Of Protests, PhD, and Plants: A tryst with Manipur’s Dr Evelin Heikham

“One of my dreams is to have a plant named after me”, exclaims Dr Evelin Heikham, a botanist with a passion for unearthing the rich floral biodiversity in North-East India. Named so because she was born in the evening, Evelin Heikham (pronounced E-ve-lin High-kham) grew up in a small Manipuri village about 17 km away from the capital city of Imphal.

Academically inclined since childhood, Evelin initially wanted to become a lawyer! Her love for science slowly shifted her interest to chemistry and subsequently settled on life sciences. “It was a nice time when we were very young,” she reminisces. But this quickly changed. As Evelin grew up, the insurgency problem in Manipur exacerbated. She had to contend with the blanket presence of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the simmering tensions stemming from the Nagaland-Manipur integrity issue regularly. “Strangers would enter your house at will and demand money and transportation.” Boycotts and class disruptions were routine. It was normal to be hauled out of classes to form human chains on the roads, sit-in protests, and rallies.

Evelin’s final school years in Imphal’s reputed Tamphasana Girls’ (TG) Higher Secondary School were dotted with protests against overarching government interventions, restrictive school dress codes, and exam delays. Despite these obstacles, she continued with her education and excelled at her studies. Evelin’s parents advised her to leave Manipur for her higher studies to avoid further interruptions in their daughter’s education.