Friday, September 12, 2008

Women’s movements in Northeast

Women’s movements in Northeast
Rajesh Verma*
Publication: the OtherSide, Vol. 21, No. 7, August 2008, (p.p. 32-34)

In any society, women constitute significant pillar of social change. The Northeast has been a cauldron of unrest from the time of India’s independence. The region has witnessed an escalation of violence to an unprecedented scale in the last two decades. The role of women in peacemaking is particularly important in the context of Northeast because like most other conflict areas, the Northeast has witnessed massive displacement of men from the urban areas, which has some visibility and women form the major part of the civil society there.

Political Women

In the Northeast, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh have no women in their state assemblies. Out of a total of 4,120 MLAs in 28 states and two union territories, there were a total of 280 women — under 7 per cent of all MLAs compared to about 9.5 per cent women MPs in Lok Sabha. There are a total of 51 women MPs in the 14th Lok Sabha and 280 women MLAs across all state assemblies. Only three women in Tripura and one in Meghalaya managed to win last assembly polls though the northeastern states had more female candidates in fray than the national average. Assam leads the group of northeastern states with 10.3 per cent of its assembly being represented by women.

Though in most of the northeastern states of India, women are marginalized in institutional politics yet they 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, and assertive and react effectively against any wrong doings of the ruling authority. They have always been in the forefront in fighting for their rights, protesting against injustice and violence and also in defending their husbands and sons. Women’s peace groups in Manipur and Nagaland have achieved enormous success. They have become an important and necessary component of their own societies. Their involvement in developmental activities has increased their effectiveness and their acceptance in their own society. Though women hardly figure dominantly in electoral politics yet there are other areas in the public sphere where they have made their presence felt.

Women’s movements in Manipur

One of the interesting aspects of Manipur is that, the women are more empowered than most other races. Manipuri women are perhaps the most politically empowered in the country. Women have also played major roles in the politics of Manipur. Not that they have been playing a decisive role in politics, but women groups do have a say in many matters. Manipuri women have inherited the active participation of earlier women in the economy of the state. Women are contributing a lot in the organized and unorganized sectors of the economy.

Milestones of Manipuri women’s movement

‘Nupi Lan’, ‘Meira Paibis’, ‘Nisha Bandh’ — ‘Women’s War’, ‘Torch Bearers,’ ‘No To Alcohol’ — these are the milestones of Manipuri women’s movement. Manipuri women today eulogise trace their origin from the military deeds of Linthoingambi of Ningthou Khomba, who was known to have saved her palace from attacks by the enemy. During the last century there were two women led uprisings in Manipur known as the Nupi Lan and Meira Paibies.

Nupi Lan or Nupi Lal (Women's War)

One also hears of Women Warriors in Jhansi Ki Rani or Joan of Arc, but Nupi Lan can be dated back to 1939 when a very important event took place in the form of an uprising called the Nupi Lan. It was an uprising by women solely for a social cause when women stood up against what they called chak tangba (inflation of food i.e. rice). The war or uprising started when women protested against exports of Rice to Assam to feed the British when Rice itself became scarce in Manipur in 1939. Nupi Lan which started as a rice agitation against the government’s policy, later evolved into a movement of constitutional, political, and economic reforms in Manipur. It is observed every year on December 12 to remember the uprising of the women folk against the artificial rice scarcity during the British Raj in 1939.

Meira Paibis (Woman Torchbearers)

In the 70s, the women of Manipur came out from home and started a mass movement for the maintenance of social order and peace in Manipur. They started an 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. Due to the immense pressure from the women’s groups the Government of Manipur declared Manipur a dry state. This was a victory for the Nisha Bandhis or the Meira Paibis.

From being an informal group to punish drunkards and anti-social elements, the movement has evolved to a political force. Women ever since have learnt the power of group effort and have taken up many social causes, the latest being the Manorama case when a dozen Manipuri women stripped to protest against army excesses in the state.

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.

Current events in Manipur reflect how important women’s groups are in civil society movements in Northeast India. The Maira Paibis have become an institution in their own rights today.

Women in Nagaland

Apart from the Meira Paibis there is the Naga Mothers Association (NMA) of Nagaland that has been very active in Northeast India. The NMA has rendered valuable service for the cause of peace. Their theme was ‘Shed No More Blood’. An achievement of NMA is the formation of the Peace Team in October 1994 to confront the deteriorating political situation. The NMA spoke against killings not only by the army but also by the militants.

The NMA celebrates the 12th of May each year as the Mother’s Day and renew their appeal for peace. Apart from peace initiatives the NMA has worked for social regeneration. It provides facilities for de-addiction and has also started anonymous HIV testing. They are probably the first women’s organisation in the Northeast to test pregnant women for HIV virus. The NMA is providing pioneering service for care of patients afflicted with Aids. NMA’s greatest achievement is that most Naga women’s organisations are its collaborators. The NMA has assumed enormous influence in Naga politics is borne out by the fact that they are the only women’s group in South Asia who has participated in a cease-fire negotiation. In 1997 they mediated between the GOI and the NSCN (IM) faction and facilitated a cease-fire.

