Demonstrators during a march to Parliament in 2020 against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), near Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi Demonstrators during a march to Parliament in 2020 against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), near Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi

I heard the news long ago that they were looking for me; in the morning in the afternoonat night. My children told me; my wife told me.            One morning they entered my drawing room, the five of them. Fire, water, air,earth60win, sky - are the names of these five. They can create men; also destroy men at whim.They do whatever they fancy. The very avatar of might.            I ask them: “When will you kill me?”            The leader replied: “Now. We’ll kill you right now. Today is very auspicious. Sayyour prayers. Have you bathed? Have you had your meal?”            “Why will you kill me? What is my crime? What evil deed have I done?” I askedthem again.            “Are you a poet who pens gobbledygook and drivel? Or do you consider yourselfa seer with oracular powers? Or are you a madman?” asked the leader.            “I know that I’m neither of the first two beings. I cannot tell you about the lastone. How can I myself tell whether I’m unhinged or not?”            The leader said: “You can be whatever you would like to be. We are notconcerned about this or that. We will kill you now. Our mission is to kill men.”            I ask: “In what manner will you kill me? Will you cut me with a knife? Will youshoot me? Will you club me to death?”            “We will shoot you.”            “With which gun will you shoot me then? Made in India, or made in anothercountry?”            “Foreign made. All of them made in Germany, made in Russia, or made in China.We don’t use guns made in India. Let alone good guns, India cannot even make plasticflowers. When asked to make plastic flowers India can only produce toothbrushes.”            I said: “That’s a good thing. Of what use are plastic flowers without anyfragrance?”            The leader said: “No one keeps toothbrushes in vases to do up a room. In life alittle embellishment has its part.”            “Whatever it may be, if you must shoot me please shoot me with a gun made inIndia. I don’t want to die from a foreign bullet. You see, I love India very much.”            “That can never be. Your wish cannot be granted. Don’t ever mention Bharat tous.”            Saying this, they left without killing me; as if they didn’t do anything at all. Beingfastidious about death I escaped with my life.

—Translated from Manipuri by Robin S Ngangom

Thangjam Ibopishak Singh60win, Manipur(Thangjam Ibopishak Singh is a leading Manipuri poet. He won the Sahitya Akademi award in 1997 for his poetry book Bhoot Amasung Maikhum (The Ghost and the Mask).)

• to
• be
• 60win
• Killed
• Want