Alva's Education Foundation hosts Manipur's ‘Sajibu Cheiraoba' festival in Moodbidri
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner M.P. Mullai Muhilan, who was the chief guest at the event, emphasised the importance of respecting and embracing diverse cultures. 'Manipuri students who come here in pursuit of education should grow as an integral part of the coast, fostering brotherhood,' he said.
Sharing his recent experience of visiting Manipur, Mr. Muhilan said he was deeply impressed with the rich culture, cuisine, language, and traditions of Manipur. 'The adventurous stick dance performed by the Alva's Manipuri students here today brought me even closer to understanding the vibrant culture of Manipur. It is truly commendable that college students have mastered and presented such a dynamic dance form,' he noted.
Kaini Cecilia, a professor from Father Muller Nursing College, Mangaluru, expressed her delight over attending the celebrations with a team from the North East People's Association of Mangaluru (NEPAM). She encouraged the Manipuri students to explore the traditional cuisine of the coastal region, noting that food often leaves a lasting impression of any place one visits.
Alva's Education Foundation Trustee Vivek Alva, highlighted the region's reputation for education, sports, culture, and tourism. Referring to the recently-held Karavali Utsav in Mangaluru, he said that it had successfully showcased the rich culture and culinary traditions of Mangaluru. The Sajibu Cheiraoba festival exemplifies the spirit of unity and familial bonds that Meitei culture promotes.
The event featured an energetic showcase of Manipuri martial arts and cultural dances by Manipuri students.
Attendees also enjoyed authentic Manipuri dishes such as Eromba, Ooti, Champhut, Kampha, and Chicken, Paneer Sana Thongba, prepared by the Manipuri students, a release from the foundation said.
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Time of India
21-06-2025
- Time of India
'That moment when I didn't know how to be a journalist'
Ahmedabad : Grief is supposed to be personal. But when it emanates from an accident playing out in the public, it ceases being private. At the crash site of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad, grief played out under the intense eye of the world. Families clung to photos, whispered prayers, and searched desperately for pieces of their loved ones, surrounded by rescue workers, police, journalists, and the curious. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo I had come to cover the story. To document the first draft of history. To ask questions. But what I discovered standing outside the gates of BJ Medical College , was that, in that place and at that moment, I didn't know how to be a journalist. What I saw refuses to leave me: Two Manipuri sisters had arrived to call back the souls of their loved ones - cabin crew members who had died when the aircraft crashed into a hostel. Live Events One collapsed, wailing. The other stared at the blackened walls. They performed a ceremony - Thawaimi Kousinba - lighting incense, laying out marigolds, and delicately saying words that felt like a goodbye. I stood there, teary-eyed, clutching my notebook, unable to write. It was a story. A human story. And that too an 'exclusive' one. But I couldn't bring myself to speak to them. FLIGHTLESS WINGS On June 12, I was at an office event when my phone buzzed. A plane crash in Ahmedabad. For a moment, I had dismissed it - probably a training aircraft, I had assumed. Then another message: Air India Dreamliner. International flight. Crashed into a hostel. My boss had found me before I found him. "Forum, go to Ahmedabad. Now. We need the human story. We need the aviation story". It should have been an adrenaline rush for any journalist. But I couldn't shake off the feeling - I was chasing a story built on someone else's tragedy. What was the difference between me and an ambulance chaser? By the time I arrived at about 1 am, the fire had long been extinguished, but the search continued. Gloves and masks were strewn across the wide lane leading up to the site. Against the wall lay a 200-feet clipped wing and scorched, with wires spilling out and metal torn to shreds. Perched atop was a hyper-local journalist, performing into a phone mic as his partner filmed him. Aviation journalists all carry their own quiet bucket lists. Some chase cockpit rides, others dream of making an in-flight announcement over the crew phone. For me, it was standing on the wing of a parked aircraft - a simple, almost childlike aspiration tied to the fascination of being an aviation journalist. Irony was, when I finally stood before one, the wing was charred, clipped, and lifeless. It was right there, just a few feet away. But no part of me wanted to stand on it now. This was not how I imagined it would feel. We reached the hospital at 2 am. It was still buzzing. Sirens of ambulances screeched through the night, cutting through the silence, carrying the weight of smoke, dust, and grief that lingered in the aftermath. At the hospital, my colleague and I found a crack in the window near the post-mortem room and peered in. "That is...", I asked. He nodded. A charred arm slipped out of the white cloth and hit the floor. The doctor picked it up, still in conversation with his colleague, and cut into the flesh for DNA testing. My stomach churned. I looked away. GRIEF'S DNA By the second day, the crash site and the hospital had turned into a spectacle. Grieving families jostled with reporters shoving microphones, cameras clicked relentlessly, security personnel barked orders to push people back, but the curious climbed walls to get a better view. The crash brought a media frenzy of over 700-800 journalists from across the globe. Tragedy had become content. Anilbhai, a widower, sat on a hard bench outside the post-mortem room. He'd lost his only son and daughter-in-law. He told me their story as he had told many others before me. "They were going to take me with them," he said. "Now I am all alone. Now I am all alone." Neither of us could hold back our tears. Inside the DNA testing room, I was speaking to a family member of one of the crew when an Air India staffer quietly asked me to step aside. No argument. Just a quiet assertion that I didn't belong there at that moment. I stepped away. Some lines didn't need to be crossed. SHARED EXHAUSTION Over the next few days, the hospital became a revolving stage of familiar faces - cops, hospital staff, volunteers, Air India employees and journalists. We barely knew each other, but we recognised each other's