By: Lamabam Ayangba
Ode to Manipur, Land of Grief and Strife,
Where corruption reigns, a blight on life,
In this realm of green, where dreams once thrived,
Now withered hope, where honesty’s deprived.
Citizens suffer, hearts heavy with despair,
Lives lost, homes shattered, in the tainted air,
Their cries unheard, as shadows lurk and roam,
In this land, they call their treasured home.
Naharol’s twisted hands, their protection tax,
From innocent souls, they mercilessly extract,
As businessmen and citizens bear the weight,
Of a system broken, in this dire state.
Soldiers in camouflage, with tear gas they invade,
The sanctity of homes, where innocence has played,
Terrorizing hearts, in families they incite,
Barging in, beating souls, under the cover of night.
Leaders turn a blind eye, their conscience sold,
Even the Prime Minister, his heart grown cold,
As Manipur bleeds, in this dark abyss,
Their apathy and silence, a venomous kiss.
But midst the chaos, beacons shining bright,
Kangleichas, warriors, in the Games’ grand sight,
Not the first, for medals they aspire,
In the Olympics before, their spirits never tire.
Unemployment spreads like a relentless blight,
A consequence of affairs that are far from right,
In this land, where once dreams would bloom,
Now shackled by despair, casting a shadow of gloom.
Twenty thousand acres of forest, now laid bare,
For poppy’s growth, the government unaware,
Manipur’s essence lost in the Golden Triangle’s snare,
As it drifts away, into a nightmarish nightmare.
Narcoterrorism, a venomous plague,
In the heart of Manipur, it finds a stage,
Where lives and dreams are held in thrall,
As this land weeps, a somber pall.
In this heartbreaking tale, Manipur’s despair,
Where beauty and tragedy blend in the air,
A land of contrasts, in pain it resides,
An ode to Manipur, where hope slowly subsides.
In the midst of darkness, they stand so tall,
With hearts unyielding, they’ll never fall,
For Manipur’s sake, they’ll fiercely defy,
Ready to fight, to live, and to die.
In their souls, a fire burning bright,
A fearless spirit, a relentless fight,
For Manipur’s honor, they will rise,
With unwavering courage, under Manipur’s skies.
