Subhechcha Ganguly 
Promila has been a keen writer and writes through her heart. She has taken writing as her full time work and loves doing it, leaving her Computers and Business career at it’s peak. And she doesn’t regret a bit about that as she is doing something which she loves the most. Being a Hindi Poetess and the only one from Manipur/ Meitei residing in Norway since about 20 years as a Pravasi Poet is indeed a formidable choice of hers.She has won many awards and accolades but for her as long as her words reach the world that is her achievement.
A mother of 2 girls, like she always says : First “A Mother” then “All the Other”. A wife of a renowned Doctor specialized in Cancer and settled in Norway, she chose writing and writes to change, change for better – for the youth, for the coming generation and for the world to hear.
She is an active Philanthropist and a social reformer at the same time. For her, words are all- that matters, which is spoken and said and reached to the concerned. Words do wonder – it’s wonderful.
Life is beautiful – for once and forever.
- Can you share your journey as an author and how it relates to your interest in immigration issues in India?
I am basically specialised in Computer Science and further in my life I did MSc. in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from University of Oslo, Norway. After working as IT Consultant, I finally decided to take writing as a formidable path in my life, as I have always been writing Poetries, from I was very young. I love my motherland, which is India – that is the reason in spite of challenges, I write in Hindi and promote Hindi as much as I can. At the same time, I have an intense love for the land where my origination is, which is Manipur. Manipur being an ancient Kingdom, has an extensive long written history for more than 2000 years and since May 3rd 2023, the internal war broke and until now the concrete steps has not been taken which makes Meiteis genocide to happen. Currently we can see Meiteis from many villages have been removed in the form of genocide from these villages which can be seen in the google maps also. More than 60k people have lost their home and are in camps. Manipur when it was a Kingdom has been allowing many immigrants and thus lately it has been misused by the immigrants. There has been an immense increase in their population in the past 70 years. Meiteis are concised to 6% of the land mass of Manipur in Imphal valley mainly and cannot even buy land in the hills (most of Manipur is hills) as they are not considered Tribes where the Tribes have special reservations. And – on top of that planting poopy in large scale to try make Manipur the poppy hub of southeast asia is not accepted by India and by an Indian. It will only destroy a country.
- What motivated you to address immigration topics in your writing?
Immigration is a very critical issue in any country. There are all types of example can be given. At the same time when we see Parsis in India, they have merged with us, like one of us and have been building our Nation. Today it made me write about immigration as I see the current Manipur issue happening for more than 19 months and still going on. Government has to seriously act upon it, as it is a geopolitical issue and it would affect India as a Country.
3.What are your thoughts on India’s current immigration policies? Are they effective in addressing the needs of immigrants?
The current policy of CAA is very promising for all Hindus around the world. And I personally support this policy as India being a secular country has to support the Hindus too which is the Sanatanis and is an extremely old civilization. At the same time if an immigrant group comes to India, like in Manipur to take refuge, resides and then create a chaos to mark their homeland, as a separate and a separate administration, is something extremely baised and contestable.
4. How do immigration issues influence the cultural landscape of India?
Immigrating with an intention which is absurd and with a mean intent is not at all acceptable. India as a Nation has been accepting immigrants from time immortal but sooner when we notice the typical greed of the immigrants whose intentions make our Nation in vain, do get their reciprocation in good time and in good will. So is the current situation. Culturally when an ethnic group merges with the Indian subcontinent we accept them as righteously and give them all the regards and respect they deserve, as they become one of us. Rest is history as we all know.
5. In your experience, what role does literature play in shaping public perception of
immigration?
Literature plays an important role in moulding a society, so is to immigration. It’s just about the immigrants, about what to accept and what not to, if they don’t have a preconceived notion. Nothing can be imposed. If their intentions are absolute and regardful, they definitely merge with the society they live in, and that they accept our literature too.
6. Can you share a personal experience or story that has influenced your perspective
on immigration?
The story about the Manipur immigration during the independence time and now what has this immigration ended up, is something I personally want to focus on and let others see their perspective into. Immigration with an intention which is conspirous, is something a Nation has to think about beforehand. This happened as the policies of India let that happen in the past decades, and many came illegally too. Making more than a 1000 villages in a small state of Manipur by immigrants in about 70 years span and then asking for a separate state or Nation or administration is not acceptable by any country. They came as an immigrant and later pursued the indigenous remark by messing with the research papers and history, which is something really perturbing. Such a large scale planning from past decades, by targeting Meiteis and making them (Meiteis) into obsoletion is highly vexatious and alarming. Making an SOO (suspension of operations) agreement by the previous government where one can have advanced weapons and get funds from the government and can use the weapons in their terms is really daunting by not agreeing the policies where the Meiteis as a community suffers and is truly not acceptable.
7. What message do you hope readers take away from your works regarding immigration?
Immigration for any Nation is a highly sensitive issue. When CAA was applied and the Hindus could come to India is something a totally different aspect, as these were the ones, who were originally from India and due to border differentiations they left India so this is not a concern, yet what is happened and is happening in the far east in India, is something really intimidating. We can see examples in states like Tripura, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Government needs to act, make fences, borders and have soldiers aligned and posted there.
8. Are there any upcoming projects or writings that delve deeper into immigration
issues that you would like to share?
My upcoming book is about Manipur and travel as it was requested to me by the Ministry (Embassy) and I am highly delighted to do this project. Have been waiting for the current war like situation in Manipur to pacify. I would say if immigration is like making flourish a Nation and beautify the culture and literature, then it’s a huge welcome and love from countrymen. Long live India !!!
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