By Express News Service
Amid the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, Binalakshmi Nepram, humanitarian, author, and a gender rights and women-led anti-arms movement activist, talks to Amit Mukherjee on various issues related to the escalation of tension, the fallout, and plight of people in the state.
Excerpts:
The Meiteis and the tribals have been living peacefully for decades. What has suddenly happened, they are baying for each other’s blood? Is the Meiteis’ demand for ST status the only reason? Manipur and Northeast India is a region of immense diversity, home to 45 million people belonging to over 400 indigenous communities, speaking over 400 different dialects. We have been living together for centuries, practising different cultures, and faiths, including indigenous religious traditions, and ways of life. Manipur is known as one of the birthplaces of the game of Polo and Olympians.
But in the past 40 to 50 years, Manipur and Northeast India became a region of several conflicts where there are overlapping demands of homelands, and armed insurgent groups formed to control land, resources, and territories.
The Myanmar military coup in 2021 has also impacted Manipur and the region. Manipur and Mizoram have also been seeing an influx of people from Myanmar. The Indian government must ensure a mechanism to work closely with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to take care of Burmese refugees and allay fears among the indigenous communities in Manipur as well as the Northeast, which has been one of the main issues in the current crisis.
There is a complete breakdown of communication between the government and the tribals who are demanding a separate administration. This May, a tragedy of immense magnitude shattered the peace and harmony of many communities who have been living peacefully for hundreds of years in Manipur. The violence has fractured our homes and our hearts. We know that the violence is engineered by those connected with guns, drugs, and political power and that it is innocent women, children, and youth who are facing the brunt.
Let us not forget that the general elections in India are in 2024 and there have been instances of violence erupting in several parts of the country before the polls.
Village after village has been burnt and people have fled their homes and are staying in 314 displaced camps in the state. We appeal to all who manufactured this conflict to stop it right now.
What are the steps being taken for the rehabilitation of the affected people from different communities?We are doing all we can to provide support to those who are caught in the crossfire. In all conflicts, it is the civilians who are the victims. Some of us, women across Manipur and Northeast India, came together and issued a peace appeal.
Indigenous lands must not be used as sites of war games nor as places for growing and manufacturing drugs trafficking and trade.
We have also called for a Northeast India Truth and Reconciliation Commission to ensure that all who have been aggrieved are able to do ‘truth telling’ and start the process of ‘reconciliation’.
We are forming mothers’ peace committees in several areas of the state. Manipur has seen more than 20,000 women widowed in the decades of conflict that have ravaged the state since the 1970s. We are tired of the wars fought for over 70 years and this must end soon.
The violence has apparently affected women and children the most and the communities in general. What is the ground situation in Manipur?We, the women of Manipur and Northeast India, are greatly concerned about the violence that erupted in Manipur on May 3 which has led to the loss of more than 104 lives, over 1,800 homes being burnt, and displaced 53,000 people.
We strongly condemn the violence and pay our condolences to the families of the victims. We appeal to all to immediately stop the violence, lay down arms and engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve differences.
Do you see peace will be restored in the state anytime soon? In today’s time, when the world is becoming a global village and we are a global family, our duty and responsibility are to ensure good governance, ensure rule of law, and democratic principles that include women in decision-making to make sure that each and every citizen either in the capital or in a border state is feeling safe and secure in our homes, communities, states and nation. Only then can a village, a community, a state and a nation can truly have peace and progress.
The protection of Manipur is also the protection of the entire nation. Hope policymakers wake up to this reality and help restore peace and normalcy in the state at the earliest.
Amid the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, Binalakshmi Nepram, humanitarian, author, and a gender rights and women-led anti-arms movement activist, talks to Amit Mukherjee on various issues related to the escalation of tension, the fallout, and plight of people in the state.
Excerpts:
The Meiteis and the tribals have been living peacefully for decades. What has suddenly happened, they are baying for each other’s blood? Is the Meiteis’ demand for ST status the only reason?
Manipur and Northeast India is a region of immense diversity, home to 45 million people belonging to over 400 indigenous communities, speaking over 400 different dialects. We have been living together for centuries, practising different cultures, and faiths, including indigenous religious traditions, and ways of life. Manipur is known as one of the birthplaces of the game of Polo and Olympians. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });
But in the past 40 to 50 years, Manipur and Northeast India became a region of several conflicts where there are overlapping demands of homelands, and armed insurgent groups formed to control land, resources, and territories.
The Myanmar military coup in 2021 has also impacted Manipur and the region. Manipur and Mizoram have also been seeing an influx of people from Myanmar. The Indian government must ensure a mechanism to work closely with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to take care of Burmese refugees and allay fears among the indigenous communities in Manipur as well as the Northeast, which has been one of the main issues in the current crisis.
There is a complete breakdown of communication between the government and the tribals who are demanding a separate administration.
This May, a tragedy of immense magnitude shattered the peace and harmony of many communities who have been living peacefully for hundreds of years in Manipur. The violence has fractured our homes and our hearts. We know that the violence is engineered by those connected with guns, drugs, and political power and that it is innocent women, children, and youth who are facing the brunt.
Let us not forget that the general elections in India are in 2024 and there have been instances of violence erupting in several parts of the country before the polls.
Village after village has been burnt and people have fled their homes and are staying in 314 displaced camps in the state. We appeal to all who manufactured this conflict to stop it right now.
What are the steps being taken for the rehabilitation of the affected people from different communities?
We are doing all we can to provide support to those who are caught in the crossfire. In all conflicts, it is the civilians who are the victims. Some of us, women across Manipur and Northeast India, came together and issued a peace appeal.
Indigenous lands must not be used as sites of war games nor as places for growing and manufacturing drugs trafficking and trade.
We have also called for a Northeast India Truth and Reconciliation Commission to ensure that all who have been aggrieved are able to do ‘truth telling’ and start the process of ‘reconciliation’.
We are forming mothers’ peace committees in several areas of the state. Manipur has seen more than 20,000 women widowed in the decades of conflict that have ravaged the state since the 1970s. We are tired of the wars fought for over 70 years and this must end soon.
The violence has apparently affected women and children the most and the communities in general. What is the ground situation in Manipur?
We, the women of Manipur and Northeast India, are greatly concerned about the violence that erupted in Manipur on May 3 which has led to the loss of more than 104 lives, over 1,800 homes being burnt, and displaced 53,000 people.
We strongly condemn the violence and pay our condolences to the families of the victims. We appeal to all to immediately stop the violence, lay down arms and engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve
differences.
Do you see peace will be restored in the state anytime soon?
In today’s time, when the world is becoming a global village and we are a global family, our duty and responsibility are to ensure good governance, ensure rule of law, and democratic principles that include women in decision-making to make sure that each and every citizen either in the capital or in a border state is feeling safe and secure in our homes, communities, states and nation. Only then can a village, a community, a state and a nation can truly have peace and progress.
The protection of Manipur is also the protection of the entire nation. Hope policymakers wake up to this reality and help restore peace and normalcy in the state at the earliest.
