CPDM hails women of Manipur on Nupi Lan Day
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 09 2015: On the occasion of the commemoration of the Manipur Women's War (Nupi lan)1939 on December 12, the Campaign for Peace and Democracy (Manipur) has hailed high the historical resistance that the women of Manipur had carried out during the British colonial period.

At the same time, CPDM acknowledged and paid homage to the courage, commitment and selfless contribution of the women democratic forces in Manipur who are fighting injustice and asserting democratic rights.

In a statement, CPDM said that after the annexation of Manipur by India in 1949, the latter's geo-strategic-market interests and 'national' security concerns have created a situation of misrule and humiliation amongst the Manipur patriots.

Many women could not remain unaffected when their 'nation' was subdued and denied statehood and other atrocities like arbitrary cession of Kabow Valley, militarisation and violation of human rights, underdevelopment and capture of market by the 'outside' market forces, unregulated immigrants causing negative impacts on land ownership, labour market and 'indigenous' culture; displacement and destruction, divisive policies and sectarian conflicts, and corruption, oppression and misrule by the local regimes composed of the parasitic rentier bourgeoisies that were are promoted and protected by Delhi regime.

Against the backdrop of the scenario, many women took up arms to join insurgency to fight for their respective 'sovereign' 'nationhood' .

Some of them became 'martyrs' at young age and some others are in the jails.

Several innocent women fought against tortures and penalties, arbitrarily imposed on them because each was either a 'suspect' or her husbands (if not fianc�e) were an insurgent or she was sympathetic to the cause of insurgency.

Many women whose husbands or children or dear ones or relatives were forced disappeared or killed or incapacitated in fake encounters are fighting for justice.

Many women who are organised into human rights vigilant groups and civil society organisations are fighting injustice and for the protection of human rights.

At the same time, many women (including school and collegiate students) who are on the forefront of popular agitation for social, economic and political rights were either killed or wounded or disabled in brutal police repressions.

Although the tradition of resistance prevails; the women's democratic forces operate in a fragmented society that is disunited due to vested ethnic (communal), party, partisan, sectarian, individual and political interests.

Women's resistance and democratic assertions, therefore, occurred in different regions in different times and led by different forces; thereby, sporadically organised, localised, sectarian, and some of them ended with self-defeating tactics.

There is no unified command structure; no common ideological, strategic and tactical position to strive for a collective goal across communities, sections, and regions.

Despite weaknesses and shortcomings; women's resistance against misrule and struggles for justice at different layers, locations, sectors, times and issues constitute a general trend that deserves commendation.

Instead of being completely fallen to become silently submissive to injustice, there are women who resist and fight for justice in their own ways.

Their actions exemplify progressive role.

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