Meet Rilun on his first visit to Imphal
Peace and Love tour
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 10 2008: For Rilun it was his first visit to Imphal and the excitement building up inside was best exemplified by his curious eyes that did not escape anything in his new surrounding, be it the tall buildings, fast running cars and buses or the garbage piling up on the road side.

A student of class VIII, Rilun was among a group of students and teachers of Model English School, Sanakeithei in Ukhrul district who participated in an educational tour of historical and tourist places in the valley under the sponsorship of Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) today.

DESAM leader flagging off the bus for the Peace and Love themed tour

Organised under the theme of 'Shanti and Nungsinaba' (Peace and Love), the DESAM sponsored tour covered Kangla, Manipur University and Loktak lake.

After the students and teachers numbering around 112 of them arrived in two buses at the Khuman Lampak Bus Terminus, Chingmeirong Khongnang Karak here in the morning, president of DESAM Ashirjit Luwang flagged off the tour from there.

Interacting with The Sangai Express, Rilun said that it was his first visit to Imphal and he was really excited at the prospect of seeing Loktak lake of which he had heard so much about from others and read so much about in his text book.

Rilun informed that although some of his classmates have already been to Imphal, many others never had the chance of visiting the State capital.

So they are really thankful to DESAM for providing such an opportunity.

At Kangla, the students and teachers were seen jostling for space to click photographs in front of the imposing statues of the two Kangla Shas.

At Manipur University, some of the students were awestruck at seeing the sprawling campus and the newly constructed faculty buildings and were heard conversing among themselves that they would like to study in such educational institutions when they grow up.

But it was the Loktak Lake that captivated the hearts of the touring teachers and the students of the Ukhrul school the most.

The sight of the vast expanse of the biggest fresh water lake in the whole North East region mirroring the clear azure sky on its surface till the eyes could reach and greenery round left many young students wondering that the picture of the Loktak Lake in their text books is not as breathtaking as the sight they were beholding.

When approached for comment, a girl student from among a group of giggling girls mustered up the courage to say out 'Yamma Phajeiye' (Its very beautiful), making all others to laugh out loudly.

In connection with organising the tour, president of DESAM Ashirjit Luwang said that even if it was the first tour of the historical and touristic places in the valley that the DESAM has sponsored for the students and teachers coming from Ukhrul , it intends to organise more and more similar tours in the future with the main objective of promoting peace, unity and love.