Its that kind of day when I shut my eyes and transport myself to a small village in Manipur, fewer than a hundred miles from the border with Myanmar. A short, stocky gentleman in a tee-shirt and shorts, his face a map of lines and his wrestlers shins still moist from washing, is seated on a low stool cradling between his strong, weathered hands an elderly Spitz. His wife, youthful in her late forties, tucks an armful of soot-grey ducklings into bed in a straw-lined basket, covers it with a blanket, and joins us for tea that arrives from the kitchen of their tiny, one-floor home that must have not long ago been upgraded from a hovel. They are quiet and reserved, but not unfriendly, and it takes an entire evenings conversation to unlock their handshakes and smiles. They speak to me, as the evening light fades into a thick, hazy winter twilight, about a young woman who has written her way into glory, record books and the nation’s hearts. It’s not often that someone from this neglected nook of India earns such respect and awe. Being proud is something Tonpa and Akham have got used to in the years since their daughter Chungneijang moved away from home, donned a pair of boxing gloves, and punched and feinted her way to history. And became known to the world as MC Mary Kom. I feel humbled and privileged to share that moment of pride, to have written a small part of it for the world to read. - Yahoo editor Bijoy Venugopal reflects on interviewing Mary Kom for the Yahoo India Person of the Year profile in December 2012. Read the full profile here: bit.ly/10l7JNL
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 08:57:04 +0000