Our Own - We got to encourage local products
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: October 26, 2009 -

Amongst the things that identify Manipur as a distinct place to the world undoubtedly include its rare species of wild life, plants, birds, salubrious climate, scenic beauty, etc.

Besides, there are the unique culture and traditions which have been cherished for more than two millennia, intricate martial arts, inimitable dexterity and perseverance in the field of games and sports, polo, dances, handloom and handicraft products and so on.

Moreover, the natural beauty of this land and its people's warmth and generosity have all allured people from the outside world. As such Manipur has been a much envied place– a sort of el dorado to the people of other parts of the country and the world.

Preachers, businessmen, foreigners and those who want to capture and conquer this place (as in the past and the contemporary history) have always been eying Manipur not only with envy but also with a strong sense of avarice.

All these have influenced Manipuri society on many fronts so strongly that the state is slowly losing much of its indigenous products. One of them is the overflowing import of products made in the industrially advanced states and countries.

Everybody wants better looking and better quality goods. All these paraphenalia and electronic gadgets such as radio, cassette player, DVD, TV, computer, mobile phone hand-sets, refrigerator, washing machine, electric oven, gas stoves, motor-cars, all other consumer goods, clothes, shoes, pens, pencils, gas lighters, even nail-cutters, children's toys and dolls, etc being popularly used in the state are all imported from outside.

For every item necessary in one's life in the modern times, the people of the state have no alternative but to depend on other states and foreign countries. For certain things which cannot be produced in Manipur, the people are compelled to rely on the imported ones.

But still the people of the state seem to be so obsessed with the imported goods that even for a small thing they do not fancy the idea of using local made products. This attitude needs to be changed.

There are plenty of good quality bamboo and can products available in the state. Yet few people like to use such local products. On the other hand, since the raw materials are not abundantly available because a majority of them is exported to Assam, the bamboo and cane products are sold at high prices. Thus, these products remain as luxury to many.

The state government also seems to be least bothered as regards making policies and implementing them to develop these products. All these factors make the idea of using bamboo and cane sound like outdated and unpopular.

Then local dolls and toys for children made of scraps of cloths or terracotta which used to be immensely popular till the eighties seem to have become undesirable objects now.

Instead, toys made in China imported through Namphalong in Myanmar and Moreh town in Manipur are more popular among the children now-a-days. All such electronic toys imported into the state from the South Asian countries are sold like hot cakes at the local markets.

It's those people, who earlier used to earn their livelihood by making such products, who are affected the most. Then there's the possibility of losing the skills for good.

It's here that the government must step in so that the art and skill of making these products is not only saved but also is developed in conformity with the modern times.