Children’s ‘Farewell to Arms’ in Manipur

Children said 'Farewell to Arms' in Manipur when hundreds of them burnt their toy guns in protest against violence.

It was children’s way of saying Farewell to Arms in militancy-hit Manipur when hundreds of them in a village burnt their toy guns–look alikes of AK-47 and M-16 rifles and 9mm pistols–in a symbolic protest against violence in the region.

In a pioneering effort, residents of Keinou village in Bishenpur district collected toy guns from children as well as from shops in the area and set them ablaze at the Keinou High School ground, a statement by the organisers, Keinou Apunba Lup (United Association of Keinou) said.

The idea behind the effort was to save the children from imitating combat fighters while playing with toy guns as it could colour their minds and motivate them to engage in criminal activities, the statement said. Keinous is about 50 km from Imphal.

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Children engaged in mock fights with the guns and imitating militants and security forces was not a good sign, the Apunba Lup said.

The statement said villagers wanted a complete ban on sale of toy guns and that they would try to motivate children to take to sporting games.

Hundreds of children in the village also took out a procession in support of their parents torching toy guns. Placards held by them read, “We love football. We hate toy guns. No to toy guns, yes to yubi lakpi (a traditional Manipuri game similar to American rugby).”

The children also had a game of football.

The bonfire of toy guns is also seen as a crucial first step to protect children from the impact of violence in the state and their way of reacting to the violence which has claimed hundreds of lives in the North-Eastern state.