Imphal, April 04: Stating that the existing armed conflict situation is the root cause of most of the crimes and violence taking place in Manipur, advocate Khaidem Mani highlighted the importance of making the Government of India accept the existence of armed conflict in Manipur.

Mani was speaking as a resource person at the workshop being organised by the All India Women's Conference and Women's Education and Development Association at Hotel Imphal here today.

The three day long workshop was opened yesterday.

Various forms of crimes and violence from which women are suffering at home and the society are directly or indirectly related to the conflict situation.

A large number of women have already been victimised by the conflict situation, he observed.

The existing conflict between those waging national liberation movements and the State actors is exactly the type of armed conflict accepted internationally, he claimed.

However, the Government of India has been projecting the insurgents waging national liberation movements in Manipur as terrorists just to deny that there is armed conflict in Manipur, as any confrontation between terrorists and State actors cannot be termed armed conflict, he noted.

With the Government of India strongly denying presence of any armed conflict in the country, international human rights bodies are unable to enter the country to assess the exact ground reality, Mani observed.

Once the Government of India accepts the presence of armed conflict in Manipur, ways and means to end the same conflict can be found out, he asserted.

Only when the Centre admits the conflict situation, there will be room for political dialogue between the Government of India and the insurgents.

It is crucial to work on different fronts socially, politically and legally to point out to the Government of India that there is armed conflict situation in the State, he said.

M Subita of the Women's Action for Development also presented a paper as a resource during the workshop moderated by secretary general of the All India Women's Conference Shivani Mehta.