tyranny the ruler may be. Even you should not hope to become a king because you are an ordinary person. A Micham, a powerless person. Moreover, you are not expected to show your anger. Anger is “bad”. If at all you have to express your anger, it should be directed towards your friends or subordinates (in age and power). You are not angry to your elders (superior in power hierarchy). This is well internalized in the body social. This is part of your socialization. It is the starting point of the creation of a Meitei mind. This is the basic foundation of Meitei polity. Meitei micham is neither communal nor Universalist. He is simply a puppet to live within the ambit of daily routine, programmed by his biological needs and the body social. He is molded so that he should not concern with the cause and effect of the world including his own pains and sorrows. His pains and sorrows are explained as being a result of his inability to be at higher order. His exploiter is perceived as role model. He could not challenge the world to destroy the power hierarchy in which he is being exploited. The State is very far and high from a Micham’s world view.
The time changes from feudal to colonial to democratic calendar. The new calendar does not change the daily routine of the micham. He still follows the age-old routine. He is just a tiny dot in the vast circle of routines in the calendar. He cannot liberate himself from the yoke of this daily routine. He is still so happy when a man of higher level just waves hands to him or touches his cheek. The very touch or soft words spoken to him by a candidate is remembered for five years. He waits next moment for such a ‘remarkable’ day in his life. He is so patient, tolerate and uncomplaining because he is so programmed by his culture: Landabana konna lakcharakkani. His concern is of the wrong done by him; he does not know what he will do when an authority commits crimes. He is supposed not to say anything. “Speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil.” He is supposed to protect someone who is doing all the evil things. He is so conscious of not doing any wrong to any person of authority; he does not dare to think against the system in which his fate is always ill.
To a micham, the stories of Th Muivah or long absence of Chief Minister are all matters of politics. Having a political opinion is always risky, a micham think. The michams saw sufferings, pains, tortures on other michams who have expressed their political views or opinions. Longevity means having no political commitment. They can stand in long que for a few liters of petrol without thinking the cause of such a long que in front of a petrol pump. They can shout against each other but have no voice to say anything to the State or its inability to care of the public. To them, public is meaningless because they are all michams. Moreover, he is expected not to show his anger to authorities, the Lainingthous. Rebellious mind is gift of evil spirits; he should control the evil forces.
For any political system – be it democracy or socialism – the micham needs to be remolded as a part of meeyam. Even the Meeyam is still a crowd in the cognitive process in Meitei society; it is far from being a public. This is the tragic impact of the evil. This evil is yet to be overcome. As seen all along the long history, still today michams are so happy in expressing his suppressed anger towards another micham over matters relating with drinking habit, adultery or elopement. They act as heroes in such mobs; but they cannot raise their voices over the wrongdoings of heavyweight personalities. At the leikai level, they will say many things: about collective lives, morality, duties and karma etc. This is what Khununa Mathongda Kanba. At the State level, they will say: Laibak ningthougi matangdadi khangjade. This is a supplementary to Khangde haibana maphare. Fear of speaking truth, of expressing opinions and views, of standing for a public cause are the food offered to evil forces, fighting with which are beyond the micham’s capability. There are more michams in Manipur and hence many evil forces are at their peak hours.