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Naga Women Endorse Sharmila’s Stand
Dr Gina Sangkham, President of Naga Women Union, Manipur talks to Witoubou Newmai at Senapati
TSE: What had prompted the Naga women to form a Union?
Dr. Sangkham: Well, in the first place, we the women found ourselves nowhere. Women have been excluded from the decision-making bodies. Our views and opinions have been ignored by men. Women are not included in the important organization such as the United Naga Council (UNC), the Naga Hoho, etc. for no reason whatsoever. So, we feel that we had been sidelined. So, in 1993, during the Naga Week Program in Kohima, the Tangkhul Sanao Long (Tangkhul Women Union) initiated that there should be a common platform for the Naga women of Manipur. A meeting was held then in 1994 January 7, our group christened as Naga Women Union, Manipur was formed.
TSE: Well, you are talking about the women being ignored and overlooked, but what about the status of women in the region comparatively?
Dr. Sangkham: The status of women depends on community to community. As far as the women of the hills are concerned in overall view, we have high status and we are proud of it. Other communities also subscribe to it and appreciate the hill women's status. But when we come to our traditional functioning, the women-folk find themselves no-where. We women-folks are not counted and included in the decision-making bodies.
TSE: Your statement sound contradicting because you said that the status of the hill women are high but again you said that the women found themselves nowhere in the society?
Dr. Sangkham: The hill women have lots of freedom in the family and in the society. Women have been treated well by the men. So in this way our status is quite high. The only thing I said that hill women do not find any place is in terms of decision making in the village level or higher organization. In that way we have been discriminated by men.
TSE: I asked about women's status irrespective of any community but you replied to me only about the hill community. What about the valley?
Dr. Sangkham: Well, you have interrupted me; I’m coming to tell you about the valley also. As far as the valley is concerned, they have different social systems. The women of the valley are given the rights to inherit the properties of their parents whereas the tribal women are being deprived of their parents’ properties from sharing with their brothers.
TSE: Don’t you think that it sound too communal and very mean to prefix or suffix the term Naga in an organization's name like your Naga Women Union, Manipur?
Dr. Sangkham: No, I don’t think so. Yes there are some people who think in that way. But I think I have to view it from the positive angle and with good sense because NWUM is working for the welfare of everybody. It just happened that the tribals are more backward and the women have no platform to raise their voices so we concentrate our activities more in the hill areas.
TSE: It is to suggest that NWUM has no reservations to work with any other organizations outside the Naga society?
Dr. Sangkham: Yes quite right. Even though we are separate bodies, on issues we can work together with like-minded organizations.
TSE: Comment on the role taken by the Naga Women Union, Manipur (NWUM) regarding the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India peace talks?
Dr. Sangkham: For the last many years, the Nagas have been undergoing all the problems because of the struggle for self-determination. So to solve those problems so as to achieve a peaceful environment in our society, we endorse the Naga peace-talks with the Government of India. Everybody wants peace. And when we talk of peace, it doesn’t mean only for a particular community. The peace that we are trying to bring in our society is for all the communities and not only for the Nagas. We have been asking for a ceasefire between the Naga armed organizations and the Government of India and at least when the cease-fire between the Government of India and the NSCN was declared, we were very happy.
TSE: But now both the factions i.e. NSCN (K) and NSCN (IM) are on the ceasefire term with the Government of India but why the NWUM is supporting only the NSCN-IM for peace talks?
Dr. Sangkham: Well, let me tell you clearly on this matter because there are some sections of the people who misunderstand us. When we heard the news that the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India were going to hold a peace dialogue, we were very happy. It is not to support the NSCN (IM). You see, we support the peace-talks and it just happened that the NSCN (IM) was the faction that was going to talk to the Government of India. It can be with the NSCN (K) too. We are not supporting the NSCN (IM) but the issue. We want a solution to this Naga problem. It can be with the NSCN (K) or NSCN (IM) but we will endorse any peace talks with any factions of the Naga army. We, the Naga women will welcome any peace talks.
TSE: So, when the NWUM is playing a role on issues like the Naga movement, why don’t the Naga women both from Manipur and Nagaland come under one umbrella i.e. the NWUM can merge with the Nagaland Mother’s Association (NMA)?
