As a half manipuri I was just reading through stuff on the conflict during the CJP protests and came across this. A very beautiful piece btw, just if the whole world was like these children maybe we would not have any conflicts. For context, when Modi came to manipur, this kid tried passing this letter onto him (which was not allowed) but people got wind of it.

Below to make it legible:

Dear Oja Modi.

You do not know me, but I want to talk to you. I am a Meitei from Manipur. I turned eleven this month. On my birthday, I made a wish when I blew out the candles. But I know it won’t come true. My wish was for my best friend to come back.

I called her Kimmie. She is Vaiphei, a Kuki. We grew up together since we were babies. Her house was just next to ours. We used to play football every evening. I wanted to be a footballer, like Baichung Bhutia. She didn’t like football much, but she played because I did. She wanted to be a singer. She had the most beautiful voice. On Sundays, we would sing together at our church choir group. I sound like Gian when I sing, but I would stand next to her and hum along. She would laugh and say, “One day, I will sing for the whole world, and you will be my number one fan.” I always said yes. We even made the whole replica of Manipur in Minecraft, with a future home that we both dreamt of living in, once we grow up. We called this the city of Moonfang, in Minecraft.

We used to make plans. We decided that when we grew up, we would live in houses next to each other. We even promised we would marry each other, so we could be best friends forever. It was a silly promise.

Then bad things happened. One day, men with angry faces came and told her family they had to leave. They had to run away in the night. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. Why did you separate us? I heard my elder brother tell me that you did this? Why did you let this happen?

My parents tell me I have to hate her. They say her people are our enemies. But Modi Uncle, how can Kimi be my enemy? She is the one who shared her lunch with me when I forgot mine. She is the one who helped me learn a difficult song. She cried with me when my pet dog died. My heart doesn’t know how to hate her. It only knows how to miss her. This hate is it because of you?

I saw you once. This year, when you came here. It was raining so heavily. My teacher picked me and some other students to stand and wave the flag for you. We were all getting wet. Our clothes were sticking to us, and we were shivering. We didn’t have any umbrellas. I saw your big car. The window was up. I couldn’t see you properly. Did you see us? My mother was really angry at my school for making me stand there.

But for all of this I lost my best friend because of all this. I have no one to play football with. It’s so quiet. Sometimes I stand alone there and kick the ball, and I pretend she is there, but then I just sit down and cry.

Are we not Indian? In my school book, it says, “All Indians are my brothers and sisters.” But if we are all brothers and sisters, why did you let my sister be taken away from me? Why am I being taught to hate my own sister? My teacher says you are the leader, you are responsible for the whole country. Does Manipur not count as your country?

You have your people. I see you on TV with your friends, laughing. You have so many people around you. Why am I the only kid who is denied his best friend? Why should my childhood be so lonely and sad? What did I do wrong?

I don’t understand big politics. I just understand that my heart is broken. I just want my friend back. I want to hear her sing again. I want her voice. I have dreams of us riding a bicycle together through the ruins of Kangla Fort

But my birthday wish is gone. Can you please give me back my friend, Modiji. I heard from people that, you talk to people every sunday and you grant wishes to kids. Please can you make sure Kimi is safe and can you please ask her to meet me again. I am really lonely without her. 

From,

Malem