Cycling the Revolution - Manipur Diary 3

I am in my favourite place of being again. For Manipur is not just a place where you live. Here you be, a part of things happening around you. Some inspiring and some unpleasant. And you laugh at everything.  

I am here after what feels like a long time. In the meantime some economic blockade of the highway has happened. The congress won the last state elections completely. One sided. ‘No opposition?!’ I express my worries of basic western democratic understanding. ‘But many young people have won and 3 women MLAs too for the 1^st time’ - I am assured. Thing in Manipur is never one sided.

The first meeting, I invite myself to, is the meeting of the Manipur Cycle Club – MCC as they like to call themselves. They are having their annual meeting and the elections for the new board. Ram my friend has already received domestic threats of divorce from his wife Nandini if he becomes the president. Going by the feel in the air, some lawyers might be able to make money if Nandini acts her threat. I try to mediate randomly few minutes before the elections. Turns out, Ram is the new president. Few who are at the know about the threat look worried. Nandini looks happy. There goes my story about the domestic drama. I try to pay attention to the MCC instead. 

MCC started in Jan 2011. Some people who like to ride cycles and think about their place, the world etc came together to ride and promote riding of cycles.

They are really enthusiastic about it. Already they have got people to pledge to ride cycles, bought cycles for people to rent, doing BMX stunts, giving away cycles to people, printed t-shirts. They are talking about including cycles in the Imphal development plan and talking to the government about making policies to make Imphal a cycle city. Through cycles they are ‘defining’ their city. They are talking about economic development, climate change, of health and life, memories and science. They have organized cycle tours to the Sangai Festival 2011 and have published a book with a collection of writing on cycles and the larger benefits of riding cycles. The book is called Cycle for Life and the writings cover from philosophy to humour around the cycle.   More about their hectic activities here http://mancycleclub.blogspot.in/

Imphal is always in some very interesting crossroad of time and things. Right now under the Asian Development Bank’s Jawharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (ignore the ridiculous naming), the city is planned for a change. There will be roads and markets made, arrangement for public transport and such designs done. The MCC sees this as the right time to include cycles in the city planning and make a city for people and the future. Great stuff! 

What I like best about the club about the club is the BMX riders. This is why Manipur is so cool. Where other people play cricket and kabaddy these kids are BMXing. And from what I read, in Bobo Khuraijam’s article E=MC² is that kids have been doing it here for years. 

Really, cycling city is such a good idea. And I have a feeling Imphal is on its way to become one. That’s why I am going to move to Imphal. Can you even imagine Guwahati ever becoming a cycle city? Ram talks enthusiastically about cycles to everyone he meets now a days. That’s why he has become the president you see. He told me I should go and talk to the minister of Guwahati about policies to make at least some parts of Guwahati only for cycles. Really they should. But I told Ram I am not going. Because if I tell anyone in Guwahati about cycles, they will laugh at me. They will think either I am being loony or I am saying this because I do not have the money to buy the latest biggest guzzler. So I refused.

Ram says this is what everyone says. MCC went to meet the chief minister of Manipur to ask him to support the cycle revolution. He said – ‘Why do you want to ride cycles? Drive cars na.’ Amazing! Only a politician can say that.

They are however not disheartened. They have plans of popularizing the idea and getting public support. Every one I have met supports the idea when they hear about it. If they are already not a member of the MCC that is. When I move to Imphal, I am willing to become the member of any club for the first time in my adult life to join MCC. If my office does not support me, I will sell my car and do it.