My Journey to Bangalore

My Journey to Bangalore

Being Homesick as always, i never had booked my tickets in advance, so was always in trouble in the last moment. I never wanted go, so I didn’t book a ticket or bother to go. This vacation, I got a friend to go with, as his dad had passed away and he had come for the funeral and we had planned to go back together as he stays in Hubli, nearby Bangalore. So with that intention, we booked the ticket a month ago and decided to go as planned. At first, the ticket was on waiting list 60 and 70. We told ourselves we have 30 days to go, we still had more chances. 

When the day finally came, we went to the counter to check. To our astonishment, we didn’t get our ticket confirmed; we were still on waiting list 10 and 11. Yet, we planned to go as we were late for the college as it has reopened a few weeks ago. Even my friend had already missed one month of his classes. So we motivated ourselves and went by waiting list; even my uncle told that it’s ok to go by waiting as we can talk with the TT and get hold of the ticket.

The train started from Dimapur at 11:45. There were lots of vacancies in the train. So we slept in the compartment as if we had the ticket. Early morning around 5:30, we reached Gawahati. That time, people came in, woke us up saying it’s their seat and asked us for our tickets for the seat no. Our ticket was on waiting list so we just said that we were on waiting list. Then we moved near the door. 

We stood there like old fools cause we dint have a place to stay. Then around 8:30 we searched for vacancy and we got it again. This time, we were siting the whole day, till we reached Alipur NJB. Even here people came up from the station and we were chased out from the compartment. We looked like beggars in the train looking for a seat to stay. At midnight, we were looking for the TT to get our bed to sleep at night but it was too expensive as it was during December and lots of people were on waiting list. They charged 1000 bucks for a seat. We begged that we were students, but they wouldn’t agree with us. So we just let go as we hardly had 2000 bucks for the journey and it’s a risk to take money while travelling. After that, we realized that the TT’s seat was empty. So we shared the same seat and stayed there till evening. 

On the left side, there was a pack of family (read pack of wolves) who were staring at us like fools. We just ignored it. We didn’t have anything as there was no place to stay… we were on a hunger strike worrying where to kept our stuff and where to take a seat. Before they slept, one of the grandmas’s told us to sleep in the seat as they were kids and could adjust somewhere else. We were excited. They were murmuring in Hindi, we could understand a bit but not much. Then, they started giving actions, and then we came to know. We jumped with joy in our hearts and were praying and thanking God for saving us. That was the second night. We need three days to reach Bangalore. Then we ordered our food as we got a place to eat and sleep. That food was the tastiest food we ever had, the water we drank was like the heavenly drink. With full satisfaction we ate. 

There was one problem! Again we got only one seat where we two had to sleep. So I slept down with his leg on my face which was smelling like roasted shit and my friend slept upside with my leg on his face, I dunno what my leg smelled of. When we were about to sleep, on the panel there was a girl sleeping next to us, she started talking to us, ah luck favoured us at the wrong time. We started cracking jokes and the problems we were facing. Had I noticed her enough… but she had a pretty and cute face. We were like… oh! I wish I had a ticket and we could have shared the lovely journey with her. She was friendly and talkative.  Till her family got irritated with us and sent her down, we got to know her name and where she stays, but had no mobile no. as there was no phone or pen to write. Then we slept like pigs in the same shit. In the morning, we woke up, took our stuff and that was the third day. We just needed one more night. So we kept our things there and had breakfast in the train hotel. There, we ordered one by one so that we could stay there for long. Even they got irritated and send us out again. Finally, we meet a new TT who promised to get the ticket confirmed for 200 bucks each. Then we went to the compartment where we slept and gave them 200 bucks saying thank you. But they didn’t take it and were just happy that we got our tickets and told us to buy tea on the way and eat something. We said thank you and took the things and left for the compartment, it was in the last bogey. We walked for an hour holding our things. We finally reached it and we happily sat there, the TT was good enough to check on us that we were sitting there, then that day we were so happy that we ate food four times in terms of excitement. Wherever the train stopped, we bought something to eat. Then, we reached our destination. Luckily, my bro came to pick me up at the station. I went to my brother’s place happily

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A self-made entrepreneur

Medotso Khape: A self-made entrepreneur

When you become an entrepreneur, you have freedom to do what you want; start a business where there is less competition,” says 33-year-old Medotso Khape, the owner of Khape’s Leather Goods Design and Repairs located at Red Cross Complex, Officers’ Hill here.

