My Tryst with E-Pao!
- a 10th Anniversary collection -

By: Ranjan Yumnam *

In 2002, when E-pao was a fledgling portal and beginning to make a mark in the Manipuri cyberspace, drawing approving eyeballs and hits from the Manipuris who lived scattered across the world, I knew it was becoming a cultural icon for us. There was no facebook at that time, and for that matter, social networking sites that existed then were in their rudimentary forms and could not capture the net users like the viral fever that such sites have now become. E-pao was our facebook—the face and the book of Manipur, a sentiment which is echoed in its banner line — Now the World Knows! Back then, I was in my college in Delhi University, with dreams of changing the world. I had two passions in life: writing to improve myself and reading to improve my writing. The latter passion found its generous outlet in the www.e-pao.net in various names that in one way are thumbnails of my career trajectory.

I still remember the day when I received the business cards printed for me by the geniuses at E-pao, perhaps the only contributor at that time to have got that kind of recognition from E-pao. I was a student who was always in need of some cash; that E-pao took mercy and gave me a monthly fee for my weekly creative yarns was both a monetary blessing as well as a vindication of my writing talent, or so I thought—reminiscent of youthful brashness. I bear no such illusions now, but it is to the credit of E-pao that they knew how to encourage young rudderless writers like me, groom them and showcase the result of their labour of love, however imperfect, on its web magazine. Their policy of promoting young blood stood in sharp contrast to their steadfast desire to shun publicity for themselves. Very few people must be knowing, by names, the amazing chaps, behind E-pao, who made the website the one-stop destination for the global Manipuris. I salute their keep-low-profile stand and it is a way of telling us: "Let our work speaks for ourselves."

Speaking about work, I didn’t write great stuff, just anything that came to my mind like this, this, this, and this — eclectic subjects that had no unifying thread, except for my enthusiasm which the E-pao played up. The encouragement that E-pao gave to its contributors was and is commendable and unparalleled. For me, the special gift that E-pao gave me was not the financial support or the vanity business cards, it’s the readers’ feedback page that it created for my articles where you can find all readers’ mails organized in a very meticulous manner, chronologically.

There were occasions when E-pao thought the readers’ comments were more worthy than the original pieces that I did and so they webcast them on the front page itself. I am pointing this out because I want to let you know and be assured that when E-pao publishes your article, it has gone through editorial vetting and that you have made it to the E-pao’s high standard.

My life was so intertwined with E-pao that when I got selected in the Manipur Civil Service examination in 2007, the discussion forum in the E-pao floated up this incredible and hilarious conspiracy theory hinting that I was given the MCS post at the behest of the Indian government to wean me away from E-pao and writing anti-establishment articles for it! I instantly saw the Himalaya of Absurdity. Funny and memorable to this day, to me.

On completion of ten glorious years of E-pao’s existence, I wish the team behind the E-pao all success, good health and prosperity. And may I suggest – the 31st December being the anniversary of E-pao and the New Year’s Eve—that they celebrate this landmark day with all the gusto and happiness that they deserve and party well into the dawn of 2010. Needless to say, they deserve every bit of it.

I would like to request all the readers to say congratulations in chorus and wish the E-pao team on its anniversary so that they continue to give us our daily dose of news, photos, music, articles and many other addictions, day after day with the regularity of an atomic watch.

Before I sign off, let me tell you why I am so much fascinated by E-pao when the web-space is a saturated jungle full of websites that cater to the same audience that E-pao targets. The reason is this: There is not even a website that is as dynamic and well maintained as the E-pao is. I have seen so many portals launched by other Manipuris, but they lack that special touch of technical finesse and editorial smartness, two attributes that E-pao has in the right balance. E-pao has perfected a formula, like the Coke’s secret concoction formula that they only know and can keep bettering it.

Here’s to that secret: Long Live E-pao.