Dr. Sangkham: Well, there are certain factors that the women organizations cannot come together under one umbrella like the Naga Hoho. The NMA was formed in 1984 whereas our union was formed after ten years. But now there is common feeling that we should come under one body.
TSE: How does the NWUM view the Armed Forces Special Power Act, 1958?
Dr. Sangkham: We have been writing to the Government of India to remove this Armed Forces Special Power Act from Manipur. So far our appeals have not been accepted but the Naga women will not give up in our effort to fight against this draconian law.
TSE: Irom Sharmila has been on the fast for almost two years now three months more for two years) demanding to remove this Act. So what stand has the NWUM taken on Sharmila’s cause?
Dr. Sangkham: Well, whenever we write to the Government of India to remove the Act from Manipur, we always make a point to mention about Irom Sharmila and her condition. The Naga women endorse her stand. We are solidly behind her. We show our solidarity with her move. We really appreciate her stand.
TSE: Have the Naga women met her?
Dr. Sangkham: Yes, we went to meet her in the hospital. We talked to her and she was extremely happy. Sharmila told us to go and convey her message to the people that the Armed Forces Special Power Act and other draconian laws have brought lots of hardships to the people. Yes, we did what she told us to do.
TSE: The unforgettable incident of Oinam, 1987 and its impact is still haunting the minds of the people, the horror when the Assam Rifles under the aegis of Operation Bluebird committed gross human rights violation on the villagers of 30 villages. Women were raped….
Dr. Sangkham: The NWUM was not formed in those days. However, since the human rights violations were too ugly and the people are still finding it hard to come to terms about the incident even today. So now we are trying to revive the case. We will leave no stone unturned to bring justice to this incident so that such things do not repeat again in future.
TSE: You have done your PhD in History, so as a ‘historian’ kindly throw some light regarding the much talked about Naga-Meitei brother relation?
Dr. Sangkham: To be frank, I have not come across any book written by a Meitei stating that Nagas and the Meiteis are brothers. Maybe I have not read enough books but I didn’t see such writings from the Meitei side. But the Nagas always relate in some way or the other that Meiteis and the Nagas are brothers. In the folk tales or songs, the Nagas have said about this relation a lot.
TSE: Any plans to jump into politics?
Dr. Sangkham: No way, please I don’t want to get involved in any politics which is too dirty today particularly the party politics.
TSE: Then comment on the Manipuri political scenario?
Dr. Sangkham: I find all the politicians irresponsible and selfish. The system and the party politics of Manipur are stinking.
TSE: I was informed that the NWUM is putting their endeavor to revamp the pristine Naga traditions and culture.
Dr. Sangkham: I would rather say in this way that we actually wanted to develop our culture to the best form out of what we have.
TSE: Don’t you think that the western culture is fast eroding our society as more and more youths copy the cosmetic lifestyle of the westerners?
Dr. Sangkham: The term culture is a vast word. When you talk of culture it may be about dress, food-styles etc. So exactly do you what to say?
TSE: I know but normally the people term these easy-going free lifestyle without any sort of taboos as western culture.
Dr. Sangkham: Yes, in that way it so happens that our youths today have been swept away by this culture which is very disturbing to us. It is a sad thing that our youths today feel that they are Englishmen by dressing up like them. Gandhiji tried to be an Englishmen but he soon realized the futility of imitating others. Some years ago, in our meeting in Geneva on International Working Group on Indigenous Population, the motto of it impressed me much which read as ‘The child leaves the village but the village clings on the child and the child lands nowhere’ meaning that even though we leave our birthplace and go as far as we could, our tradition never leaves us and in such situation we would be nowhere as we have not learnt much about our tradition and in the same time we cannot be the parts of someone else.
TSE: What are the places you have visited abroad?
Dr. Sangkham: Well, I went to Geneva twice, Philippines once, Germany once and Thailand thrice.
TSE: A message to convey?
Dr. Sangkham: Well, we are all born free and all of us are human beings. And we should not encourage imposing one's ideas on another. Freedom of thinking and expression should be given top priority. Individualism is important.
(For any suggestion or objection contact, Phone No.
0385-421347 or wnewmai@rediffmail.com)
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)
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