Child survivor unaware mom is no more

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Sep 5: Her right hand visibly covered with plaster, Rosiya sits on the hospital bed. Surrounded by elders who cheer her, she smiles and makes short reels for social media unaware her mother has passed away.
She is cheerful. The reels she makes have been shared hundreds of times and garnered thousands of Likes and Comments on Facebook and other social media platforms.
Seeing her all smile and jolly, it would be hard for anyone to fathom that this 11-year-old, a Class IV student, was struck by two bullets on the right elbow only a few days ago and she has lost her beloved mother.
Rosiya was hit by bullets and grievously wounded when Kuki militants attacked Koutruk on September 1, 2024.
While she escaped death, her mother, Ngangbam Surbala, 31, couldn't.
It was just another day, but a happy one for Rosiya for they were visiting her grandmother's home at Koutruk.
The mother, Surbala was married to Ngangbam Ingo of Phayeng.
On September 1, the happy hours at Koutruk soon turned into a nightmare in the afternoon when Kuki militants began raining bullets and bombarding the village using drones.
The family couched on the ground, but Surbala was hit by a bullet on the head and killed instantly.
Rosiya was hurt and rushed to Raj Meidicty at North AOC Imphal.
Now receiving treatment at the hospital, Rosiya is recovering but her mother's body is still lying at a morgue in Imphal.
Her caretakers and family members, however, have not yet told her that her mother has passed away.
Ningthoujam Janel Meetei and Ningthoujam ongbi Preshila are taking care of Rosiya at the hospital.
Janel said Rosiya is recovering, but the doctors have not yet informed them when the plaster on her hand would be removed.
Janel said Rosiya often speaks and asks about her mother.
"She knows that her mother was struck by a bullet. She often told us that her mother did not respond when she called her," Janel said.
Rosiya has been told and convinced that her mother is receiving treatment in another hospital.
"Rosiya was injured and she had to undergo surgery. The news about the death of her mother could devastate her and affect her health and surgery. So, we didn't tell her about her mother.  We are planning to tell her when she fully recovers,"  Janel said.
Janel said Rosiya also often asks about her father, but she has been told that her father is guarding the village.
"Rosiya's father has been asked not to visit the hospital because he would not be able to hold back the grief and pain on seeing his daughter," Janel said.
Janel said the priority now is the health and recovery of the child.
Rosiya's elder brother Mahesh (14), however, often visits her at the hospital. Young, but he would hold his tears back and talk to Rosiya and cheer her up.
Mahesh would cry alone, but like adults, he is prioritising his sister's health. He has not told her about their mother yet.
After recovery, Rosiya would soon be told about her mother's demise. Her world may come crashing down when she learns the truth. She needs all the courage and health to face the truth and reality.