After a long interval of about five years, I had the opportunity to travel up to Gauhati with a few of my friends by car enroute Kohima, Dimapur, and Kajiranga. The journey was mainly for the 17th State Taekwondo Championship of Assam in which Mr. Yumnam Khemchand was invited as Chief Guest on the valedictory function on 27th July 2002. In the early 1980s, Mr. Khemchand’s name was synonymous with Taekwondo in Manipur and no doubt one of the key figures in the formation of the Taekwondo Federation of India. A man with a strong will and one of Master Jimmy Jagtiani’s (Founder of Taekwondo in India) best demonstration partners in popularizing the Korean Martial Arts in different parts of India. As far as I knew this gentle man, he was a technically ‘know how’ person in Taekwondo who had stepped on the National Taekwondo medal podiums on various occasions receiving national gold medals and also selected to represent the Country in the World Taekwondo Championship. He is also the person who had the privilege to avail training under renowned Korean Master Chang Seng Dong for the longest period in Korea. In the process of his dedication and hard work, he was entrusted by the Taekwondo Federation of India to organize and promote Taekwondo in Assam and consequently, Taekwondo was introduced in Assam. The Assam Taekwondo Association thus came into being in 1982 under the Supervision of Shree Khemchand.

After loading our baggage at the back of the car, we left Imphal around 6.30 A.M. for Gauhati on 25th July 2002 and soon the vehicle halted in front of the Koubru Laikha. Usually this has become an adopted rule for me to alight once and pray to the Almighty Ibudhou Koubru so that any untoward and unfortunate occurrences in the future part of the journey is prevented through his divine grace. However, it has also been a puzzle for me over the years which god I really had been seeking blessings whenever I stood before this holy shrine. Always confused within, whether he is the Meitei ancestral deity Ibudhou Koubru or the Hindu God Mahadev. It has been heard many times that the particular site had been the origin of the Meitei god Koubru and the same site had been a sacred shrine for many pilgrims over the years as believed by the Meitei religious leaders. As I crouched on my knee against the ground and closed my eyes in deep reverence, my mind became disturbed and desperately failed to utter the name of the God. As far as the inscription and the sculpture of the snakes carved on the slope of the roof of this mandir, it was evidently of Hindu temple pattern. As for me I am no fanatic but this does not necessarily follow that I tend to ignore our history, our own deities. With mixed feelings and utmost melancholy, I simply embraced the name of the creator of the Universe and sought blessings of the unseen spirit while I begged forgiveness from both the Hindu and Meitei God for my failure to utter the name of either of the deities. The old woman who held the prasadi of the Mandir in her hand waiting for me seemed to be very diplomatic in her modus operandi for she queried whether I would prefer the red sindoor or the brownish clay color made out of the mud and used by the Meities in the religious related rituals? I asked in amazement why these two colors were being arranged for the same devotees of God? She said people came here to worship two different gods one preferred red and another clay color. Many of the devotees in fact weren’t very sure which God they worship like me and this is where we are spiritually lagging behind. This is not in particular of Koubru laikha, the same had been practiced in Hiyangthang Hill. The Mahavali Forest… so on. I could not help thinking how all these changes took place? We worship all Gods in the name of secularism but what made all our people topple the indigenous monuments and sacred shrines of our ancestors by some imported religious belief?

We sped up the car in an ever-accelerating speed until we reached the Tadubi landslide where many trucks and other vehicles were lined-up stranded. The local volunteers and BRTF people were working with maximum efforts to clear the mud-heaps caused by the rain two days back for the many anxious bus passengers whose train was scheduled next day. Even till the advanced evening the line was still jammed and the situation was more aggravated as our car fell into a ditch and the wheel slipped. Thank god! The noble Naga volunteers and BRTF people lifted the car from the ditch and helped to reach the other part of the road towards Mao. Poor people! When the world speaks of cyberspace and computer and even plans of having a family trip to Mars, we are stranded in a muddy road depriving thoughts of the future and civilization. In context there also crept unbidden into my mind that sometimes natural calamities though a curse to the human landscape in this region yet undeniably such occurrence brings love, co-operation and brotherhood to the different sections of communities and more practicably evident in Manipur.

It was around 5.30 A.M. in the morning of next day when we were being received by the Taekwondo organizers in Gauhati at Nehru Stadium. The journey throughout the night was tiresome and after having a cup of tea, we straightaway headed towards the bed in the hotel for a much-needed rest.

