Tag: Articles/Opinion

Does attire define a woman?
If clothes don’t make a man, why do women from the northeast in their short skirts raise so many eyebrows? They often seem to bear the brunt for not adhering to the Indian standard cultural norms of an ideal woman’s clothing. Those spotted with short skirts and sleeveless dress are quickly branded hussies. If this is the yardstick, moral values would entail nothing more than a few more yards of clothes draped around a woman’s body. A fully clothed woman is neither the moral custodian nor epitome of society. The question is, should one be demonised based on one’s attire?
It is only a matter of cultural ignorance that women from the northeast are often accused of encouraging promiscuity. An insight into the northeastern culture would unveil that the society is equally conservative and traditional like elsewhere in India. All the northeastern States have a very rich culture and each is represented by its very own intricate traditional attires: Innaphi (Manipur), Eking (Meghalaya), Puan (Mizoram) Rina (Tripura), Naga shawls (Nagaland) Mekhala and Chadar (Assam).
Unlike in mainland India, traditional dresses in the urban northeast are not an everyday wardrobe like a saree or salwar kameez. They are worn elegantly on festive occasions, with the exception of Mekhala or Phanek (wrap-around), which are mostly worn by women across the region. A testimony to the vibrancy of the northeast culture is the Hornbill festival held annually in Nagaland.
Being predominantly Mongoloid inhabited, the northeast has a strong allegiance to other Mongoloid culture. The strongest of all cultural influences has been the Korean culture. Over the last couple of years, the Korean fad has been creating a bandwagon effect among youth in these States. Style is something very inherent in the culture; adoption of the Korean hairstyle or clothing is common in the region. Short skirts are clothes that women wear to workplaces or even to congregations like Sunday churches. So, a man getting excited on seeing the display of few more inches of a woman’s skin in mainland India is quite an unknown phenomenon in the northeast.
Even when they step outside their region, the women carry the style element with them gracefully and comfortably. But due to the stark cultural difference in mainland India, there is often an indisposition to accepting them, especially the northeast women living in metropolitan cities.
On the other hand, these women have a cultural shock when they come to metropolitan cities; they are constantly harassed because of their distinctive Mongoloid features, additionally fuelled by their choice of attire. In a land of salwar kameez and sarees, a young Mongoloid damsel walking around the streets in her shorts with a flip-flop and a fringe cut is almost looked down as someone who has defied all moral sanctity. But if we are a country that takes pride in being multicultural and multiracial, who actually is a cultural misfit is a question that looms at large.
If we take a closer look at what makes some women intentionally dress up as glam dolls, giving ultra exposure to their body, it would reveal that it has nothing much to do with any region-specific culture. It is rather more of a social norm that when one is away from the safeguards of home, one often tends to exert one’s subjugated independence. This holds true for both men and women, irrespective of their regional and cultural background.
According to research findings, around 66 per cent of people in the northeast migrate to other parts of India for higher studies and 30 per cent for employment. With the increasing exodus, the northeastern woman’s short skirt could very well be seen through a lens other than racial. Much stands common between a northeast girl’s skimpy skirts, a Sikh youth’s spiked hair or a Brahmin yuppie’s fascination for beef or pork.
These could very well be symbols of rebellion against the values they have grown up with, but never believed in the discovery of their selves which might have been hiding somewhere for fear of their daddy’s heavy hand. They are aspirations and expressions which failed to take wing back home; or, for that matter, they could symbolise anything at all but what they surely do not symbolise is that the pretty lady in hot pants is hooking around just because she is wearing hot pants.
What is questionable is the outlook of people who, on the pretext of morality, prowl around in dark, empty streets to pounce on vulnerable women. Had casing the northeast woman in the whole nine yards been the solution, then perhaps a law to that effect could have been implemented. But such a suggestive code of conduct could only mean the end of any progressive society. What is required is the taming of social bestiality of racial discrimination and not penalisation of the women of the northeast for falling short of a few inches of their skirts and sleeves.
What is nudity and not socially acceptable is not the bare skin of these women but the exhibition of vulgar virility in mainland India. The machismo is manifested in the eagerness to grope these women knowing that they are immigrant-outsiders, less resourceful and easy prey. If caught in the act, it’s easy; you can always get away by saying kapadey hi aise pehentay hai ye chinki ladkiya (These girls with small eyes wear such sort of dress).
What you wear is a matter of personal choice; it cannot be a social dictum. The length of a woman’s skirt cannot be the foundation for society’s moral values
Rebika Laishram

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/does-attire-define-a-woman/

