Grandma’s 

Bed Time Stories

Grandma, Kongbam Ibeyaima (born November 8, 1937) was honoured with the Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2010 by the Sahitya Akademi on November 15th. She was also honoured with the Asangbam Minaketan Angang Nawa Sahitya Mana 2010 by Manipur Sahitya Parishad on the occasion of the celebration of its platinum jubilee in Imphal on Nov 22nd.

She was selected by the Sahitya Akademi for her second book ‘Soraren’s youngest daughter Leimashang and other folk tales’. The award carried Rs 50,000 in cash and a copper plaque. These were presented to her in a glittering function at Meghadoot Theate, New Delhi by Sunil Gangopadhyay, President of Sahitya Akademi.

The honour given to her for her folk tales is rare and this will go a long way in restoring the traditional family values in India and Manipur as well. The folk tales were bed time stories a grandma and other elders used to tell their grand children 20 or 30 years back. In this modern age of television and laptops, these stories have gone out of fashion. Besides this, the parents of today have no time to narrate these bed time stories even if they know them which is a rare thing in itself.

Grandma Ibeyaima in her childhood days used to listen with rapt attention to the bed time stories narrated by the family elders. It was something she and other children of the family had looked forward to. She says that she is publishing these bed time stories in book form for the children. It is another story whether today’s children will have time to read such old fashioned stories in these days of cartoons and cable television.

Grandma Ibeyaima’s first book of folk tales was entitled ‘Eagle and other folk tales’ containing 12 stories. This was published in 2004. She says that encouraged by the recognition accorded to her, she is working on her third book which is a collection of 22 folk tales. Certainly these books are treasure troves for posterity.

Grandma Ibeyaima is a traditional Manipuri woman and she had studied up to standard VI only which was exceptionally high in those days when women were not encouraged to study at all. It goes to her credit that all her 6 children are now shining in their own fields. She was also honoured with the Telem Ningol Atoibema award in 2009 instituted by the Naharol Sahitya Premi Samiti, Imphal.

A woman of her age generally relies on the achievements of her children, reminiscing on the years gone by. But grandma Ibeyaima keeps herself busy with her pen since she plans to write all the folk tales she had heard as an 8 year old girl before age catches up on her and memory fails her. She has been given due recognition and many more laurels are on the way.

Kavita Laithangbam