Manipuri Women In the Beginning Of The 21st Century
By Prof Ksh Bimola Devi
Introduction:
Manipuri women are known for their active participation in the social, economic, cultural and political life of the state. Unlike women in other parts of India, they are found to be independent, courageous, assertive and react effectively against any wrong doings of the ruling authority. These qualities of the Manipuri women may be traced back even to the mythological figures like Imoinu, Panthoibi etc. and legendary figures like Thoibi, Tonu Laijinglembi, Pidonu etc.
Imoinu is worshipped as the Goddess of wealth. Once she fell in love with a man. Both of them swore to be man and wife. She visited the house of the man in his absence and found that he was already a married person having a wife. After knowing this she sacrificed her love and determined not to see the man again. She spent her life by rendering help to the sincere, honest, hard working but poor persons.
Panthoibi, a woman in the mythology of Manipur was found to be very independent and assertive. She married a man engaged by her parents. But after falling in love with another man, she left her husband by exercising her right of choosing her own life partner.
Thoibi, a legendary figure was a princess of Moirang, a principality before the formation of a kingdom headed by the Meitei king. She suffered much for her beloved Khamba as he was not liked by her father, Chingkhuba, the younger brother of the king of Moirang. She obeyed whatever her father asked her to do but finally exercised her own decision and chose Khamba as her life partner.
The same may be said of Tonu Laijinglembi and Pidonu in different roles but exercising their own rights and decisions. We may also mention some of the historical women figures like Queen Linthoingambi, Queen Gomati, Queen Kumudini etc. who had asserted their authority in times of crisis in order to protect and defend the interest of the state.
On the other hand, the independent, assertive and courageous qualities of the ordinary common women might be due to many factors. The first is the nature of the political system of Manipur in the pre-British period. The king was engaged in most of the time in warfare with neighboring chiefs and rulers, especially with the Burmese rulers. Adult male members of the families had to accompany the king in his warfare against the neighboring rulers and in normal times they had to attend "Lallup' i.e. military service/military training in the palace. As a result, male members of the families were not at home and women had to bear the responsibilities of the maintenance of the families, thereby developing their skills, capabilities, knowledge, in all mattes relating to family welfare.
Second, the selling and buying of essential commodities were done by the women in the absence of the male members. Women gathered at a suitable place of every area which in course of time developed into a market, to transact their small trade and commerce. At such places, they exchanged their ideas and views not only in socio-economic matters but also in political affairs of the state. As a result, women were quite conscious and aware of the political affairs of the state. Third, the gathering of the womenfolk at the marketplaces had resulted in the development of their awareness that they had a right to assert their viewpoints in the affairs of the state. They could react even to the command and order of the king if it affects the interest of the people. The two women's movements of 1904 and 1939 provided an excellent example of the collective force of women in Manipur.
With this background in view, let us now examine the social, economic and political role of the women of Manipur in the present day Manipur in the beginning of the 21st century.
Social:
The middle of 1970s may be described as very important stage for the women of Manipur to come out from home and started a mass movement for the maintenance of social order and peace in Manipur. It was in 1975 that women in large numbers started anti-liquor movement in urban as well as in rural areas when the peaceful social order in the localities was disturbed by the persons involved in selling and drinking of liquor. Women in the concerned localities gathered their strength and asserted their capabilities in checking and controlling the persons who were involved in the selling and drinking of liquor as well as those persons involved in the transaction of liquor business. The women in groups at this stage were known as Nisha Bandhis and their organization as Nisha Bandh Organization. The next phase of the women's movement as a collective force in Manipur was in the beginning of the 1980s.
Manipur was declared as a disturbed area. As a result there were large scale deployment of security and para-military forces. The innocent youths and women had suffered much at the hands of these security and paramilitary forces. When civilians were affected resulting in the arresting and beating, killings, shooting, physical injury, disappearance of youths arrested by the security personnel, raping of women, sexual abuse of even minor boys etc. women spontaneously started a movement in order to protect the innocent persons. The movement spread in every nook and comer of Manipur valley within short time and in the middle of 1990s even women of the hills of Manipur joined the movement in large numbers. This has been continuing till today taking different forms and in different situations but always fighting for civilian rights and protection. We may remember the role of women in the ethnic crisis in Manipur from 1992 to 1998. These women participating in the movement are known as “Meira Paibis” (Torch bearers) and their organization are known as "Meira Paibi Organization".