exhaustion. A quiet nod, a shared bench - small acts of unspoken solidarity in the middle of a catastrophe. In most cases we didn't know each other's names, but familial smiles and offering a seat or a bottle of water came naturally. Including the Air India staff that asked me to step aside a few days ago. In the heat that refused to relent, I found a two-star female officer near a barricade outside the hostel. She hadn't been home in over two days. Her shift was about to end when she was told to stay put - a political leader was coming, and the site needed to be secured again. She didn't complain. She didn't have time to. On one of the days at the crash site, I heard a cat-like howl. It went on for more than 15 minutes. I thought two cats were fighting. I tried peeping from above the wall and spotted a black and white dog covered in soot, howling and whining softly. I later learnt he was sitting under the handcart of a tea-vendor, his usual haunt. In a viral video from the crash site, a woman can be seen running towards the man shooting the video. She was the tea stall owner. Her only son had gone to serve tea inside. Later, it was known he lost his life too. The dog which was inside too, had eventually been rescued. On the other side, I watched as a group of men tried to scale a broken wall to get closer to the crash site. The female officer banged her stick on the ground, ordering them to leave. They laughed and said: "Aagad jaiye, tyan thi saaru dekha se." Which translated to, let's go ahead, we'll probably get a better view from there. Even in the middle of unimaginable grief, someone is always trying to get a better view. Between curiosity and cruelty, the line is always thinner than we think. Sitting in the investigator's office, I noticed the deep lines etched into his face, the kind exhaustion that seeps into your bones. He told me he had spoken to the first responders - the airport staff, the ATC officials, the police, the emergency crews. "They are shattered," he said quietly. "Some of them saw it happen with their own eyes. They can't unsee it. The sound, the fire, the falling - it plays on a loop in their heads." A TOUGH ASK I spent a week in Ahmedabad. Before I went to the airport, I made one last stop at the crash site. By then, as DNA matches trickled in, families had begun to find closure. On the way, I passed at least six row houses, each holding the same quiet ritual. A white cloth laid out like a sacred square. A garlanded photo. A burning incense stick. A prayer muttered to the heavens. Grief had spilled from the crash site into homes, into streets, into the air. When my car pulled up near the barricades, I saw flower petals scattered across the road. Someone told me that a family had paused here on their way to the cremation ground. Maybe it was closure. But closure, like everything else in this tragedy, was going to be a tough ask.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Time of India
Singson's remains to arrive today, kin opt to bypass Imphal
Guwahati/Kolkata: The family of Lamnunthem Singson, a 26-year-old Kuki flight attendant from the ill-fated Ahmedabad-London flight, have opted to transport her mortal remains to Kangpokpi district in Manipur on Thursday via Dimapur airport in Nagaland, avoiding Imphal due to the ongoing ethnic tension. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now After the crash, it was revealed that Singson and her family had relocated from Imphal during the early phases of the 2023 conflict. They currently reside in a rented accommodation in Kangpokpi town. "We have received confirmation about a positive DNA match being found in the sample we had provided. Her remains have been identified," said Marina Singson, the cousin of the crash victim. Marina said her family hopes to give their daughter a traditional farewell in her home state. Kangpokpi deputy commissioner Mahesh Chaudhari said the state govt offered support from Imphal airport to Kangpokpi but they respect the family's decision to travel through Dimapur, acknowledging their emotional state during this difficult period. The aircraft carrying Singson's remains and family members is scheduled to land in Dimapur at 1 pm Thursday, reaching Kangpokpi town by 7.30pm. Chaudhari said security measures are in place for the journey. "I spoke to her mother a day back. She is having a hard time coping with the situation. She says she cannot imagine a life or a future without her only daughter," Marina said. She also expressed gratitude for the support and condolences that have poured in for the family. K Songreng from the Kangpokpi district unit of the Kuki Students' Organization (KSO), which is coordinating Singson's final journey, said travelling through Imphal is not viable at present. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Due to the Meitei-Kuki-Zo tension, the family must now traverse 250 km by road from Dimapur airport to Kangpokpi town via NH2, rather than the shorter 75 km route from Imphal airport. Despite assurances from COCOMI and the Manipur chief secretary regarding safe passage, the KSO representative deemed travel through Imphal unsuitable. Prayer services are planned along the Dimapur route. KSO officials have confirmed Friday's funeral arrangements at a Kangpokpi town public cemetery. Local Kuki women are organising a reception at the rented residence where Singson's relatives will bring the remains from Ahmedabad. "This is the biggest possible tragedy for the families to lose their young daughters in this manner. It is immoral and simply wrong to exploit this human tragedy for a vested interest by playing politics over the dead bodies," said Meitei Heritage Society in a media release. The organisation believes that politics is being played by some groups with vested interests over bringing Singson's body through Imphal airport. Meanwhile, Gitanjali Kongbrailatpam, whose 20-year-old Meitei sister Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma was also aboard in the same flight, is in Ahmedabad since June 13 waiting for DNA results. "We are eagerly waiting in the hotel, after they took my sample for DNA matching. They (hospital officials) told us to wait and keep patience," Gitanjali said. "DNA samples of 200-odd victims matched. Hopefully, DNAs of the rest, including my sister, will match today or tomorrow. It's been so long, we just need a confirmation call from the hospital," Gitanjali said. She expressed regret about limited communication with Nganthoi on the day of the incident. "She only sent me a text message sharing the flight timing. She did not talk much that day," she added.
