Imphal: Renowned filmmaker Mayanglambam Romi Meitei, who recently won the ‘Best Director’ award for his latest film ‘My Home’, (Eigi Yum) at the Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema (KIFMC) in Russia, said that India as a nation can touch on the surface of the Moon, but lamentably, our own people in Manipur can’t even step into their home due to the present ethnic strife that has rocked the state since May 3.
India is a democratic country, governed by representatives of people. However, in such a small state like Manipur over hundreds are killed, thousands who have been taking refuge can’t enter their own homes for more than four months, which is very unfortunate and strange, Meitei said in an exclusive interview with The North East Affairs.
The country, Meeitei said, has been able to send Chandrayaan 3 satellite which touched on the surface of the Moon recently in front of millions of witnesses. The moot point which I would like to pose with the government of India is the difference of distance either to the Moon and those homes that our own people even can’t afford to step inside, he added.
Stating that the longer the crisis, the more cries and resentment will grow, the filmmaker said people are not born to fight each other. People who were born in the city areas might have had a sound sleep at night, but there are thousands who are still homeless. He never felt such pain, Meitei continued.
The “Pee Thadoi” maker said as an artist who was born and brought up in Manipur, he has never experienced the kind of pain, a pain so deep and inexplicable that one cannot find words to express. Our peace loving Manipur is today shattered with the cry of anguish of the people living in the foothills.
The multi-talented filmmaker and lyricist who is a recipient of several awards and who has directed over hundreds films including ‘Thoiba Thoibi’, ‘Inga Nonglakta’, ‘Manithoiba’, ‘Chumthang Makhong’, ‘Mikithi’, and ‘Dharmagi Mingda Imagidamak’, also appealed to the Central government as well as those who are involved in the crisis to consider whether there is any way out or accommodation to end the crisis and bring normalcy in the state.
