In recent times, it has become a regular feature for self-righteous groups to issue diktats limiting Thabal Chongba within the 5-day Yaoshang festival. One of the main reasons given for such limitation is Class X or XII examinations which usually fall in the beginning of spring season. We have suggested in the past that this could be done away by taking into consideration the issues of adolescence and teenage youth associated with Thabal Chongba while scheduling Class X and XII examinations. Whenever diktats on Thabal Chongba are issued, we always wonder how one can encapsulate adolescent energy within a limited timeframe. Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical sex and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and adulthood. In plain language, it is a transitional period whose chief purpose is the preparation of children for adult roles. Romantic relationships tend to develop during adolescence. It marks a time of sexual maturation, which manifests in social interactions as well. The expression of sexual desire among adolescents is influenced by family values and the culture and religion they have grown up in. An adolescent’s sexual socialization is highly dependent upon the society they live in and how restrictive or permissive that society is when it comes to sexual activity.
One may pose a question as to why we are dragging in the issue of adolescence with regard to Thabal Chongba. We may trace the origin of Thabal Chongba in the ancient Ke-Kre Chongba, which forms part of the Lai Haraoba ritual. The ancient scriptures say, the Meiteis have been performing this folk dance since the pre-Hindu days in the form of Kei-Yen (dance encircling Pakhangba. Lai Haraoba is being regarded by experts as a fertility rite. The Meiteis believe the ritual will lead to fertility in the life of man, a good harvest and a healthy communal life. Thabal Chongba is a folk dance wherein young girls and boys dance in circles holding each other’s hand. The dance heralds the onset of spring season and invokes fertility, prosperity and better harvest. Later, it also became a socially sanctioned space where young boys and girls get to know each other and for romantic relationships to develop.
Although the Meiteis were conservative, they also created spaces for youth relationships. We have in our lore, young boys courting girls in the latter’s home with parental sanction. We have Likkon Saanaba where young boys and girls get to know each other through a local game of dice. Sadly, these socially sanctioned spaces have vanished in recent times with self-righteous groups throwing in more and more restrictions. And these had a negative impact on adolescent behavior which led to increase in date rape and pre-marital sex and other forms of sexual behavior. Every now and then, we are witnessing raids in semi-lit restaurants by pressure groups and even public shaming or punishment of young people found in unsavory conditions. We are of the opinion that, such type of campaign will only aggravate the problem, whatever that be. The real task in hand is the creation of socially sanctioned spaces for adolescent interaction and positive relationships taking into consideration the changing dynamics of our society and the transformations taking place elsewhere. It has become more with the advent of information technology and its vast number of mediums such as computers, cell phones, stereos and televisions, adolescents’ use of media has skyrocketed in the past decade. But, for the sake of our youth, let us do away with restrictions on Thabal Chongba.