Women’s movement in Assam

The women’s movement in Assam is almost as old as the freedom movement in this region. Asom Mahila Samiti was established in 1926 under the leadership of Chandraprabha Saikiani, which was later rechristened as Asom Pradeshik Mahila Samiti. The Tezpur District Mahila Samiti, a major constituent of the Asom Pradeshik Maliha Samiti was established in 1929, and it was under these two organisations that the movement for empowerment of women made significant steps in empowering the women folk in Assam.

The long history of Assam is replete with several instances of women's bold and strong roles in spite of their traditional roles in a patriarchal family set up. Women of Assam also played a significant role in the freedom struggle too. Assam has innumerable examples of women who had shown excellence in different fields and who are at par with their male counterparts. Women have also played a significant role in politics.

In Assam there are a number of interventions for peace by women’s groups but they are largely issues based. During and after the army atrocities in Nalbari and North Lakhimpur in 1989 and 1991 respectively, a number of women’s groups for peace sprung up. The most outstanding of these was the Matri Manch based in Guwahati. This group became the rallying point for mothers whose sons have disappeared. They rallied around the issue of abuse of women. They took out protest marches against sexual abuses and violence against women. Initially, they were tolerated when they protested against statist acts of violence but when their protest became more general different insurgent groups threatened them. There are other groups such as a number of Bodo women’s groups such as the Bodo Women’s Justice Forum that organise issue-based peace marches and protests.

Meghalaya: a matrilineal society

The general assumption is that Meghalaya is a matriarchal society. One hears a lot about matriarchal societies. One hears about Kerala and the Northeast, Meghalaya in particular. The fact is that neither of these states ever practiced Matriarchy. In matriarchal system, women have power in all activities relating to allocation, exchange and production, as well as socio-cultural and political power.

When descent and inheritance are traced through women, it’s called a matrilineal system, but the matriliny is only a sub-system of matriarchy and does not mean that the women hold any power except in domestic matters (including control over children). In this case the society is termed as a Matrilocal or even a Matrifocal society, but not matriarchal. However, women in the matrilineal/matrilocal system have a higher status in society than women in a patriarchal system, even if matriliny is not practiced anymore and even if women do not hold more power than the men. In Meghalaya (and in fact much of the north-east), there is no purdah system imposed on women, there is no restriction on women’s physical movement, nor their attire. There is no bride burning, female infanticide or foeticide and no dowry (there are instead cases of a bride’s price) and there is no social stigma attached to a widow re-marrying. So, women in Meghalaya are in a better situation than those in other states in India. Traditionally, in Meghalaya it’s the Khasi, Jaintias and Garo tribes (majority of the population of Meghalaya) who practice or used to practice this system.

There are other states which are doing well in terms of women’s participation in politics and in other spheres but if one takes into account the status of women in the family and the sex ratio then certainly Meghalaya stands out as shining examples to the rest of India.

Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh was practically kept in isolation till independence but the condition of women was more or less satisfactory during that period. The women of Arunachal Pradesh are politically and socially empowered ones. They have played major roles in the politics and economy of the state. They are contributing a lot in the organized and unorganized sectors of the economy.

Female literacy in Arunachal Pradesh

By the time of the last census the percentage of growth of family literacy has been tremendous. Between 1971-81 the growth rate of female literacy has been 197.04 percent while between 1981-91 it has been about 184.14 percent. The growth rate in female literacy has far outpaced the growth in male literacy. The rise in literacy level is, therefore, an indicator of women’s mobility in the ladder of socio-economic perspective, the spread of education and growth in literacy among women.

Women’s groups in Mizoram

The Hmeichhe Tangrual (HTP) Pawl was established in 1946, followed by the Mizo Women Organisation (MHIP) in 1964. Initially, the new women organisation raised the need to reform traditional and cultural practices of the Mizos. They raised their voice against discrimination and injustice in the society. Today their activities range from the set up of orphanage, drug de-addiction camp, and movement of protests against rape, domestic violence, reform of customary laws, reform of bride price and many others.

Tripura

The Bengali and tribal women of Tripura are in a better situation than those in many other states in India. There is a gender equity and women pride in the state. Women’s groups have achieved enormous success. They have become an important and necessary component of their own societies.

It is true that women’s movements do not occur in vacuum. They are not just determined by but also determine wider social movements. There is a constant recurrence of such movements in Northeast. Women’s interventions have not only redefined gender stereotypes but have transformed definitions of democracy, nationalism and peace. Women’s groups believe that peace can be achieved through dialogue and political negotiations. They believe that only military solutions cannot bring peace. They work towards a betterment of their own society and in this way they equate peace with justice and development. Therefore, any comprehensive efforts at conflict resolution in the Northeast cannot ignore the role played by women.
*The author is a former Principal of Police School, Nagaland.

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