Political empowerment and Tribal Women Of Manipur
- Part 8 -

Dr. Benjamin Gangmei *

Hmar Polity and Women

Hmar tribe is another important tribal group of Manipur. Their population is 29,216 in 1981. The 35 villages are concentrated in the south of Manipur. The tribe consists 21 clans which are divided into 210 lineages. The Hmar tribal community has three classes warrior, farmer and hunter. Hmar women do not belong to the first and third class but to second one. Hmar women's political status is obvious at this stage.

Hmar administrative organisation is comparatively elaborate, and it is also organised without subordinate administrative bodies. There is no lineage or clan administrative body or council. Village Council is the only political institution in Hmar society.

Mode of organisation of the Council is not democratic in the sense that the councillors are selected by the Chief based on their social position and capability. It is said that the councillors are not headed by the Lal (chief) himself but by a Chief Councillor who is the Deputy Chief. Besides these Councillors, there are other important officials who are part and parcel of the village council.

The officials are such as Thiempu (Priest), Valupa (Youth Commander), Thirsu (Blacksmith) and Thangsam (village messenger). Of them Thiempu and Valupa seem to have more bearing on village administration.

The case which the Council cannot decide is referred to them and they deal it through the means of ordeal and oath taking and thereby settle it. And the Hmar male youths under the leadership of Valupa is "so great that even the Chief and his councillor could at times be subject to the will of the youths."

The reason is that they are the main fighting force in defending the village and they give "free and compulsory service to the society. So, Hmar youths or bachelor's dormitory called Zawlbuk are part and parcel of village administration in both peace and conflict days.

As hinted by the organisation of three Hmar social classes, that women are not come under warrior and hunter classes and thereby imply the exclusion of women in decision-making process. It is said that even in family the "husband exerts more influence in the decision-making process." He "represents the family in all public meetings, directs the family affairs".

Hmar women are not entitled to right of inheritance which is exclusively entitled to the youngest son of the family. This state of affairs remains unchanged even after the reorganisation of village administration under Manipur Hill Village Authority Act, 1956. That is, to say women political empowerment is yet to be initiated in Hmar society also.

The change that one can observe is like the decline of the role of the Lal (chief) and his council. His rights and privileges he indisputably enjoyed before the introduction of the Act have not been fully put into practice today.

Perhaps this sexually discriminative state of affairs may have prompted Hmar women, at the fag end of 20th century, to institute a women forum called Hmar Women's Association in 1986. It may also be mentioned that Hmar Society is far more literate one among the tribes of Manipur. Hmar women literacy rate is 75.2% which is ranked highest of all women literacy rates of major tribal groups of Manipur.

The most important and relevant objects inter alia of the Hmar Women's Association are reproduced here. The Association aims at upholding "women's value and rights." Under this object sex-biased culture of Hmar which determines the value of women is targeted for change.

Determination of women's value by culture is resulted into low status of women and low status is further resulted into low or limited role of women. In this way women's rights are undermined in society forcing them to play limited role.

The Association also aims at promoting "active participation in the total socio-political life of the Hmar... and work for modernisation of life." The object speaks of the state of affairs in their political life. That is, Hmar women, for one reason or other, do not exercise their right of political participation.

The reason is of two-fold-self and other. The former is about self-effacing attitude of women to political equality which should be changed. In other words, dependency on menfolk in political matter should be forgone. And the latter is about the patriachal value which gives menfolk the tradition of sex inequality.

And the inequality which is expressive in political life should be checked or rectified. And, the object stands for change of traditional political value which is not considered all relevant to present day political life. It is thus a call for receptivity to emerging changes through timely socio-political awareness among Hmar women.

As far as women empowerment is concerned such objects formulated or conceived to be pursued is encouraging and farsighted. Yet our main concern is whether the Association has vigorously pursued those noble objects or not. In political empowerment concern Hmar women, for one reason or other, are yet to push themselves forward.

They are primarily responsible for working out their political salvation for which, while each one of them has part, women empowerment activists should necessarily take the lead fighting against both horizontal and vertical odds. That is, informed activists should not fail to duly motivate their own fellow beings (women) and deal with anti-empowerment elements in their own society.

To be continued....