'People must be wary of those making false promises'

GUWAHATI: For Akhu Chingangbam, physicist-cum-frontman of the popular rock-folk band 'Imphal Talkies and the Howlers', the election in his native Manipur holds a lot of significance. Though sceptical of politicians and their bid for power, Akhu wants fellow Manipuris to come out in large numbers and vote. "I urge them to vote consistently and not be swept away by any wave. My bandmates and I have been talking about issues that haunt Manipur. People should be wary of those who make false promises," he said.For close to a decade, and to the delight of critics and fans alike, Akhu and his mates have been using music to tell stories from Manipur to audiences outside the northeast. 'Imphal Talkies' has been quite vocal about burning issues in the state and explores them through its music and lyrics. The band released its debut album 'Tiddim Road' in 2009 and has performed across the country. It is known for singing 'protest' songs on issues like politics, insurgency, human rights violations, AFSPA and racial attacks.Politics aside, Akhu and his band want to focus on unifying the ethnic communities of Manipur through their project called 'A Native Tongue called Peace'. Working out of a children's home in Imphal, the band engages kids from three communities in exploring music with the objective of boosting peace."The project began in 2015 and is still going on. The objective is to usher peace among communities. We teach the children arts and music and how to build peace among communities," said Akhu.