Image by Ngoc Son Bui from Pixabay

Mother Cecilia

Manipur is one of the seven-sister states in North East India known for its spellbound beauty of green mountains along with the simple and soft-minded people that attract many travellers to visit the state, but the recent continuous ethnic trouble for over a year or more between two major tribes, Kuki and Meiti made the situation very tarsed. Every dawn brings the harbinger horror of killing and looting, ravaging and raping, abduction and threatening. There is no sign of escalating trouble which has been continuing since March last. The government apart from holding some insipid meetings with different groups, has nothing much could do so far. Applying the dreaded Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act also could not bring any hope rather it makes the situation beyond control. Both the militant groups, armed with modern weapons, stormed into the opponent villages and plundered lives and assets. They even barge into the government relief camp and are successful in abducting the homeless people, creating panic and then subsequently killing the abductees. The land, which was once a safe home for Kuki, Meiti, Manipuri Naga, Nepali, Bihari, and Bengali together in a cordial atmosphere is now a place where one community do not trust other, but in this condition also, a sexagenarian lady can move freely in the difficult hill terrain and in difficult hours without facing any problem. For her, day and night are the same. In the dark night she can move with a little torch and a stick, reaches the thatched house of a poor family and bails them out of imminent problem by offering her service and care. This, she is not only rendering now but is giving from her young age when she was pained to see the trouble and misery of the simple people on the hill. She is Pungadila Cecilia, a Manipuri Naga, a loved and respected lady, now, known as mother and grandmother to the people, irrespective of religion, caste and tribe. She has no fear and can move anywhere on the hill at any time. Everybody even the man with the gun also benign and sobre before her and helped her to reach their destination.

The lady, a resident of Mount Everest village, observed at her young age, that people of her area toiled hard to reach the hospital. There was no metalled road. There was no vehicle available to carry the patient to the hospital which is at a far distance and many pregnant ladies, she saw, delivered their child in a disastrous manner, not getting a skilled hand to help them and the quacks but dedicated some local ladies were coming for rescue. As they did not have proper knowledge, so, many times their effort ended up in deep sorrow. Those incidents pained her very much and she decided to help the patients after learning the necessary knowledge and skill.

Then she started attending to the pregnant lady along with those dedicated quacks, saw their activities from close, helped them by doing some allied jobs and thus started getting basic knowledge on her own. She had some education, started collecting different journals and books and was grossly engrossed in learning the techniques of childbirth. She came in contact with some experienced lady who had scientific knowledge and learnt some advanced procedures that helped her today to become a respected mother and grandmother of the locality.

Manipur is a hilly area. Barring a few cities like Imphal and others, most of the citizens are living in villages which are scattered over the terrain. The villages do not have the basic amenities to live a decent life but people are vibrant and simple. The calm, quiet and hard-working people were very happy before starting the unrest but were facing difficulties in reaching the far distant hospital with the serious patient. Many patients died during shifting and had serious problems on the way. The poor economic condition also caused hindrances for the hill people to shift. Today also, remote villages are deprived of modern facilities like good roads, electricity etc. but there, Mother Cecilia is available for their rescue.

Now, there is no agony, no distress, no fear for the would-be mother and her family because their all Sweet Mother is available. She is always ready to give advice and the patients never consider her as a doctor but as a near one. The advantage of this god-figure mother also, that she is from this area, she knows the economic condition of the family and is also aware of the availability of food-stuff here, so, always makes plans and gives suggestions for those things which are possible for the family to arrange.

Mother with her pleasant personality and smiling face, untiringly working round the clock and bringing happiness to her region around. Now, even people of great distance are coming to her instead of to qualified doctors and if required taking her to their residences. Mother also, without hesitation attends to their call and with her magical sense of touching, gives fruitful advice.

Now, Ms, Cecilia, is a mother figure. She is regarded as a God irrespective of all communities, even the erring two militant groups who are tottering with guns also pay respect for her nobility.

She has now made one caregiving centre at home where she keeps some modern but essential equipment required for safe childbirth and people around the area coming here with the pregnant ladies and she gives the treatment to all without any restriction.

But even today, if any family cannot come to her clinic, she goes to their house, if required the odd hours also and gives the necessary treatment.

One day when she was going to her patient's house, was intercepted by the jawan of CAPF who asked her to return because there was a restriction on the movement in the street. The strong lady was undeterred. She was determined to go there but was not allowed. In the meantime, some local police officers when identified the Mother, arranged for her safe passage.

Similarly, the militia group also pay obeisance to this old lady and never obstructs her movement.

All in the hills are happy for her unique sense of assessing the condition and her magical hand that brings lives to this earth.

She in order to come close to the people and learn more about the diseases enrolled herself as an ASHA worker and became the best in the district. She is an Accredited Social Health Activist now and has recognition for her work.

When the entire Manipur is on the tenterhook of abduction and loot then this Mother, Pungadila Cecilia, is a beacon of hope to many Manipuris.

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