Why women are at the centre of Manipur stir

Security forces conducted an operation to nab 12 members of the Manipur-based militant group Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) on Saturday evening, only to hand the men back to local leaders after a mob of 1,200-1,500 led by women said they would not allow anyone to take them away, according to information shared by the Army on Twitter.

A day before that, the Army tweeted that a large group of women in Kangpokpi and Yaingangpokpi blocked its personnel from reaching a spot where armed miscreants were firing automatic weapons. And on Thursday, a CBI team was stopped from entering the Manipur Police Training College in Pangei, Imphal East, when it arrived to probe a case of loot of arms and ammunition from the college armoury.

These are just a handful of several such incidents in the state, confirmed officially and narrated anecdotally, in recent days. Even as government agencies are working to restore normalcy in the state where 115 people have died and nearly 40,000 displaced due to ethnic clashes, women protesters from both Kuki and Meitei groups have blocked roads in several parts, disrupting delivery of essential items, vehicular movement and combing operations.

The women’s groups have taken to the streets to protest against the state government, against each other, and also the operations launched by the security forces to flush out armed miscreants and recover looted weapons and ammunition. Coincidentally, in Delhi too, two protests against the violence by Meitei and Kuki groups at Jantar Mantar and outside Union home minister Amit Shah’s residence were both led by women.

To be sure, in Manipuri society women are at the forefront in almost all spheres of life. For instance, in capital Imphal, one can encounter many women, old and young, at the Ima Keithel (Mothers Market). The place is regarded as the world’s largest market run entirely by women. In the stalls of the sprawling bazar, anywhere between 3,000 and 5,000 women can be seen selling all kinds of products. Besides the locals, the market is a popular destination among tourists too.

In a state that has witnessed several movements of unrest, the most significant and historically important role played by women in Manipur was during the two Nupi Lan (Women’s Wars) of 1904 and 1939. Manipur had come under direct British rule after the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891. The First Nupi Lan was a significant revolt led by women in the Imphal West district of Manipur. It was one of the earliest uprisings in India to be led entirely by women. The protest was a result of a system in put in place by Lt Col Henry St Patrick Maxwell, the British agent of Manipur, in July 1904, which required men to perform ten days of free labour after every 30 days.

On September 3, 1904, thousands of women marched to Maxwell’s official residence,demanding that the orders to reintroduce the so called Lallup system be taken down. As the British government’s efforts to put an end to the protests failed, the proposed system was withdrawn.

The second Nupi Lan was against the export of rice in large quantities outside Manipur which led to local shortages and affected the local economy. In addition, the export of cheap goods by Marwari traders affected the local cottage industry. Crop losses due to excess rain coupled with the export of rice outside led to several protests in Imphal in 1907. On December 12, thousands of women marched to the royal durbar office and demanded a ban on rice exports.

Nearly 4,000 women gathered outside the durbar office and refused to leave till their demand was fulfilled. In order to bring the situation under control, personnel from Assam Rifles were brought to the area. They tried to use bayonets to remove the protesting women who in turn pelted the soldiers with stones. The incident led to injuries to several women who had to leave the protests. But the protest yielded results, with the Maharaj sending a message a day later to put a stop to the export of rice. The day of the Second Nupi Lan, December 12, is still commemorated as Nupi Lan Day.

In the late 1970s, women groups called Meira Paibis (Women with Torches) started forming at several places in an unorganised manner to carry out non-violent protests for action against illicit liquor, use of drugs and more specifically the imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which gave unbridled powers to the Army and security forces to arrest, detain or even shoot at suspected insurgents.

One of the most prominent protest by the women of Manipur was on July 15, 2004 when 12 Manipuri women disrobed in front of the Assam Rifles headquarters in Imphal in protest against the killing of Manorama Thangjam. Thangjam was a 32-year-old women who was picked up by Assam Rifles personnel four days ago and was later brutally killed after being allegedly raped.

On May 30 when Union home minister Amit Shah visited the state in the backdrop of reports of violence between the tribal and non-tribal groups in the state, one of the first meetings he held was with a group of Meira Paibis.

“Meira Paibis are like the Resident Welfare Associations in the cities. They are everywhere and step up whenever the community wants their voices to be heard. Meira Paibis are very influential because they are there in almost every village. Most of them are homemakers and powerful in the Manipur society,” said a former journalist who is also a representative of a Civil Society Organisation.

Security officials, who spoke to HT on condition of anonymity, said that while Kuki women groups have blocked parts of National Highway 2, most Meitei groups have blocked the entry points to south Manipur, especially parts of Churachandpur, Tengnoupal and Chandel. The road blockades officials said, are not only causing shortage of essential items at many places but also hoarding and artificial scarcity. Almost all these protests are led by women.

The official added that the road blockades at different places have led to security forces to use helicopters to supply fresh items to the jawans. The fresh items could easily have been transported by road if there were no blockades.

“The forces carry a stock of ration and other items with them so there is no problem now but they are currently using chopper services to carry fresh items to the security personnel. This is the situation today,” an official, who asked not to be named, said.

The officials said that there are innumerable cases of women protesters blocking forces from carrying out combing operations. A senior police officer, who asked not to be named, said that an informal system of bringing women together was being followed across different districts.

“Every family is being asked by the village/community head to send at least one or even two women. They are working in shifts. This is happening in both Kuki and Meitei homes. If any family does not send their women, they are blacklisted in the village. This is an informal system here but is working for them.”

Experts acknowledge the long history of women spearheading political agitations in the state.

“From the time they protested the new Lallup system in 1904 (the Lallup plan was to force men to do 10 days of free labour) to opposing the British exporting rice when there was not enough in the state, Meitei women have always come together against injustice,” said professor Bhagat Oinam, chairperson, Special Centre for the Study of North East India, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

In the current protest, Oinam added, the protests began over reports that security forces may not be patrolling areas dominated by the tribes evenly. “They heard reports of security forces only conducting operations in plains and not in the hills. They are blocking roads and stopping forces for two reasons – they see Meitei insurgent groups as the ones who will protect them from Kuki militants, and second, they feel security forces are not conducting enough combing operations in the Kuki-dominated areas,” Oinam said.

Ngaineikim, president of the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights, said that the Kuki women groups are not protesting but conducting dharnas and are gathering to offer condolences to the people who died in the violence.

“When the violence started on May 3, we gave protection to Meitei people in Churachandpur. I saved a family myself. Three of my cousins were killed in Imphal. Their bodies are still lying in a hospital there. We have heard that women groups in Imphal Valley and Kangpokpi have started blocking roads and preventing security forces from reaching places where firing is taking place. I don’t know what happened to the Imphal Valley women or the Meira Paibis. They are totally against security forces. I feel there can be no solution other than total separation from Manipur. If we talk of peace right now, the souls of the departed will curse us,” Ngaineikim said.

But a Meitei police officer said most Meitei women groups feel that Kuki groups are shielding armed militants. “Nobody is talking about the role of militants in the violence in the state. The Meitei women are also blocking roads and stopping security forces from conducting operations in their area. They feel that forces are not acting against the Kuki militant groups and that anger is spilling on to the streets. The militants have large caches of weapons, which they are using in the attacks.”

On the other side though, the view is diametrically opposite. “The Meiteis are the dominant community in Manipur. They control the bulk of the state machinery, which leaves us in a heavily disadvantaged position in any case,” said a member of the Kuki community, who did not wish to be named either.