PM Modi in Meitei headgear overcomes Hindi hurdle

IMPHAL: As the helicopter carrying Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerged as a speck on the horizon at around noon on Saturday, the sea of humanity below shouted out in unison. As he delivered his speech, the audience broke out into frequent claps. Amid all the enthusiasm, however, a murmur or two of discontent could be heard. The reason? The Prime Minister spoke in Hindi. Almost half the crowd could barely understand what Modi was trying to say. The state BJP had not engaged an interpreter. While some in the audience yelled for a speech in Manipuri, others grumbled about the lack of an interpreter."He (Modi) is a great man. We have seen him on television and newspapers before. Today, we saw him in person. But we found it hard to understand his speech as it was in Hindi. An interpreter should have been engaged," said Rajen Singh, a BJP sympathizer.While the nuances of his speech remained unclear to many, Modi drew many cheers when BJP leaders placed the 'Ningkham Samjin', a traditional Meitei headgear on the Prime Minister's head. The 50,000-strong crowd on the Langjing Achouba ground adjacent to a CRPF group centre in Imphal frequently roared in appreciation as the man of the moment took potshots at Congress.The BJP, which aims to overthrow Congress's 15-year rule in Manipur, has fielded candidates from all 60 seats. "The Modi wave has become a reality today. This is a significant event and has sent across a message to Congress that it is on the verge of sinking in the polls," quipped Shanta, a BJP worker."Our great Prime Minister has touched upon all key issues affecting Manipur. The most inspiring part of his speech was his promise to implement in 15 months all development programmes neglected by the current Congress government in its 15 years in power," he added.Modi has always kept his promise. Manipur will see a great change after BJP comes to power, another group of party leaders said.Before and after the Prime Minister delivered his speech, the crowd, drawn from across the state including Thoubal - the home constituency of chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh - chanted " Modi .. Modi... Modi ..."A section of the crowd even stood up when he promised to safeguard Manipur's territorial integrity, an issue that has been a key electoral plank for decades.Braving a general strike called by underground groups, the BJP supporters and well-wishers started arriving at the venue since morning even as police had a tough time regulating heavy traffic along the Imphal-Jiribam highway in Imphal.