Son of a farmer parents, Khape could rarely afford to buy new shoes in college. He would buy second hand shoes and modify them, and even make sandals out of torn jeans. In no time, he started repairing shoes for his friends and relatives and eventually opened his shop.

With Rs.10,000 in hand and very less knowledge about leather works, Khape started his business. He worked hard and learnt from his mistakes and has come a long way since then. “I learnt from my mistakes. The more mistakes I made, I put more focus on my work,” he shares.

Khape does not have any degree in designs or repairs, but he spent a lot of time watching YouTube, observing people, and visiting factories in and outside the state.

The content entrepreneur also had his share of bitter experience chasing after government job. “I am fed up of going for job interview. Political backing is very much needed,” Khape laments.

Sharing from his experience, he observes that “Naga society is only good at criticizing others; we don’t try to help each other.”

Meanwhile, Khape maintains that employers do not want to hire local people because they are impatient. However, he employs only Naga people. “If we can employ Nagas, we can train them and let him train his friends or family and it will continue on.”

Khape’s store lacks modern machinery, but there is no dearth of customer. “I will get fewer complaints from my customers if I have modern machinery,” he says with a smile.

According to Khape, in business, dedication is the most important thing and one has to take risks. He further encourages educated unemployed people saying, “Think of your future, if you give up, your struggle will bear no fruit. Don’t struggle alone, go meet people and find your way out…depend on your inner will, keep trying, you will achieve.”

Hard work never fails you

Repfusayi Chuzho, a 32 year old is an ordinary man. He is also a self-made man who earns his livelihood through crafting of cups, plates and mortar pestle. Repfusayi was a drop out student of Class 9 from Government High School, Kohima and later came to Dimapur. He learnt about wood crafting when he came to Diezephe along with his family and chose to become a self-employed. “Going to paddy field isn’t my job,” says Repfusayi.

During the initial stage, he started with crafting of key chains, spoons etc. Once the work was established, Repfusayi purchased machines, which boosted his business. Now, Repfusayi says that he works day and night according to his convenience and comfort. He makes around 100 to 120 mortal pestle, cups and around 20 plates a week. Today, he sells the finished products for price ranging from 200 to 500 rupees per set.

While sharing that after deducting all the miscellaneous expenses, he earns around 5000 rupees in a month, Repfusayi also laments, “if I am not lazy, I would earn more than 12,000 rupees in a month.”

He also hires people for help and pays them on contract basis.

Repfusayi says that he uses only Teak wood to craft the products. However, he says, “Since it takes around 20 years for a Teak tree to grow, sometime there is shortage of resources when the demands are high.”

Most of his works are done with the order from the buyer who usually buy the finished products from him and sell in their own shop or resale to others. Repfusayi also says that many people in and around the locality do the same crafting work. However, some sell it in their village or keep for personal use.

“I run my business at home, so there is no disturbance from the government side or the private taxes,” states Repfusayi. However, lack of electricity worries him at time since it keeps his work pending.

Repfusayi, who has a family with three children, says that he must manage financially to send two of his children to school but sometimes he faces problem to pay off their tuition fee. Nonetheless, Repfusayi in a hopeful note, says, “If I have the material, I can look after my family.”

Encouraging young people to follow his footstep of learning skills and earn livelihood instead of complaining, Repfusayi says, “Hard work is the key to success and nothing can be done without that.  Forget about laziness, you have to earn some money if you have to look after your family.”

Jenpu Rongmei: Against all odds

His torrent past is his present day impetus of looking at life in a different light.

“When people ask me to forget the past, I reply that I cannot. You see, when I am annoyed or frustrated; I look back into my past. It challenges me to begin new things, see new horizons,” 30-year-old Jenpu Rongmei says with his ever-smiling disposition.

From an angry frustrated alley lad to a struggling student made bitter by a tragic death in his family, Jenpu has walked life’s thorny path and through sheer girth and forbearance, has emerged triumphant.

Founder of Community Avenue Network (CAN) Youth, erstwhile Young’s Club, an NGO which provides guidance to school drop outs and empowers under-privileged youth, Jenpu is the face and voice of hope to inspire new beginnings for scores of under privileged youngsters and school drop outs whose life has derailed.

Jenpu candidly admits he is an amazing transformation, going by the hardship and wretched circumstances he had to experience.

“I didn’t have a happy child hood. Life was harsh, frustrating and annoying with problems flying all around. Initially I started blaming my family, the society for the fate that had me struggle every step of the way,” Jenpu recalls.

