Misna Chanu, a bilingual poetess from Assam has proved that poetry and literature can also be used in a different way to help the people in need
Imphal, Manipur
The ongoing ethnic violence between Meitei (Manipuri) and Kuki in Manipur, one of the states of India is not unknown to the World. It’s been more than one and half years, Manipur is drenched in tears and blood. But that’s a different story.
Misna Chanu, a bilingual Meitei (Manipuri) poetess, children’s writer, editor and a home maker, born and brought up in Assam (India), has proved that poetry and literature can also be used in a different way to help the people in need. As she promised, on 8th January,2025, she has donated blankets, bought by using the money she received as royalty from the 3rd volume of the book series named “May love Heal the World”, to the violence victims of Manipur who are in the relief camps in this chilled Winter. As Misna Chanu lives in another states of India, miles away from Manipur, on her behalf, her poet friend Laishram Loidamtombi along with some women from “One Stop Centre” and “Meira Paibi (Meetei women’s Organisation)” of Jiribam have distributed the blankets among the families of Manipur Violence Victims, living in the four relief camps of the Jiribam Area (Manipur): Jiribam Higher Secondary School, Sport Complex Bidyanagar Indore, Sport Complex Bidyanagar Stadium.
Regarding her venture, Misna Chanu says, “Maybe, this is like a drop when the despair of the people is like the ocean then I remember that each drop matters!”
“May Love Heal the World” is the book series, Misna Chanu started publishing in the year 2021, during the time of covid-19 in order to help the people affected by covid-19. The first volume was an international poetry anthology compiled and edited by herself. Poets from many countries of the World contributed in the book and an esteemed artist from Singapore named Gloria Fu Keh painted the painting for the book cover.
After the successful publication of the first volume of “May Love Heal the World”, she could successfully donate Indian Rupees 26000.00 to the Foundation in support of the WHO (World Health Organization) and Indian Rupees 10000.00 to PMCares Fund, India.
A year after, she published the second volume of “May Love Heal the World” under the sub title “Songs of the Lilies”. The second volume was a collection of short stories for children. Misna Chanu curated and edited the book and published in the year 2022. From the second volume, she earned Rs.12000 as her royalty and she had donated her entire royalty to UNICEF India for the welfare of the children.
In the year 2024, again she published the third volume of the book series under the subtitle “Flame of A Distant Mountain” in order to help the violence victims of her ancestor’s land Manipur. She also dedicated the book to the violence victims of Manipur. A former diplomat of India, the former secretary Ministry of External Affairs, India and a poet Mr. Amarendra Khatua wrote the foreword for the book. Many poets from India and other countries of the world contributed to the book. Like earlier, she used the royalty she received from this third volume of the book series, to buy the blankets for donation to the affected families of ongoing Manipur Violence at Jiribam Area, India.
She says “May Love Heal the World” is not only a book but a cause or a small step towards a big mission. It’s a mission where through art and literature, I am trying to provide a little help to the ones who need it the most. I am also aware that my effort is just like a single drop in a vast ocean, but in our heart, we must not forget the value of each drop. I cannot heal the world but I am doing whatever I can in whatever way I can to ease the world a little.”
Read: Beyond The Language
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