By Malangba Bangormayum
In October this year, an acquaintance availed his LTC to go to Manipur. This was against my advice. Well-known for venturing at odd hours and to any place, with the obduracy that some senior persons develop I had my misgivings of the idea. He went ahead with his wife to Imphal. From there, they had a whirl wheel tour of Manipur. He went to Moreh first. He is a Tamilian. He had to go there. I advised against that also. Of course, two powerful blasts happened during that time. Need I add that there was blockade on Imphal-Moreh line at that time? The most interesting story that he told me of his sojourn concerns a coconut.
In Moreh he was surprised to see the biggest coconuts in his life. This is significant considering that he comes from a place where coconuts of all types are a plenty. He had to buy one. He got one for 30 Rupees. Of an inquisitive variety, he went to `Ema Market`™ to inquire about the price of coconuts there. He related with shock that smaller coconuts were sold for 80 Rupees. To this I had to explain that coconuts are an important material for many religious and cultural occasions in Manipur, and I also added that coconuts do not grow in Manipur. I shall come to this latter part of my explanation in a minute. And so on I tried to justify the price of coconuts in Imphal. I didn`™t venture into other factors along the Imphal-Moreh route that could have a contribution in the hefty price difference. Anyway he took that coconut home aboard Indian Airlines. Maybe, everyone in the land of coconut marveled and is marveling at the size of Manipuri coconut.
There is the custom that newly married couple eats the coconut that is part of the marriage ceremony. The coconut is placed on the conjoined hands of the bride and groom. No one has explained, nor have I ventured for an explanation for the coconut`™s part in our elaborate marriage ceremony but I presume that it is a symbolism for union, wholeness, togetherness. The coconut in its many layers could also have another symbolic order. These layers can be frustrating for the monkey who knows that there is something wonderful inside. In a sense, I share the frustration of the monkey in trying to find the meaning behind the coconut on the conjoined palms.
My mother said I should husk the coconut that was part of my wedding share it with my wife. Husking a coconut is no easy task. I then remembered my father relating a story of a strong-man who husked coconuts barehanded. I proceeded to the task, but with a tool. With the first stroke of instrument of choice, the coconut leaped and landed on the water that had collected in the pit that was in front of my house. The pit in question was dug up to make an underground tank, as part of my uncle`™s new three storied building. I always had this impression that coconuts float. I have seen that on T.V. They disperse from the coastal shorelines, carried by the sea waves across the oceans to distant shorelines to germinate, grow and bear fruit for the consumption of those in that distant vicinity: never to be asked where it originated. But this coconut sunk faster than a stone. This one proved to be a different nut. There was no way of retrieving it in my new `yellow`™ dress. There was no way of telling others what happened
without the elders berating me. So, my wife and I decided to keep mum on the coconut.
My mother, who has avid interest in growing things which are difficult to grow, attempted to grow coconuts. I remember at least three occasions of such attempts. The last was quite dramatic. After the previous attempts failed, she was wondering why the coconuts did not grow. At this juncture, she was given the advice that she follows a certain procedure: she should dig a pit of particular dimensions, and then it should be layered with charcoals after which a generous amount of salt should be put in. Then only should the coconut sapling be placed. I was skeptical; because, the process appeared to be conjecture of someone who in fact has not tried. My mother tried following each step meticulously. It did seem to work. The coconut did grow for some time`¦and then withered. After this attempt she gave up the idea of growing coconuts. According to how one counts, this brief persistence of the coconut to grow in the garden could be evinced as evidence that coconuts did grow in our land.
Recently, I came across a discussion on the internet. This centered on a really big coconut on the conjoined hands of a couple. Someone had uploaded it. Someone had commented on the size. Some other claimed that coconuts were grown in Manipur in `olden`™ times. If this gentleman`™s claim is correct then the explanation I gave to my Tamil friend needs correction. I shall do that when I meet him next time. I shall tell him that Manipur was once a land of coconuts. I shall try to convince him with the theory of the movement of the tectonic plates. Who knows Manipur was once surrounded by oceans? I shall add. Maybe, he will be convinced; maybe not. I can even bring out an Atlas and point out that the Earth itself is the shape of a coconut. I shall push my argument saying that we all share the Earth; therefore, we all have a claim to at least the shape of the coconut. Try, I shall.