NDTV
18-06-2025
- NDTV
DNA Of Manipur Flight Attendant Matched, Family To Bring Body Via Dimapur
Guwahati: The body of one of the two flight attendants from Manipur who was killed in the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad has been identified from DNA samples, the family has said. The family of Lamnunthem Singson will take her body from Ahmedabad to Dimapur in Nagaland first, and then by road from Dimapur to their rented house in Manipur's Kangpokpi, some 165 km away. After the authorities confirmed the DNA sample match, the family said arrangements are being made to transport the body to Dimapur on Thursday morning. The exact flight schedule is yet to be worked out, they said. The loss of their loved one in the Dreamliner crash has left not only the family of Lamnunthem heartbroken and devastated, but members of the Thadou tribe in Kangpokpi too, many of whom visited the family to pay respects and offer condolences. Lamnunthem and her family once lived in Imphal's Old Lambulane, but had to leave after ethnic clashes broke out in May 2023. Since then, her family has been living in Kangpokpi district as internally displaced persons, or IDPs. The other flight attendant from Manipur who was killed in the crash was K Nganthoi Sharma, who lived in Thoubal district. Her family is still waiting for a DNA match. The Manipur government on June 16 said it was fully prepared to receive the bodies of the two flight attendants at Imphal airport, and "necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that their remains are treated with the highest dignity and respect, and subsequently transported safely to their respective homes." "However, the final decision regarding the mode of reception, ceremonies and other arrangements is respectfully left to the bereaved families. The state is committed to providing all necessary support as per their wishes," the government said. PRESS NOTE Imphal, 16ᵗʰ June 2025 Tragic Loss of Two Brave Manipuri Daughters in Ahmedabad Plane Crash - preparations regarding receiving their mortal remains. It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that the Government and people of Manipur mourn the untimely and tragic... — Government of Manipur (@govt_of_manipur) June 16, 2025 Civil society organisations in the state capital Imphal had also sought cooperation from the public to ensure access to the airport to members of all communities, and assured free movement. The news website The Print reported that Lamnunthem's cousin, N Kipgen, said the family doesn't want her body to be brought via Imphal and is willing to take the longer route via Dimapur. "We do not want to politicise my sister's remains. We requested the authorities to take the Dimapur route because our extended family is there. Secondly, it is not safe for us to travel via Imphal under any circumstances," N Kipgen told The Print before the DNA sample match confirmation came. "We are patiently waiting for the DNA results. We do not know how long we have to wait, but we do not want to be a spectacle." A joint meeting of civil society organisations in Kangpokpi, however, decided that Kuki Students' Organisation members will receive the body at Dimapur airport in Nagaland, from where they will escort the remains on National Highway 2 to Manipur's Kangpokpi. In Kangpokpi, the town committee will form a human chain and hold a candlelight vigil till Lamnunthem's place. 'Some Running Narrative, Unfortunate' The Thadou Students' Association (TSA) on June 16 had expressed concern over what it called were "false narratives circulating on social media, including claims that Imphal airport is inaccessible for the family of late Lamnunthem Singson." "... It is also unfortunate that some vested interests/individuals/organisations are politicising the issue for their own interests, which are best known to them. TSA would like to reiterate that this is not a time to propagate your own narrative for scoring brownie points but rather to stand in solidarity with the bereaved families. We urge the government to monitor and act firmly against those spreading hateful comments or rumors during this sensitive time," TSA secretary general Thangminlun Haokip had said. The civil society organisation, Meitei Heritage Society, on Wednesday said running narratives "is immoral and simply wrong to exploit this human tragedy for a vested interest by playing politics over bodies." "We urge these groups to show some humanity and spare the families of the departed souls for their dirty politics. Instead, let's come together to mourn the deaths of our state's daughters who died in their line of duties and honour them with dignity, who greatly deserved such love and respect, in their final trip back home," a MHS spokesperson told reporters.