Despite the grim scenario, Jenpu intrinsically felt the tug in his heart to study, become someone and look after his family, relatives and the society. To start with, he began earning on his own to pay his tuition fees.

“I initially worked in a PCO during night shift at the railway station and as part time for ‘Pacific Smiles’ as door to door salesman during the day,” he says. However, life’s pressure was still following him. “At one point, it came to such that I just couldn’t take it anymore. And I could study only till Pre-University.”

Life dealt a more severe blow with the death of his brother, David who was a victim of drug abuse. It changed his perspective of life and death and of the value of human life. “It was a turning point, I didn’t want to see any loss of life after that,” he confides.

Under such circumstances, Jenpu joined an NGO-Bethesda Youth Welfare Centre in 2005 where he saw the mirror of his own life and of his brother in the eyes of many struggling youth. “This was an eye opener for me. What I saw there, of young people crying out for help, I realized I had to do something for them.”

Jenpu then worked at North East Drug HIV Training Centre (2009-10), where he came across similar plight of lost youth and fallen dreams calling out for rescue.

His experiences with the different NGOs and the tragic death of his brother became the driver for Jenpu to start an NGO himself in order to reach out to the under privileged youth and school drop outs struggling to rise from the debris of their fallen existence and tell them that ‘life doesn’t end here.’

From Karbi Anglong to Dimapur: Vendors’ journey of survival

Street vendors have long battled to be recognized as a professional guild. However, that is not the biggest of the issues for many vendors in Dimapur. Majority of the people in Dimapur depend on vendors for fresh vegetables, yet what goes unnoticed most of the time is the journey of the vendors from their homes to the markets.

Pesapi from a village in Assam’s Karbi Anglong journeys to Dimapur every once a week with her load of assorted fresh vegetables. The vegetables she sells at Wednesday Bazaar in Super Market are bought from local vendors in her village at a cheap price. She earns around Rs. 500 each trip, out of which, Rs.100 is spent on bus fare and Rs. 20 on tax.

The profit she makes selling vegetables on the streets of Dimapur is meager, but for Pesapi and her family, the journey is essential for survival. Half of their family income comes through the sale of vegetables.

A daily wage earner with five children, Pesapi’s life is one of struggle. She earns Rs. 120 a day on her working days and her husband works as a Chowkidar in a school, but Pesapi has to find other means of income to fulfill the needs of her family.

Sitting a few steps away from Pesapi is Redhoni, a widow with 8 children from another village in KA. She not only sells vegetables, but also firewood sometimes. On a bad day, she goes home empty hand; meanwhile, on some days, when she cannot sell all of her vegetables, she gives them at a cheaper price as she cannot carry them back home. Juggling between her business and family, she has always been proactive as a mother. “Why I can’t look after my kids, I have been taking care of them my entire life,” she asserts.

Dimapur sees a lot of street vendors from Karbi Anglong, mostly selling vegetables. Neti Sharma and his wife from KA have been coming to Dimapur to sell vegetables to provide for their family and pay for their children’s education. “Education is necessary for our children even though we are poor,” Sharma says. He hopes that his children grow up, become someone in life, and look after the family. “We don’t have any other work. In order to survive we have to work hard and get something for the family, what we sell is what we take home to look after our family.”

Making the impossible possible

53-year-old Sushil Kumar lost both his hands at the age of 18 when he was working at 89 RCC (GREF) in Zubza. While cutting down a tree near a road side, he slipped and caught hold of the tree with both arms …but while he lived to tell the tale the live post meant that he lost the use of his arms.The shock of being armless as a young teenager instead of defeating Kumar’s spirit sparked in him a fire to rise to the challenge of his condition. Not to say moments of dying as an alternative did not invade his thoughts. Only that the thought to fight his inability outweighed the sense to go down with his loss.
He wasn’t ready to be a beggar like the many people he would see begging if they were physically disabled. The thought of him how people would perceive him was most frightening. There would be some kind persons but there would also be those who would slap or kick him, he told himself.

He decided then to meet the incumbent Chief Minister, the late JB Jasokie. As expected, it was difficult meeting the Chief Minister, and Kumar’s request was turned down several times.It was only when he was on his last leg of hope that the doors opened, and he was finally face to face with the Chief Minister.
But if Kumar thought the meeting was going to be enough to start him up in life he would learn from that meeting that while human beings are quick to judge by the cover of one’s physical appearance, the spirit inside is often missed.
While the Chief Minister was shocked to see his condition, Kumar says it was hard for him to convince the man that a person without both his arms was not completely useless. Kumar recalls telling the late leader that while he may not have hands he still had a “brain that works, eyes to see, ears to hear and a mouth to speak”.
After a few attempts and misses one which also saw Kumar stationed in Nagaland House, Kolkata for two months, Kumar made his way back to Dimapur on the kindness of the manager, he recalls.

