A day after the world celebrated ‘International Women’s Day’ in which women were made to feel special, there are few who have fight all the odds in life and are special in their own way.
As what could be expected from a woman of just twenty-seven year old whose husband passes away leaving behind two minor sons? Ordinary women in such situations simply try to cope up with the situation or simply pass an ordinary life. But, there are few women in our society who fights for her rights and strives to provide her children a better life.
Memcha Devi, a resident of Manipur who is now of 52 years, has spent almost 23 years without her husband. She always says to her children, “I have lived with your father for eight years and without him, have almost survived for twenty years.”
Memcha Devi faced a lot of problems raising her children. Rather than sympathising, they accuse her for being unlucky for her husband. Neither did she receive any financial nor any psychological support from her in-laws. Her older child was then seven years old and the younger was barely six months old. She received only 590 rupees as part of her husband’s pension. From the mere pension money that she received, she could only fulfil the younger’s cerelac and the older’s school fees.
However, as days spent by, all her savings were spent. In order to run her household, the pension money was not enough. So, she had to sell her clothes (phanek) which she got it as a wedding gift from her mother. Once she sold her phanek, she saved tw hundred rupees, and from that, bought some raw bananas and carbide (chemicals used to ripe bananas). In three days, it was riped and she sold it in the market (ema keithel). To her surprise, she got hundred percent profit. That was her first step in the world of business.
After the market was over, with the left out bananas, she used to feed monkeys of the Zoological Garden of Manipur and in Mahabali Temple (one of the largest population of monkeys in Manipur). She still feeds them without missing a day. It’s been 15 years now and it has become part of her daily routine.
Later, she was so much occupied in her banana business that Memcha Devi’s younger sister looked after the children at home and cooked for them. Both the children needed supervision. If she carried one to school, she had to leave another on bed all day alone.
Memcha Devi never thought of remarrying again as she was a true believer of ‘Modern Sati’. She was not amongst those who jumped on their husband’s pyre instead those who take the oath to protect her husband’s bloodline and worship her love throughout her life. Still today, she embraces her husband’s old coat and keeps it on her bedside.
Today, Memcha Devi has people working under her who plants bananas all over the hills of Manipur. Also, she is into Blanket business and supplies blankets all over Keisampat International Market. Her younger son is into film making and owns a Fashion Academy and the older one is an IAS aspirant. She has also constructed a three storey building in the heart of the city. She sings Esei (Krishna Devotional songs) for recreation with her friends at temples in evenings.
Both the sons of Memcha Devi salute her for all her courage and achievements. However, not only for her children, she set an example in her society who even after undergoing all kinds of sufferings, pain, and sorrow never lost hope. She was a person who believed in her dreams and tried to give the best of all to her children.
On this women’s day, we salute this woman and all those who fought and are still fighting all over the world for their dreams and their rights.
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