I believe every part of the world is being westernized and it is something that youngsters cannot resist. So many things are being pumped into our mind through TVs, Cellphones, i-pods , Theaters and Print Media that it has become a part of our own lives.

We, even though Manipuris, have our own unique identity being each an individual, which is the accumulation of multiple identities embedded in us through our sense of perception.

For example, a student in Banglore might be from Imphal west, a meitei by race, probably a Hindu by faith, who is now accustomed to south Indian food and who is interested in Americanism. In this situation ones' conformity to a certain culture changes and is altered by small modifications which is called changing trends.

Eventually a new culture might as well be born, but should not we be responsible for the consequences of such new born things. For example they have gun culture in America and probably many got the benefits, but to bring it to a high school and have a shoot out, no one likes that.

We know that we are going to be affected by the changing trends globally, we know our attitudes are going to change, we know new culture are going to replace the old ones or modify it, we can't avoid all this, neither run away and stay confine to some ideologies, but certainly we can bring about the change in a responsible way where every change is meant to make us better individuals and our new culture will reflect the people we are.

Mini or micro skirts and tops or treks or hooded shirts or half torn pants, or even bikinis are all cool and trendy, we even like them in the Fast and Furious : Tokyo Drift, but in a Tango or a Navy ball it won't be much cool.

For that matter I like Hou Chongba more than just Thabal Chongba. In Hou Chongba which is usually held in Yaiskul Range ground, people see colors and flavors of an original heritage, culture or whatever, but more then anything else it reflects a mood of our own flocks thats been having an unique civilization for thousands of years.

Now all of us want to be different from the rest somewhere or other. We want to do, see, get, taste and value new things. For example it would be more exciting to see a Siberian tiger then a Bengal tiger, and when we see it with its length more then 12 feet and its huge physic, then learn that its almost extinct, we realize we want to do something about it or at least wish to increase their numbers somehow.

Like wise our unique civilization which represents our collective spirit of the old and new ones is giving its way. Our each act today will be responsible for its survival or extinction.

This culture is different, our spirit is new to the world, our civilization is unique and its ours, ours own, created by our own minds, invented, discover and sharpen by our own hands, a hard work of thousands of years and made more sophisticated by each passing generations, we don't want to lose it.

So won't it be better if we keep a dress code where ever we organize a Thabal Chongba, make it a little more cultural oriented through music and songs that are played, besides the fun part. We know our non-manipuri friends are also attracted to a Thabal - Chongba, for what ever motive they have among themselves, won't it be nice to sell some traditional dress to them, so that they can take part in it.

Won't it be nice to tell them through a song or an announcement how we came about this tradition. I believe it will benefit us more on every front, economically for we will sell at least some considerable clothes even in cheaper price. Physiologically we injected a taste of our tradition in them and culturally we project the kind of people we are.

As for the private lives of our brothers and sisters, we must not interfere much. There are always some Instinct and Emotional Quotients that carry us trough in both public and private places, which might get out of of hand.

But it can be avoided by changing our attitudes to each others. The victims instead of outcasting them must be given some support to rehabilitate themselves, if they realize what harm has been done. After all they are our own and we better not alienate them.

This will gradually help others not to fell prey for such incidents too. For they will respect the love and care and opinions of our own people and they never will let us down. This bond of trust and mutual respect is the most important one in the fabric of a society which we seem to lack.

Our youth just need more education to bring themselves home. More they will learn about other places, people and different culture and traditions and their well established histories, more they will be attracted to such beauties of humankind and its civilization.

The farther they go to find such spirit the more they will think about their own homes. One day with all the education they have they will try to find a propose to implement that education. And not long before they vanish from such a beautiful place as earth they will come home to seek among the hills and valley the spirit that command them from inside. We all need to be that educated to come home.

And for banning cultural functions(by students) outside Manipur is a preventive measure to protect our culture from being misinterpreted, with such unwanted events and I appreciate these concern.

I rather would say, life itself is an experiment with a hit and trial methodology, where many error will occur and such errors are eventually rectified, thats what we call evolution which is working towards a improvised organisms.

Rather then banning such functions it would be better to propagate it and experiment with more better and sophisticated methodology to bring our Civilization and spirit in a full swing.

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