Vision and Plight of Manipuri Muslim Women in the State

Mustaque Ahmed & Lt Col M Sahid Khan *

Manipuri Muslim Women for Haj pilgrimage to Mecca - See-off at Imphal Tulihal Airport on 10 October 2011 :: Pix - Bullu Raj

The status of Manipuri Muslim women is said to be quite low. This state of affairs is as a result of a long time traditional perception that woman should remain indoors and just be obedient to her husband. They did not require participating in the outdoor social activities except marriage ceremonies, death functions and social feasts of relatives, neighbors, etc. They were not openly accorded to perform their role by platform sharing in the society.

With these beliefs and due to other certain social ills like the early marriage, using a girl child as vegetable seller and the intimidating surroundings of the villages led to many a school dropout among the girl students. Thus the education of girl children was neglected resulting in a stated to be very low percentage of educated women. With minimum general education, the knowledge and exposure of women are very limited thus resulting in the low status of them. Women although contribute in a family by taking full responsibility of their household work but they are not counted/rewarded. Thus the dull household works are not taken as a valuable responsibility of the women. Right from the childhood women have been taught to carry out drudgery at homes. Meanwhile the lucky brothers are brought up with all care, facilities and proper education.

With the changing of time, the situation of them is little improved now. The trend is that more and more girls are being educated. Now numbers of qualified and educated women have come out and started challenging the aged old outdated beliefs. Some women role models are Mrs. Lalizan, former Principal of G.P.Women’s College and the social activists Sitara Begum & Mrs. Anuwari. Recently Miss Mumtaz Begum cleared the Deputy Forest Conservator examination conducted by Manipur public Service commission. A few numbers of girls are in the police service. Numbers of doctorates are very less than expected.

Some years back Salma Begum could top the State MBBS Entrance Examination. Some subject toppers and gold medalists are Akbari Wangmayum, Mahmuda Nongjaimayum, Nazia Hussain and Shaheen Khullakpam. These are some of the good developments in respect of women of this community. Yet, a lot more need to be achieved in the field of education and other positive activities. Not a single woman from this community has so far cleared the Manipur Civil Services and the Indian Administrative Services Examinations.

Achievement of quality education is one of the important issues confronting in the society. We will require proper infrastructure facilities and open access to appropriate schools/places to provide education to the girls.

We can produce more and more skilled women for their contribution to themselves and society. To acquire this status and empowering them, we need to possess proper training facilities at ITI’s, Polytechniques and management training centres. Exposure to various training programmes, economic activities, medical facilities and any other social amenities will provide opportunity for jobs, good health and knowledge. The Holy Book of Islam encourages women studying Science like men. There is vision in studying scientific education.

Regarding skill development courses the girl students can take up courses to become laboratory technician/food processors. The diploma course to become laboratory technician within two years (test of vector borne diseases, HIV test, blood test, ECG, X-ray, CT scan, Ultra-sonography, etc.) are offered by the newly established Community College, DM campus. The trained technician in this field can earn upto Rs. 30,000 to 40,000/month. The diploma holders in the field of food processing can set - up small industries of themselves. These are some avenues to earn for women-folk.

The community college can also be introduced to Lilong Hoareibi College, Lilong, since this has features of Muslim minority set-up. The ITI at Lilong can be a place of learning courses useful for quick placement for jobs and self- employment in the field of electronics and other allied multi-dimensional options.

Self-employment and the way of earning can be discussed with suitable examples. A cloth tailor house employing 5 women can make 75 pants a day for 1 - 3 years old small boys and girls. Each one of them can produce pants at the rate of 15 pants a day. One meter of the cloth costs Rs. 40 can make three pants at a minimum. The pants are sold by Rs. 100/pant in the whole sale market. The transportation charge is Rs.10/pant. By doing so the total income of one month (30 days) is Rs. 1, 12,500 which if equally distributed to 5 women is Rs. 22,500 each without other surplus income.

Likewise a diploma electronics engineer can upgrade/remade 20 televisions/computers in a month. If the service charge of a TV/Computer is Rs 1,500. Her earning per month is Rs. 30,000 without other surplus incomes which she can earn through selling the components of TV/Computer. In this way the women professionals can be employed in such services. This is the value of earning value education and skilled personnel.

We may require a model shopping complex for doing business in the appearance of a famous Ema Market in a Muslim community concentrated area preferably at Lilong. In fact a Multistoried Shopping Complex (MSC) may be required for the purpose.

With an expert study team we can devise a short and long term measures to improve the condition of Muslim women. First of all we all need to accept the reality that the development of them has been delayed. The state cannot develop without the development of women. In one of the short term measures, the civil organizations/women organizations can take up public awareness of the acknowledged evils and difficulties faced by Muslim women in the society.

The Muslim girls and women who are coming out of seclusion and excelling in their respective positions should be encouraged and felicitated. Scholarships and interest free loans should be provided for education and self- employment schemes. By enacting strict law against violence against women at work places and enforcing it in letter and spirit should create a safe environment for them.

These are some of the measures which we can suggest to change the present plight of women. But making a long term vision document in consultation with subject experts to develop Muslim women with proper timelines is the need of the hour. Several NGOs including women organizations are working towards it but we need to have professionally guided way to all these initiatives. Only then together we can bring the change.