Conflict situation : Forum takes up widows' cause
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 03 2009: While urging the Government to extend full benefits of Family Benefit Scheme to widows, the Conflict Widows Forum Manipur has appealed to all concerned insurgent groups not to treat widows as their accomplices.

Speaking to media persons at State Youth Centre, Khuman Lampak, co-convenor of Conflict Widows Forum L Brajeshwari observed that widows, particularly young widows, have been facing severe hardships in their struggle to sustain a livelihood.

These young widows have been suffering not only the loss of their husbands but also enduring various forms of reprehension in the society, primarily due to lack of source of livelihood.

Forum members with placards denouncing the culture of violence

She further appealed to all concerned not to use these hapless and helpless widows in transporting weapons, carrying drugs or delivering demand letters.

Asserting that instead of providing full benefits of Family Benefit Scheme to young widows, many people who are not entitled have been enjoying benefits of the scheme, Brajeshwari urged the authority to ensure that widows enjoy full benefits of the Family Benefit Scheme.

She also demanded to launch a pension scheme for widows.

The forum also asked all concerned to stop killing people and to initiate dialogue.

Other demands raised by the forum include participation of women representatives in the event of any dialogue, revocation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, extension of necessary assistance towards education of children belonging to families affected by the armed conflict and also provision of adequate nutrition to these children.

The forum further demanded provision of Indira Awaz Yojana benefits to widows as well as distribution of BPL cards to widows.

Denouncing the act of killing people without putting them to trial taking advantage of the armed conflict situation, Brajeshwari noted that all the slain persons had their children, wives and parents.

When the principal bread winner of a family is killed all of a sudden, the family is often thrown into a sea of misery, often characterised, in many cases, by lost of right to education for the children belonging to the family.

The press meet was also attended by representatives of the Association of Bomb Blast Survivors.

The association was formed after the Ragailong bomb blast of October 21, 2008 .

The Association of Bomb Blast Survivors also put up several demands including required expenditure for treatment of Ragailong blast victims who have not been properly treated till date.

They also asked the State Govt to provide compensation to the families of 18 persons killed in the blast as well as to 38 individuals who sustained injuries.

They further asked for provision of jobs to the injured victims for their livelihood.