Human Rights Issues In Manipur And Participation Of Tangkhul Women
- Part 6 -

Maireiwon Ningshen *

Modus Operandi of the TSL

With regard to their struggle for human rights of the people: The TSL in all its agitations adopted peaceful and non-violent methods and never resorted to the use of violence in any way. The methods that they adopted are peaceful means like that of prayer and petition, submitting memorandums, organising rallies, boycott and strikes, appealing to the law courts, issuing press releases to give proper publicity of the issues at stake, etc.

Regarding the leadership of the organisation, the TSL does not operate under the leadership of an ordinary woman. Normally, the minimum educational qualification for the President and Vice-President is graduation. As such, most of the leaders are educated and well qualified women. Nevertheless, when any agitation was organised by the TSL all the Tangkhul women, irrespective of occupation or educational qualification, will join it.

Even illiterate women from the villages also joined the agitations organised by the TSL. In this way, the TSL led out and the rest women followed. However, one of the problems faced by the TSL whenever it organised any agitation and fought a case in the court was that of the financial problem. Because of financial constraints, sometimes the organisation could not accomplish what it set out to achieve.

This also made it very difficult for the TSL to organise all the women in every nook and corner of the Tangkhul villages. However, in spite of the financial constraints, the TSL never rested and has always been ready to face any challenge and any situation that threatens the rights of the Nagas in general and that of the Tangkhuls in particular.

With regard to peace and unity campaign:

While giving pressure to the government to find a peaceful, speedy and lasting solution to the problem of Naga insurgency, the various methods and techniques adopted by TSL and other Naga civil organisations like Naga Hoho, UNC, etc. have been those of boycott, civil disobedience, strike, mass rally, demonstrations, fasting and prayer, submission of petitions and memorandums, realising press releases to promote awareness or to proclaim condemnations, trying to bring conflicting side to the negotiation table by initiating reconciliation campaigns through hosting meetings, inviting dignitaries from different quarters to deliver speech for unity and fraternity of the Nagas, etc.

In this movement, the TSL always works closely with the Naga Hoho, UNC, NPMHR, Naga Mother's Associations (NMA), NWUM and other student bodies working in the same field. As a result, the TSL, along with other women organisations like the NMA, the Watsu Mongdung (The Ao Women Organisation), etc. has gained great credibility as serious actors while initiating and furthering the peace process.(C.Joshua Thomas, Gurudas (eds.), 2002: 6).

The introduction of education and spread of Christianity by the Christian Missionary in the Ukhrul District have contributed tremendously in making the Tangkhuls in general and the Tangkhul women in particular more enlightened. Education gave the Tangkhul women the ability and courage to come out from within the four corners of the house and enabled them to take up various activities outside their home.

At the same time, the embracement of Christianity by the Tangkhuls has inculcated in their mind the principle of equality between men and women. With this, the Tangkhul women were able to take up various church activities. Their involvement in the church activities also serves as a training ground for active participation in other activities of socio-political importance.

This also has significantly removed inhibitions on their part while participating in different aspects of public life and enhanced their self respect and self esteem. In this way, the Tangkhul women have been greatly benefited by the new religion and education that was introduced by the missionaries. It was against the backdrop of such an environment that the Tangkhul women came forward and started addressing themselves to the pressing problems concerning their people at large.

The formation of the Tangkhul women's organisation called as "East District Women Association" (EDWA) was a most significant example in this regard. Once the EDWA (which later got rechristened as the the TSL) emerged, it set into motion a tradition of Tangkhul women's involvement in a variety of issues concerning their people at large.

This tradition got manifested itself in a most remarkable way in their struggle to protect and promote the human rights of the people in the context of an armed conflict between the GoI and the underground Naga outfits, as well as in their active involvement in process of securing peace in context of the ongoing Indo-NSCN (IM) peace talks and for the reconciliation of different factions of the underground Naga outfits.

One could see a shift in the activities of the TSL from the year 1997. The year 1997 was historic for the Nagas. It was in this year that cease-fire between the Government of India (GOI) and NSCN (IM) began. After the agreement of cease-fire between the GOI and the NSCN (IM) took place, the TSL and the common Tangkhul women turned their attention to another issue without abandoning their role as a vanguard of the human rights of the people.

From the year 1997, the TSL in collaboration with the other Naga civil organisations like the Naga Hoho, United Naga Council (UNC) etc. began to involve in taking up initiatives for the promotion of peace and unity among all the Nagas against the backdrop of 'Indo-Naga' peace talk. The movement started to bring peace and unity among different sections of people and also for the amicable solution of the vexed Naga issue was joined by the common Tangkhul women as members of different civil society organisations as well as in their own individual capacity.

At the corporate level, the TSL joined in every initiative for peace organised by Naga Hoho, UNC, etc. The women societies within the churches also conduct fasting and prayer meetings for creating peace and unity among the Nagas.

At the individual level many Tangkhul women also observe in their respective homes, prayer and fasting to bring peace in their land and for the early solution of the Naga issue which has created lots of hardship and sufferings for the Nagas. Thus, from the year 1997 onward the Tangkhul women assumed a new role as a peace maker.

In this work also the TSL and the common Tangkhul women adopted a non-violent method. The strategies they adopt include appeals to the different Naga underground outfits to maintain peace and unity among them; submitting memorandums to the Central Government for the peaceful and amicable solution of the vexed Naga problem; issuing press releases; organising peace rallies, prayer and fasting; sending representations to consultative meetings; etc.

Concluded.....