Imphal, March 07: Championing the cause of women's rights on the occasion of International Women's Day which falls on March 8, the proscribed RPF has extended its greetings to the women of Manipur and hoped that they will be able to live with dignity, without being subjugated on any aspect.

Women the world over have been forced to live as second class citizens and being subjugated on many spheres, said the secretary of the Women's Wing of the outfit in a statement today.

Asserting that women have been denied their due rights in society, the outfit said that they have been conditioned to live without their fundamental rights and privileges.

The mass uprising staged by women folk at New York on March 8 in 1857 to demand their voting rights is testimony of the conditions under which they were forced to live, said the outfit and added that this spawned the universal belief that women do not lag behind the men in executing any work.

With the world being forced to take note of the rights of women, the General Assembly of the United Nations encouraged its member countries to send women representatives to the world forum.

It was to give a boost to the movement launched to give equal rights to women, that the International Women's Day has been observed every year all across the world, it said.

Such a day is ideal to discuss the status of women in society vis-a-vis the men folk and the role played by them to ensure global peace as well as their participation in developing societies.

At the moment, the issues concerning the women of Manipur are somewhat different from the issues concerning women of other sovereign countries, RPF observed and added that women continue to live under a state of fear psychosis due to the excesses committed on them by the alien rulers.

There are a large number of women who still suffer from the mental pangs of seeing their children being snatched from them and later killed, their sleep disturbed by the numerous midnight knocks, asserted the statement.

For years, the women of Manipur have been facing the wrath of the enemy and many of them have also been killed.

Nevertheless the women of Manipur have been playing a major role in the freedom movement, said RPF and added that women need to be encouraged to fight for their rights.

Men and women should occupy the same positions and work together socially, politically and to better the economy of the place, it mooted.

Noting the role and contributions of women in the struggle to regain the lost sovereignty, the outfit said that the mothers of the land have been keeping a strict vigil and as such their dynamic activities should be noted and encouraged.

To enable the revolutionary movement to gather strength so that the people may join the comity of developed Nations, RPF appealed to all the extend their co-operation on the occasion of International Women's Day.

The spirit of the two Nupi Lans still lives, said RPF and urged the womenfolk not to lose courage but to face the enemy boldly.

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