He once again met Jasokie, no longer Chief Minister of the state by then, who offered him the post as a watchman for Khosa Mill, owned by the Indian Plywood company. This worked for a while but with the Supreme Court ban on timber felling in the North East this too was shut down. The mill was shut down in late 1990.

Once more uncertainty overtook his life as he barley had enough to make ends meet.
Moreover in 1985, he had married and had two children to also look after.
He says the children were his strength to get atop his situation. He wanted to give them the best he could. He wanted his children to study in the best school, to achieve something great in life. He said he would often tell them that he would have no peace of mind if they were unable to stand on their feet.
To support his family, he tried his hands as an auto driver by investing in a second hand auto. But the daily maintenance was more than he could afford.
With his remaining savings he bought a small plot of land and built a shop which he also gave on rent.
Kumar is careful to attribute his achievements to his wife and children who he says have been his support through thick and thin.
He told Eastern Mirror that the only way to go forward in life is to work hard.
He said his disability has taught him the most precious lesson about life that ‘you have to try and try again till you succeed”.
He challenged the youth who complain about unemployment with his story.

He wished to share with them the universal truth that when you look for solutions they are there and likewise problems tend to hang around as long as you let them.

The Three Goodbyes

Vacation was finally about to get over; just some ten days were left for me to go, didn’t book my ticket in advance as I do always but luck matters i got my cousin brother who was the same like me who was going to the same destination, so he promised me to book a ticket for me too for takal . So talking with my parents, I got the permission to leave my hometown since I got a company , the distance to where I study was some 3000 kilometer to my institution..so Slowly we got the day fixed and money was being manage. it was Friday the day we planned to leave, So the day before i.e. Thursday , I went to visit all my friends to forbade goodbye. the whole day going everywhere whom I consider as friends .Unknown of my family concern, I was having tea with my friend. That very moment my mom and my family member start calling me in my phone, don’t know why. Suddenly I got a text from my sister that my cousin bro isn’t going back as he is busy. Then I called them up to confirm it, even to my cousin but nothing was wrong, only the family was worried as I was roaming the whole day and wanted to me to stay before I go. So I hurried back home saying to my friend that time has come for me to go back. Knowing the facts I got irritated that told them that am not leaving the very next day (the truth was I prefer to stay). .

 So with that intention, that night I stayed home and no wander they agreed with me. Then I stay back at home but felt shy to go out wandering around again.
On Monday I pack all my things, that day my Dad drop me to Dimapur . But after realizing that there were no tickets on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday, so I plan again to go back to kohima so that I can enjoy with my friends who were there in Kohima. With no intention of staying back in Dimapur. I started moving out to kohima,.But the very next day , there wasn’t anything to do so I had a thought to go back where ????????(hometown of course )so went back in the evening. There i go again.

 Heading home, all my friends and relative were shocked to see me again with big eyes and confuse. That night my friends call me up saying that my hometown team was in quarter final i.e. Basketball. I had a thirst in basketball that my body starts itching to go there. With lots of convince and trust, I got a chance to go where my friends were playing saying I would be back the same day. That very day .i.e. Wednesday luck favored me; I got my uncle who was going there. That day was so cool that I had no intention to come back home again, I told my uncle to go back without me. Even my team had won and was in semi final. So I stayed with my team in the camp that night. The next day i.e Thursday, my team won the semi final but couldn’t finish the final, they tried their best but couldn’t defeat the other team, at last they came clashing down in the end. On that very day I meet a friend who said that he is going back to Kohima, I was so happy that I got a transportation to go back to kohima, take a taxi and go back to Dimapur then I won’t say goodbye to my friends again in my hometown. But when the day got over, his dad couldn’t turn up to take us back to kohima, so I told my friend that am going home cause there was transportation to my hometown. Ah I went back home again at night, the very next day.

 As soon as I got up,I went running to town again to get myself a taxi so that I could go to Dimapur and catch the train as my train was about to depart on Saturday, I was standing in the station on Friday looking for a taxi. Glad that day I meet very few friends and forbade goodbye to them. Soon I got a taxi and I went back to Dimapur safely, and then i went to my destination.

