A Valediction to Rose

In the silence of the silent night,

When the breeze is at rest.

She took her last breath with all her might;

E’er wanting her breath to last.

She closes her weak innocent eyes,

As death grip hold of her life.

Set forth a journey beyond the skies,

Ne’er to become a man’s wife.

Once a beautiful damsel with no flaw;

Now in an animal’s jaw.

Merciless soldiers who brought her grief,

Mocked her to death, till her grave.

She who died losing her dignity,

Went to that vile grave with shame.

A voice beneath her grave cries revenge,

And whose brother wouldn’t want to avenge?

That the battle’s done, justice delivered.

That, in peace she may lie………..forever.

PS: This poem is inspired by the life story of Miss Rose, a Tangkhul girl of Ngaprum Khullen village in Ukhrul district, who was gang-raped for hours on the night of 4 March 1974 by the officers of 95 Border Security Force. Rose committed suicide on 6 March 1974.

She wrote a suicide note in Tangkhul language to her boyfriend. That suicide note was translated into Manipuri, and it was published at a publication of the Pan Manipur Youth League in 1993. The Manipuri version of the note was again translated into English by Ms. R.K. Smejita

“A Timeless Love letter” written by a Tangkhul Rape victim ( A publication of the Pan Manipur Youth League in 1993 – Translated to English )