A STORY OF GRIT AND DETERMINATION AMID THE MANIPUR VIOLENCE
Amidst the dark reality that the northeastern state of Manipur has been reeling under since May last year, with no certainty and no knowing what the future holds for many of the youths and especially the students in the violence-affected areas, the story of Ms Vungmalsawm shines bright as a shining example of resilience, dedication and the spirit of never giving up. In the recently declared Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examinations (Commerce), 2024, conducted by the Mizoram Board of School Education (MBSE), Ms Vungmalsawm, daughter of Mr H Chinlang and Ms Manngaihthang, a student of OIKOS Higher Secondary School, Aizawl, secured a top 10 position in the statewide exam, obtaining an exceptional 420 marks out of 500. She achieved this feat despite facing untold challenges, having to relocate to another state following the breakout of an unprecedented ethnic violence in Manipur that had rendered educational institutions in the country virtually inoperative for long stretches of time.
Ms. Vungmalsawm was a student of St. Paul Institute in Lamka before the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur. The ethnic violence had cost the lives of more than two hundred people and rendered thousands displaced. Vungmalsawm, like many others, was forced to leave her home and relocate to Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, in order to continue her studies. To date, both students who have been displaced from Manipur and those that remain in the state face significant barriers to continuing their education, and many of the students based in the Hill districts like Lamka are still fighting for their basic educational rights.
Here is the story of Ms. Vungmalsawm as narrated by her to Fieldnotes.
“When the violence broke out on May 3, 2023, all schools were closed. At the time, we believed that violence would end soon and school could resume normally. But as there seemed to be no end to the violence, and our education continued to be disrupted, we went to Aizawl, Mizoram to continue my class 12 studies. We reached Aizawl on May 25, 2023. I went with my aunty and we stayed at her friend Nu Rengpui’s place till I was admitted to a hostel. As it was my first time there, I didn’t speak the language and did not know anyone there. So I initially felt very much alone. When we reached Aizawl, classes had been going on for two months already, making it difficult to seek fresh admission.
Even though I came from a different board (Central Board of Secondary Education), the OIKOS Higher Secondary School authorities were aware of the violence in Manipur and they showed me kind consideration due to my circumstances. I was admitted to OIKOS Higher Secondary School on May 26, 2023, and started attending school on May 28, 2023. As I was admitted late, I had lots of assignments to submit, notes to write, and preparation to do for upcoming tests, in order to make up for the two months I missed. I struggled a lot with the workload. As I do not speak Mizo, I was able to converse with friends only in English. As Mizo is the main medium of instruction, I struggled a lot initially to grasp the class teaching. Moreover, I longed for home and would even weep in class at times.On our first Accountancy test, I scored 2.5 out of the required 18. This experience disheartened me very much. But I continued to motivate myself and remind myself of my mother who encouraged me not to give up despite the trying circumstances and challenges. Due to my low score, I got detention the next day, and my new friend with whom I was supposed to go back went home earlier. On returning alone, I got lost on my way and had to seek the help of a traffic policeman who was nearby. The kind police booked a scooty taxi and I managed to reach the place where I was staying safely.
During those days, feeling disheartened and desperate, I even went and met my class teacher asking him how I could be on par with my classmates. Our English teacher also advised me to learn Mizo. However, as days turned into months, I began to get acclimated to my new environment and my nostalgia began to slowly dissipate. I also don't have a problem with the language anymore. The feeling of being an outsider slowly passed away in the company of my new friends. My friends in the hostel also did their best to be by my side during my initial days and I feel indebted and grateful for their constant support.
Looking back, I am most grateful to God and my teachers who have shown exceptional dedication. It is because of the guidance from my teachers that I have the laurel I am being conferred with today. I realise that my teachers gave more effort towards our education, even more than the students ourselves.
God knows my hardship and answers my prayers. Not only that, He has rewarded my effort and led me to the path of success. Through my experience, I learned that as long as one is sincere and dedicated, God always paves the path before us.”
Vungmalsawm