The 'Flying-fest' of Manipur: Once More, Please!

Gautam Sharma *

The main venue of Manipur Sangai Tourism Festival 2013 at Hapta Kangjeibung :: Pix - Jinendra Maibam

'BHAAG SANGAI BHAAG!', the musing-cheerleaders' applauded silently; encouraging this year's lavish 10-day tourism-fest, just to accelerate its running spirit. So, that it could get a glocal recognition as the 'flying-fest' of Manipur. The face of this fest is the new face of sense, which brought back some sense, which seems to be not visible before the fest.

Beside the 'general intent' of the fest, there are scores of 'particular intend' to like, to laud and to applaud, the musing-cheerleaders said after their long musing-session about the happenings. It's a discernable to peoples that this unique fest has brought a change, of both discernable and indiscernible, to both the city and its dwellers. It's a fest that beautifies people, places and things, in many discernible and indiscernible ways.

It's a fest that enables the remembering of those long-forgotten parts and protocols of govt., (including its department's branch and wing, and its employees) people, places, things and animals (especially those endangered ones). So, the muser' muses that such a fest should be held twice, thrice or episodically in a year, so as to get an instantaneous bi-advantage of the fest.

From the laudable many 'particular intend', a small one is 'the sense of sweep'; that the fest enables to sense the duty of the govt.'s maha-Max Sweep motor-truck, which would have remained in the garage like a dummy if not utilised, that its main task and function is to sweep the dusty-cum-dirty roads of the state. Happily the 'Max Sweep' vehicle performed her duty, cleaning the roads, sweeping the dusts with volunteers, supporters, patrons and others of the municipality council with good coordination with JCB's earth-mover and their relatives.

Her rare dutiful sense has made some roads of Imphal, once again brightening clean and neat. It's discernable now along Imphal-RIMS roads, which looks like a young bridegroom having his 7-O'clock shine, after removing his face fungus for the ceremony. Imagine, thrice 'Sangai' means thrice 'Sweep' a year. So the muser cheerleaders say 'Bhaag Sangai Bhai'. And, Once more, Pls!

The musing cheerleads applauded the power-persons' for the sui generic flickers of ? 25 lakhs deco-blubs, that has been placed at the waysides of the fest venue, especially for the fest. Which makes the stretch from 'Kangla Gate' to 'Palace Gate' looks like a way towards 'city of angels'. Without canvassing anyone, many commuters and by passers shared their 'feels' voluntarily that they felt the grace of the lights which brought a jazzing up feelings like passing the street of Las Vegas to drop in the Casino Royale, though the their mother is wounded by debt.

Beside this, little but substantial one, many parts of roads have been repaired, black-topped in swift and silent mode, with a deadline, specifically for the fest (only few roads because condition apply*).

This time, it happens in silent mode, that's without people's agitations, sit-in-protest and before heeding the people' calls to patch up those broken and non-ply-able ones. This fest is so unique and powerful that it thrust the govt. into a sense of smart work, a sense of deadline, a sense to repair roads, that's a big sense --- a common sense! Finally the fest seems to being back the lost sense, but what if the sense becomes sense-less after the fest (?), the musing cheerleader mused! So, 'Bhaag Sangai Bhaag!', you are the one, that cares people's needs and demand. So, Once more, Pls!

But, the muser strongly opposed those 'philosophical thinkers' who commented that it looks like a big 'Mela' (fair). They presented a valid view that it doesn't have a 'merry-go-round' inside the fest venue. So, it not a 'Mela' but a fest, the flying-fest of Manipur. That's why it's opening day was also greeted with MINI-HAWAI-JAHAS, a kind of flying-machine smaller that copter. By lauding, the muser is of the point that it's also a colourful fest with a little combination of black and white paints.

Possibly, it may be the reasons why some walls of govt. hospital and department were painted with limes and distempers, for instance RIMS Radio Therapy Centre, etc., which is a big cancer treatment centre for entire NE's 'have not' people. Beside this, from post to pillar, of roads-divider and the cemented-lane-divider, are fresh-washed with black and white paints in speedy, like renovation and whitewash for houses of a surprising and unplanned Manipuri weddings.

This is a fest that 'Do', as it has done many things and articulated many sense which was missing. The long forgotten 'Pony' has been remembered, and a race course about to 'walk the talks'. The endangered Sangai of 'Keibul Lamjao' has also been well remembered, and positive rumours have also fled that many huge initiatives will be taken soon to save, protect them and the their maintenance of bio-habitat.

But now, the watershed moment of fest is her parting smiles, which indirectly and silently signals that all those works of cleanings, renovations, paintings, repairing, lightings have come to a slow haul, and people would have to bear till next year for such positive images. Now, the city back to normality filled with noises. So the Muser cried, Once More, Pls!

Newsperson: 'The Manipur Pradesh Grace Committee' (MPGC) has stated that the recent accused of 'The Bharatiya-Communist Tri-Party' (BCTP) for not inviting 'Sangai- the display of endangered animal fest', was made due to its inability to arrest jealously. As per a press communiqué, MPGC Jr. president said that BCTP is being jealous with the initiatives taken to make the fest happened, which cost many money bags. The communiqué further said they left the invitation in to Post Office (not speed post). Further, they added that the organisers' sent invitation not only to VIPs but to all their kith & kin, relatives, friends and acquaintances including all.

Tagline: 'Night plane are not shooting stars, but it harm not when even you make a wish.'