The lucky one

Bizzo had no idea why he had joined up the college, somewhere in the middle where he doesn’t know anyone, walking at the college or at first glance to the college; he didn't like the looks and way of approaching of his fellows mate. Due to compulsion or necessities he made up some new friends during the past few weeks of the college, one sudden day he notice a girl chatting with her friends, she was smiling and giggling where he fall in love at first sight. 


Unknown of her, he started to hunt her, make new friends to know here. After some effort he got to know that it was her senior in the college but he love fall blindly. Then he started to know about her and notice her in the early of the first year in college (St Anthony College), that time bizzo was pursing his studies in class 11 as arts student, he kept on thinking about the girl whom she had seen that he started collecting news about her from his fellow mate. Until his friend told her that she was in Facebook. Then he came to know her name in Facebook, her name was Ajung. Then he started to friend her in Facebook and started chatting with her on social network until he got her number as time went by, within no time, they came to know each other well, it became the most memorable thing for Bizzo in St Anthony College. The sweet memories lay behind was there. Where he started meeting out for evening walks or go for shopping. 

One fine day came where he got a chance to invite her as the college was organizing

 college fest, when he starts to asked her out that day, with some sweet words she finally said yes. He was so excited about that day, thinking of staying with her in the college make him so motivated that he hardly spend time on doing nothing but think of her, the whole time. Finally that day came, during that silver jubilee time became an unforgettable moment as it was the first meeting , both of them looks hyper innocent and shy types, he had a butterflies in the stomach that he hardly utter some words that day, looking at each other, they just smile and went on with the day. And the day went off. After that day he became more attached to her, day by day he started to like her more and more, that, he has just have fallen on her love trick. 

Love didn’t last long much as time fades Bizzo started to flirt with some other girl naming Tolika like some spare tire for him, he went fooling around not noticing the love of Ajung. She was just a card in the game of Bizzo. He just love to be around with someone, he wasn’t aware of the fact what really love was, he just thought love would be just loving but he didn’t realised what real love was, time came by where Ajung start noticing that he is going with some other girl, she felt so bad that she left him without telling him. She started to treat him badly that he notices her, that something was wrong with her and that she is leaving him but he dint care about her much that very time as he had found someone near to him (yet he kept in touch with her occasionally) Until he found out that Tolika, whom she was hitting on her, was making a fool of him, she had another affair with some other guy. He thought he would go back to Ajung but he didn’t. Within a few weeks, he started hitting on a chick again for fun. But this girl also left him saying that Bizzo always disturb him and never allow him to study. Bizzo was like ah am having a headache in having a girl friend in his life, I wished i had Ajung, she won’t betray me, he could not find a better girl than Ajung, she was everything to him. He realised that he had made a mistake in loving the wrong person but it was too late for him to go. It was the time for Bizzo leaves the college as he had finished his P.U. he couldn’t do anything but said goodbye to her before leaving the college and he left a broken heart. 

Waiting for the result, he wasn’t the same like before, he stops flirting around, he tried to be matured and be gentler. Then he tried to change himself making the best used of his time, he dint lose heart on Ajung, he kept a contact with her. Getting more close to her, he starts to ask her to come and meet him once. At first he didn’t succeed but with effort he made it. They fix the Date of meeting and where about. Finally the day came where they meet each other again somewhere. The conversations started with hi, how are you, how is life until Bizzo took the guts to talk about how sorry he was to her.
This is what he said to the beloved lady

You know love was there but I was reluctant and greedy about everything; I didn’t have enough time for you when you were there for me. I guess I did the wrong thing to leave you, so had to regret but got no option, the truth is am a flirt, restless, spoiled child. But you were the one to change my world, you were just the one and only who let me fall in love and do anything if you say yes, I know you are much more older to me but I don’t know I have just fallen for you, it seems to me that love is really blind and I know love will find a way for us. Show me the way to make a start all over again. Show me how to love you, Show me the road back to your heart, and I've learned the only truth that I need to know, there’s a million places where I can go, but without you it’s not love. Without you life seems unworthy of being living. Sorry I was thoughtless and foolish but trying is the only way to know that I really like you and I wanna come back to you and start all over again.

Ajung start to flatter as she heard it. Then tears rolled on her eyes as she said yes. That day they were together the whole day holding each other hand. They were happy again, from that day till today they are in relationship patch. What about your love, how much do you love your mates, is your love true or just flirting around with someone. Make a choice of loving a person you l never regret the future. Love will always find a way. Don’t worry, no one is perfect in life, we tends to make mistakes in life; try to repair it with better manure. Make the best used of it. Your world belongs to you, not any other person.