In course of time the Meira Paibis are also involved in resolving family conflicts, in checking and controlling immoral traffic, in arresting and handing over the persons who are involved in drug trafficking, illegal and immoral relationship between men and women, land disputes between neighbors etc. Now-a-days if there is any type of conflict in the family, in the locality and even in the state the Meira Paibis are called to solve the conflicts. The name Meira Paibis bears positive or constructive sense in solving the conflicts and ultimately believe that justice will be administered. Whenever there is any social issue affecting the interest of the people, the Meira Paibis in large numbers participate in dharnas, sit-in-protests, rallies, demonstrations etc. organized from time to time.
Economic:
Manipuri women have inherited the active participation of earlier women in the economy of the state. Though the economy of Manipur has changed from the pre-agricultural to agricultural and then to the present advanced agricultural, pre-industrial state, women are contributing a lot in the organized and unorganized sectors of the economy. Outsiders, both non-Manipuri Indian and foreigners never go back without praising the hard working qualities of the Manipuri women. There are six units of Khwairamband bazaar in the heart of Imphal, which are exclusively run by women. These women vendors deal in different trades of their own choices. The important trades being clothes, fishes, poultry, vegetables, fruits, sweets, rice, items necessary for religious ceremonies etc. There are women aged seventy and above actively engaging in their trades. Now-a-days, younger women aged around 25 to 30 started to join the market as small traders.
In addition to the women vendors, there are many groups belonging to Muslim, tribal as well as Meitei communities who brought commodities from distant places for sale in the market.
Housewives are also contributing financially in the maintenance of the family by growing vegetables in homestead land and selling them, by weaving and knitting, embroidery etc. Modem women even go to Tamu, a town in Myanmar, to Kathmandu, Nepal and other cities of India for transacting their business; women entrepreneurs are also coming up in large number.
One can also see the increase in the number of market women both in the main markets of Imphal as well as in small markets at suitable places of the Imphal valley as well as in the hills of Manipur. This may also be due to drugs, armed conflict situation, liquor etc. resulting to the death of young married husbands. One may also study the case of the unmarried educated women bearing the financial responsibilities not only of their parents but also the families of their brothers and sisters.
Political:
When we take up the political role of Manipuri women there is a contradictory picture i.e., their active participation and contribution in the social and economic matters do not give them a status in politics. Politically women lag behind in comparison with other women in different parts of India. They of course, participate in the political process of the state as voters and candidates right from the pre-merger days by exercising their franchise in 1984 under the Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947. And the number of women voters always outnumbered the men voters.
At present also, in more than 80 per cent of the Assembly constituencies, the number of women voters are more than the number of men voters. But surprisingly very few women were elected since the Assembly elections, 1972. The elected women candidates i.e. Apabi Devi, late Hangmila Shaiza, W Leima Devi, it may be noted belong to political families. This shows that women in order to get elected need political background and support from their husbands. It will take time for the ordinary common women to come up to the political level of the state so as to participate in the decision making body of the state.
On the other hand, women as a collective political force are very effective in dealing with any political issue in any given situation and at any given point of time. One may remember the recent Anti-Ceasefire Extension Movement due to the announcement of the Government of India and NSCN Ceasefire Agreement, 14th June, 2001. Women in thousands participated in the Peoples' Uprising, 18 June, 2001 and in the dharnas, sit-in-protests, rallies, demonstration etc. till 27th July, 2001. Women from every walk of life actively participated and contributed their right/mite in any political issue develops from time to time in collective manner.
The following are the main challenges of Manipuri women in 21st century.
1. Drugs, HIV, AIDS etc. create a very difficult situation for women to discharge their normal duties. Many young women are suffering due to drugs, HIV, AIDS etc.
2. Ethnic crisis and a sense of communal disharmony greatly affected the women of Manipur, especially in the hills.
3. Armed conflict situation is creating now challenges for women. Women are facing many serious problems such as sexual abuse, rape, killing etc. arising out of this armed conflict situation.
4. Political empowerment and leadership posed a very important issue in this first phase of the 21st century, women need to raise their political, legal, human rights awareness to make them politically empowered.
(The writer is Dean, School of Social Science, Manipur University)
(Courtesy: The Imphal Free Press)
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