Thokchom ongbi Ramani Devi

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Thokchom ongbi Ramani Devi
— General Secy, All Manipur Social Development and Reformation Samaj —

By: Thingnam Anjulika Samom *

Ramani is one of the most well-known faces that represent Manipuri women today.

One of the icons of the strength, valour and never-say-die spirit of Manipuri womanhood, she is one of the leading figures behind the Meira Paibi movements in the state, and one of the women striving for a violence-free Manipur.

The iconic Meira Paibi of Manipur

She along with her co-activists made the world stand up and take notice of the angst of the Manipuri people against the injustices committed on the people by the security forces, with the staging the famous nude protest (*** Warning - graphic image NOT suitable for minor) infront of the historic Kangla Fort in July, 2004.

Ngaithem Ningol Thokchom ongbi Ramani Devi was born at Loklaobung in Imphal west district. About five or six months after her birth, her father Bapu, a teacher by profession, shifted to Mao and started teaching there. After a while he took a new wife and settled there.

For sometime, Ramani and her mother Chaobiyaima, a housewife, stayed with her paternal grandmother, but soon it became a hard survival and they had to part ways. Her grandmother shifted to Lamabam Leikai, while Ramani and her mother went back to her mother’s maternal house own house at Singjamei Thongam Leikai.

Ramani had her initial education at the Government LP School at Thongam Leikai. When she was about six or seven years and enrolled in Class III, the Second World War, known locally as Japan War broke out.

Ramani and her family sought refuge in Thoubal and she had to leave school. When things calmed down a bit, they came back, but had to flee again, this time to Wangoi, when the aerial bombings started anew.

Ramani was seventeen years when she was given in marriage to a band player in Thongam Leikai, the same locality. After the birth of her first daughter, he got a job as a compounder, earning around Rs 50 per month, a big sum at that time. They have six children – three daughters and three sons.

When her husband brought home a new wife after the birth of her fourth child, Ramani engaged herself in the silver jewellery business – getting together her children and some other people in the locality to make the silver chains, bangles, etc and then selling them to vendors in the market.

Around the mid-seventies, Ramani started involving herself in the nisha bandh movement along with prominent women leaders like the late Momon, late Chaobi, Indramani, and Taruni. She was also one of the leading members in the newly formed women’s body, All Manipur Social Development and Reformation Samaj, which has as its main objectives checking alcoholism, selling alcohol, gambling, etc in the state.

On 29th December, 1980, an incident which occurred in her own leikai took Ramani further into the women’s social movement in the state.

The immediate cause was the arrest of three persons — Lourembam Ibomcha, Mutum Dhabalo and Soyam Inaocha — under allegations of involvement in planting a bomb at Heirangoithong. All males in the locality, both young and old, were also harassed during the combing operation in this connection.

“These three people were innocent. During the combing operation, Ibomcha was sweeping the courtyard; the army found his wet shirt and shoes (which he had used while exercising in the morning) and the army dog had barked at him. So he was suspected to have planted the bomb. Dhabalo was a driver at the electricity office.

Some wire lengths were found at his house. Inaocha was accused of making firearms because some empty bullet shells were found at his house. In fact, they used to forage for used iron and tin pieces, keep them in the house and later sell them for a living,” she recounts.

Around that time there were many incidents of youths being picked up on suspicion by the security forces. However this time the incident happened in the locality where Ramani, then publicity secretary for the Reformation Samaj lived. Quickly she informed her co-activist Momon about the incident in her locality and the two decided to do something for the innocents.

Changing into old clothes so that she takes the guise of a local woman, Ramani and Momon went around and gathered the womenfolk. Then the group went to the army camp at Canchipur and rallied for the safe release of the innocents. After a long wait, the women succeeded in freeing the three men.

The incident served as a spark and from then on, the women started holding night vigil, with lit bamboo torches in hand, following the army patrol to ensure that they are at hand in case any innocent are taken away. “From then on we became to be known as Meira Paibi,” she said.

Today Ramani has turned seventy-six years, yet she continues to lead women in Manipur in the war against injustice in the name of counter-insurgency, alcohol and drugs, with her unfailing ways and patient stand.

A leading cultural artist, she has also been instrumental in the development of the all women Shumang Leela groups in the state with her group, the Meidingu Khagemba Shumang Leela Marup. She has won many state level awards for her fine acting performances, the most well-known of her performances being her role of Nongban.

Ramani is also well versed in khubak eshei and dance forms of Ras Leela and Sansenba.

Thingnam Anjulika Samom wrote this article for The Sangai Express . You can contact the writer at thingnam(at)yahoo(dot)com . This article was webcasted on April 18th, 2007

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