Gauhati, which has been derived from two words, that is Guwa (betel nuts) hati (small market) has of late acquired the look of civilization in the entire sphere. The city has become more populous than ever and many developmental works in and around the city seemed to be in progress. Many of the major companies have already moved their business bases at this site and in a little more than two years things have escalated in leaps and bounds. Above all, the recent up-gradation of Gauhati Airport to the International class attracts many more business tycoons in this rising City. Infect the City has got all avenues and marks of well conceived town planning with a fair amount of artistry. The surrounding hillock of Gauhati City had been used to accommodate buildings and down below in the city business activities were bustling. Such big houses are rarely found in the City; instead we will see small houses with a neat little gate opening into a quaint and cobbled path leading through the garden. Seeing the active lives in Gauhati and comparing Imphal and our businessmen who sit in front of their shops counting the number of passersby are really pitiable. All the trade and business basically depended on the salaries of the Government servants. The entire market would wear a deserted look when the state government failed to pay the salaries for months together. Though we boast of being the worthy sons of Sanaleibak, the economic position in the state hardly gives anyone a chance to smile. Sanaleibak or a little paradise on Earth hardly balances all these irregularities in the State. Who are to blame? We are all equally responsible. Manipur is burning yet no one tries to douse it because everybody thinks somebody will do it. Literally Manipur is like Abhimeinyu of the Mahabharata in the Chakrabihu maze and got attacked from various angles. Her identity is challenged by the Bishnupriyas, The national highways connecting the rest of the Country are fertile terrain for lootings and robbery and imposition of bandhs every now and then by various organizations to get their demands given regardless of the sufferings of the common people. Politicians go high with the money siphoned-off from the fund meant for public. Instability of Government is a common feature caused by power hungry politicians always compelling dissolution of Assembly and inviting President’s rule in the state. Self proclaimed leaders making tall promises to bring about a “New Manipur” through political process, ultimately changing color and creed – can be summed up as a new cover for an old edition book. Dozens of NGOs with divided opinions virtually putting the masses in a state of confusion. Uniformed personnel supposed to be the custodian of laws and protector of human rights breaking the laws themselves and turning their barrel to those who are supposed to be protected. Shameless lot of two-wheeler crazed teens who threaten their poor parent even to the limit of committing suicide in case of failing to buy one definitely have their due share in jeopardizing the situation. Album hero, heroines have been abundant in and around Imphal and we can find a film star in every household now-a days. The restaurant business had been a quick money earning profession, at the same time breeding ground of all unimaginable depravity. It would have really been a devil mind that really conceived this idea of ‘restaurant’ in Manipur, which is not seen elsewhere across the globe. Unscrupulous people with unprocessed idea of what really a loan is eating up public money in connivance with like-minded loan-officers giving dreams of big and lucrative factory and projects in Manipur and ultimately purchasing a Maruti Car and luxury home. Laymen who are always sandwiched in between the underground and trigger-happy commandoes- are all the stories of the land so called the “Switzerland of the East”. There is a lot more which has eaten Manipur alive; hence, dreaming of a self-dependant, economically sound Manipur and well-civilized society set-up still remains a dream.

The valedictory function of the Assam Taekwondo Association was indeed a heart-rending scene. All the black belt holders since the early 84s till late came to meet the Founder and Grand master, Mr. Khemchand of Taekwondo. A colorful musical band awaited Mr. Khemchand at the gate of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and received him with a splendid musical choir being played by an expert orchestral band. The audience and Taekwondo players alike in the stadium received him with a big standing ovation in the way of a hero returned home. The day would indeed be a red letter day for Mr. Khemchand throughout his life. Mr. Manoj Hazarika the senior student of Mr. Khemchand who also took special responsibility in organizing the Championship said with tearful eyes that he would felicitate and honor the Master in a grand and colorful way, which had never been accorded to any of the Chief Guest in the history of Assam Taekwondo Association. The highly disciplined taekwondoist never tired of seeking the blessings of the grand master by touching his feet. Indeed, the aspirant and disciplined Assamese gave an enormous impact to me. For the moment I couldn’t hold back my own tears seeing the tearful players who really had such a big place for their master in the core of their hearts. I have every confidence in the Assamese and, if they continue to adhere to the present trend of discipline they will surely come on the top someday. Seeing the respect and honor shown to Mr. Khemchand, my mind suddenly recollect Shree Indrakumar one who brought Taekwondo in Manipur and under whose able supervision produced numerous national gold medallists in Manipur. A strong personality, speaking little impressive advice but always the most talked about master of Taekwondo during the 1980s.Now time and persons have replaced him but his contributions in popularizing the sport in Manipur remains still legendary. I wish our players irrespective of all games in Manipur too enriched the standard of discipline along with the game. In the fast changing modern days, our players by and large seemed to have lost disciplinary attitude, which has to be paced up before it is too late.

The three days sojourn in Gauhati revived lot memories besides breaking the monotony of long staying in Imphal. On the way back we halted a night in Kajiranga forest lodge. The neat and tidy air-conditioned hotel room amidst the thick forest always reminded me of long forgotten horror movies and ghostly tales told by local elders during my childhood. The most exciting part in Kajiranga had been the panoramic view of the Himalayas in the clear sky through the window of our tourist lodge in the morning.

Manipur now calls for a reformation which should be a kind of unification, reconcillation among various communities or rather strengthening the deteriorated social system which, a person like me who is by no means an intellect stammering to spell-out what is really to be done? However I would love to knock the doors of each and everyone of those intellectuals and experts to come-out physically and do something to solve the problems in Manipur in lieu of sitting behind the newspaper and pass judgment within the four walls of their own drawing rooms. Manipur is already a small place let us not make it smaller again by creating certain barriers among ourselves.

Author of the article is a gold medal laureate in the 2nd International Ambassador’s Taekwondo Cup in Seoul, South Korea in 1994 and Founder of Taekwondo in Nagaland. Besides sports, he is a very involved social activist too. True to his devotion and belief- be it sport or social work he spent the best part of his life in Kohima for the cause of Taekwondo. He is now based in Imphal where he has returned to concentrate on social issues and works.