CCpur widows enduring severe hardships
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 07 2011: Home to possibly the highest number of widows in the State, Churachandpur district is undoubtedly faced with the herculean task of providing solace to these women in distress.

As per record maintained by an NGO there are 3000 widows in the district with many of these women, including young mothers, literally left in the lurch as their miseries have compounded due to physical deformities and mental breakdown.

A resident of Gangte Veng, 50-year old Manzaching Paite is today in the care of her nephews and nieces as acute financial problem to meet medical expenditure for womb operation snapped her mental toughness.

Four years after the passing away of her husband T Thanglur Paite about 20 years back, Manzaching developed health problems and came to know after consulting doctors that womb operation was unavoidable.

Talking to The Sangai Express, her nephews namely Khomzachin Paite (49) and Ngaikhonbung Paite (38) said their aunty suffered mental instability as she could not afford the cost of operation and started to wander in the streets.

Even though relatives looked after her the problem got complicated eventually constraining the nephews to confine Manzaching and provide her medicines with the hope that someday the cost of operation could be galvanised.

Endless tales of woes for widows of CCpur

It is also informed that Khomzachin took voluntary retirement from Fishery Department to be able to remain close to the suffering aunt.

He also claimed that till date no welfare programmes for widows had been taken up in the district.

Another widow enduring an even more complicated livelihood is Mongtinkim Thadou (40) of Tuibong whose husband Kamkholal reportedly fell victim to the dreaded AIDS in 2005 .

Left alone to ensure survival of one boy and three girls, Mongtinkim took up odd jobs and stayed at a rented quarter.

even though in the initial stage of her struggle for survival the meagre amount she managed to earn was able to ensure two square meals a day, an infection (swelling) of the right foot gradually worsened resulting in the amputation upto the thigh portion after four years of futile treatment.

Unwilling to give up on life, Mongtinkim said inspite of the physical deformity she continued to work in her own capacity.

As the meagre earning from weaving could not sustain the family, today her young children are exposed to adverse conditions in trying to contribute their mite in ensure the hearth remains warm.

yet another woman in distress in the district is 50-year old Hoinu of New Lamka, who not only lost her husband Tualkhotuam during the violent Kuki-Paite clash but herself suffered bullet wound on the left arm when armed assailants barged into the room and opened fire.

with the injured arm also resulting in amputation at the Churachandpur post of BSF, Hoinu is today surviving by selling vegetables in the district headquarters market.

She rued that inspite of various claims of welfare programmes for widows, there is no such benefit extended to her from the side of the district administration.

On the otherhand, founder director of Widow Welfare Association Asia Ruth Niangpi Singson, herself a widow, said that under the objective of providing assistance to widows living in distressful condition the Association was established on May 27, 1982 .

Her experiences as a widow and responsibility in bringing up five children is informed to have given her steely resolve to work for the widows.

Confiding that 3000 widows have been registered so far with the NGO, Niangpi said most of the women lost their husbands to HIV/AIDS and ethnic clashes.

She further informed that the widows are engaged in economic activities such as juice making, mushroom cultivation, candle making, weaving, soap making etc through formation of self help groups.

The founder director also suggested that Social Welfare Department officials need to be more efficient and sincere so that welfare schemes meant for widows are effectively implemented to ensure coverage of the deserved section of the society.

Moreover, many of the widows have not been benefited under NREGS or other welfare programmes, she added.