Gusmao has kept his new country?s flag flying high

Imphal, Sept. 9: East Timor President Xanana Gusmao is helping a popular Manipuri playwright turn the story of his country?s struggle for liberation from Indonesian occupation into the script of a shumang lila (courtyard play).

To be staged in November, the play, Gusmaogee Khudol (Gusmao?s gift), will cover all major events leading to East Timor?s liberation in May 2002 through a UN-supervised plebiscite.

But why East Timor?

?Because the unity, unflinching patriotism and discipline shown by the East Timorese under the able leadership of Gusmao makes for a fascinating story. In contrast, Manipur is in a state of chaos. There is no unity. I feel Manipur needs a capable leader like Gusmao. I want to spread this message to the people of Manipur through the medium of a shumang lila,? the playwright, Ranjit Ningthouja, said.

Ningthouja, whose oeuvre includes plays based on World War II and the World Trade Center bombing, has been getting inputs directly from Gusmao through email. ?I am in touch with the President to get factually correct information on the East Timorese struggle for freedom. The President is interested in the project and has been very cooperative,? he said.

The play will be staged by the Peace Maker Artistes? Association and the proceeds will go to a fund for the development of roads in Manipur, specifically the NH 53, which links Imphal with Silchar in south Assam. The highway was renovated in patches and reopened to traffic in July, when Naga students were blocking the state?s main supply route, the NH 39.

If the success of Ningthouja?s last two plays is any indication, Gusmaogee Khudol will be another runaway hit. Audiences in several cities appreciated his Lidiceegee Gulap (Rose of Lidicee), based on the extermination of an entire Czech village by Hitler?s army.

Ningthouja said the first thing Gusmao asked him when he sought information on the East Timorese struggle for freedom was whether the script was for a film. ?When I explained to him what a shumang lila was, he took more interest in the project. I sent a copy of the video recording of Lidiceegee Gulap to the President and he was impressed. His Australian wife was totally hooked to the concept.?

The enterprising playwright intends to invite the East Timor President to Manipur to see the play. But his primary aim is to make Manipuris realise the power of unity. ?The relationship between different communities living here is under strain. One does not hear another?s viewpoint,? he added.