Indians are very proud to be an Indian. But when I asked, "How many states and union territories are there in India?", they didn't know. It was in the beginning of my college life in Bangalore. One of my lecturers asked me, "Where are you from?" I said, "I am from Manipur. Again the lecturer asked me, "Where is Manipur?" For me, I didn't know how to answer that question. Being a lecturer when he asked me such a question, I was little surprised. When I think of that person I feel very pity. "Proud to be an Indian and didn't know where is Manipur is very shameful." My answer for that question at that time was, "It's at the Indo-Myanmar border. But Manipur was once an Independent Kingdom. Some people living in Manipur say that they were annexed but Indian policy makers say Manipur was merged".
I would like to ask the M.Ps of Lok Sabha, "How many states and union territories are there in India? Is Delhi a state or a union territory? I don't think most of the M.Ps will know the answer. I wonder how they rule such a big country without knowing this. They are genius and they are like visible God.
Why are there lots of discriminations between we and other Indian citizens. When two girls, one from north-east and another from other state walk on the road with the same short mini skirt the north-eastern girl will be looked in the sense of the otherwise sense by the Indian people. Why is such sense of discrimination in the heart of Indian people? Can't our girls wear short mini skirt like other Indian girls?
A woman call Thangjam Manorama was picked up by the Indian army who are kept for the protection of the people, at the dead of night in front of her family members and was found dead the next day lying at a village nearby with multiple torture and bullet marks and was raped. Not only this, they also shot on the genitals to hide the evidence.
Enraged Manipuris first resorted to a bandh. Authorities didn't react. Manipuri women are very conserved regarding their dressed. But today, overwhelmed with wrath and discontentments, these conserved women have started shouting slogans in nude posture crossing all the limits of the society. On 15th June, at Imphal, the capital of Manipur, a group of elderly and respectable courageous women, at the main gate of Kangla which is a historical place, where once Kings of Manipur used to reign, now occupied by Assam Rifles as their Head Quarter, did what is the last act showing their outrage; stripped themselves naked and waved banners that read - "Indian Army take our flesh," "Indian Army rape us" in full public view and for all camera to cover.
In such a civilized age even after such extreme steps had been taken up by the women of a conserved society no one in the government or oppositions react. This, when the parliament is on neither the UPA chairperson who is a woman, nor the Primer Minister nor the leader of the opposition. And where have all those India women rights activies gone? For the one who was convicted for raping and murdering a school girl, Dhananjoy was hanged to death, but what about the security personnel who tortured, raped and murdered Thangjam Manorama so brutally?
When the Nadimarg massacre took place in J&K L.K. Advani rushed there. In an unfortunate incident in Kumbakonam in T.N. many children were burnt to death, due to a fire that broke out in the school. All the people living in India give importance to the unfortunate incident. But why not in Manipur which is done intentionally but not an accident incident? Why the Indian policy makers didn't want to expose what all happening in Manipur? If the Indian policy makers want, the greatest democratic country in the world, India to be a prosperous and peaceful country, there must not be any discriminations between every citizens of India.
There are many hard core Hindustani and pure Bharatiyanari in ruling and as well as in opposition. Among all those I will mention only a few. Among the few Indian women who are hard core Hindustani and pure Bhartiyanari, Sushma Swaraj is also the one. She is the only women in India whom I heard if Sonia Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister of India she will remove all her hair from her head. This prove that she is a hard core Hindustani and pure Bharatiyanari. Again, mention must be made of another hard core Hindustani and pure Bharatiyanari Uma Bharati. Who also had lots of complaints about Sonia Gandhi becoming the P.M. I don't exactly remember what she said. Those complaints proved that she is also a hard core Indian lady. Not only these, there are many more hard core Indian ladies.
I was wonder and surprised why all these hard core Hindustani and pure Bharatiyanari are not saying anything when the Indian Army who are kept for the protection of the people had raped and killed a women from Manipur? This is not the first time that such incident takes place in Manipur.
Are women from Manipur not a woman? Are Manipuri women not Hindustani and Pure Bharatiyanari like other Indians? Are women of Manipur not an Indian? Are Manipuri women kept for satisfaction of Indian Army? If so, then why are we given the name Indian Citizen. We would better like to remain nation less then to be a shameful Indian.
If you Manipuri women are been kept for the purpose of satisfying the Indian Army, What will you do Manipuri women?
* Konjengbam Candle, a prolific writer, contributes regularly e-pao.net.
The writer can be contacted at [email protected]
This article was webcasted on September 8th 2004
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