'Come back before dark' are words that every young person in Manipur has heard ad nauseum. Of course, repetition does not make them irrelevant. Depending on the prevailing political situation, or the level of insecurity, these words can take the form of advice or a threat, uttered every time one steps out of the house. And these words are relevant to Manipuris of all ages, ethnicities and genders, though especially young men. Amidst the fear that pervades the Imphal Valley after sunset, though, the pursuit of entertainment remains an ongoing one.
This writer remembers an evening in late 2009, when large groups of excited people – young and old, male and female – were heading towards a public compound, locally called a lampak, in the Wangkhei area of Imphal. Lampaks generally serve as community spaces, a sort of unenclosed park. A moora (a low cane stool) in hand, chewing on paan following an early dinner, most of the people were discussing the day's events while heading towards the night's shumang leela, literally meaning 'courtyard play'. An all-male troupe, the Peace Maker Artiste Association, was performing the popular play 21st century gi kunti (Kunti of the 21st Century). The storyline revolved around the impact of being exposed to cultures different from those that are indigenous to traditional, conservative Manipur.
As the play progressed, the theme became distinctly political, reflecting the shift in the ideologies of those who went underground in the name of revolution, and how some came back aboveground and joined mainstream politics. On stage, the actors also explored the distancing from ideology in the so-called revolutionary movement in Manipur, and the transference of allegiances from the side of the rebels to the embrace of the state. That six unique productions of the Shumang Leela have been produced to date are proof of its popularity. Then again, perhaps the crowds are testament not to the power of the performance but rather to the stark reality that the occasional play, film screening or concert is the extent of the night-time entertainment available in Manipur today.
A more benign time
This was not always the case. During the 1980s, families would commonly head out to watch films after work, carrying their sleeping children back home late in the evening. Streams of people walking down the streets of Imphal, on their way home after the 6 pm film showing was a routine sight. One of this writer's lasting memories is catching the last show of the martial-arts film Fists of Fury (1972), and falling asleep after complaining about Bruce Lee roasting a frog and eating it. Little did I know then that Bruce Lee, and other popular stars, would soon disappear from the big screen in Manipur.