Does attire define a woman?
If clothes don’t make a man, why do women from the northeast in their short skirts raise so many eyebrows? They often seem to bear the brunt for not adhering to the Indian standard cultural norms of an ideal woman’s clothing. Those spotted with short skirts and sleeveless dress are quickly branded hussies. If this is the yardstick, moral values would entail nothing more than a few more yards of clothes draped around a woman’s body. A fully clothed woman is neither the moral custodian nor epitome of society. The question is, should one be demonised based on one’s attire?
It is only a matter of cultural ignorance that women from the northeast are often accused of encouraging promiscuity. An insight into the northeastern culture would unveil that the society is equally conservative and traditional like elsewhere in India. All the northeastern States have a very rich culture and each is represented by its very own intricate traditional attires: Innaphi (Manipur), Eking (Meghalaya), Puan (Mizoram) Rina (Tripura), Naga shawls (Nagaland) Mekhala and Chadar (Assam).
Unlike in mainland India, traditional dresses in the urban northeast are not an everyday wardrobe like a saree or salwar kameez. They are worn elegantly on festive occasions, with the exception of Mekhala or Phanek (wrap-around), which are mostly worn by women across the region. A testimony to the vibrancy of the northeast culture is the Hornbill festival held annually in Nagaland.
Being predominantly Mongoloid inhabited, the northeast has a strong allegiance to other Mongoloid culture. The strongest of all cultural influences has been the Korean culture. Over the last couple of years, the Korean fad has been creating a bandwagon effect among youth in these States. Style is something very inherent in the culture; adoption of the Korean hairstyle or clothing is common in the region. Short skirts are clothes that women wear to workplaces or even to congregations like Sunday churches. So, a man getting excited on seeing the display of few more inches of a woman’s skin in mainland India is quite an unknown phenomenon in the northeast.
Even when they step outside their region, the women carry the style element with them gracefully and comfortably. But due to the stark cultural difference in mainland India, there is often an indisposition to accepting them, especially the northeast women living in metropolitan cities.
On the other hand, these women have a cultural shock when they come to metropolitan cities; they are constantly harassed because of their distinctive Mongoloid features, additionally fuelled by their choice of attire. In a land of salwar kameez and sarees, a young Mongoloid damsel walking around the streets in her shorts with a flip-flop and a fringe cut is almost looked down as someone who has defied all moral sanctity. But if we are a country that takes pride in being multicultural and multiracial, who actually is a cultural misfit is a question that looms at large.
If we take a closer look at what makes some women intentionally dress up as glam dolls, giving ultra exposure to their body, it would reveal that it has nothing much to do with any region-specific culture. It is rather more of a social norm that when one is away from the safeguards of home, one often tends to exert one’s subjugated independence. This holds true for both men and women, irrespective of their regional and cultural background.
According to research findings, around 66 per cent of people in the northeast migrate to other parts of India for higher studies and 30 per cent for employment. With the increasing exodus, the northeastern woman’s short skirt could very well be seen through a lens other than racial. Much stands common between a northeast girl’s skimpy skirts, a Sikh youth’s spiked hair or a Brahmin yuppie’s fascination for beef or pork.
These could very well be symbols of rebellion against the values they have grown up with, but never believed in the discovery of their selves which might have been hiding somewhere for fear of their daddy’s heavy hand. They are aspirations and expressions which failed to take wing back home; or, for that matter, they could symbolise anything at all but what they surely do not symbolise is that the pretty lady in hot pants is hooking around just because she is wearing hot pants.
What is questionable is the outlook of people who, on the pretext of morality, prowl around in dark, empty streets to pounce on vulnerable women. Had casing the northeast woman in the whole nine yards been the solution, then perhaps a law to that effect could have been implemented. But such a suggestive code of conduct could only mean the end of any progressive society. What is required is the taming of social bestiality of racial discrimination and not penalisation of the women of the northeast for falling short of a few inches of their skirts and sleeves.
What is nudity and not socially acceptable is not the bare skin of these women but the exhibition of vulgar virility in mainland India. The machismo is manifested in the eagerness to grope these women knowing that they are immigrant-outsiders, less resourceful and easy prey. If caught in the act, it’s easy; you can always get away by saying kapadey hi aise pehentay hai ye chinki ladkiya (These girls with small eyes wear such sort of dress).
What you wear is a matter of personal choice; it cannot be a social dictum. The length of a woman’s skirt cannot be the foundation for society’s moral values
Rebika Laishram

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/does-attire-define-a-woman/

By Oken Jeet Sandham

The violence perpetrated on the northeast students including girls by the locals and their landlord in nation’s capital and also the Police’s subsequent refusal to admit their FIRs against the culprits is only the repetition of the past. On many occasions, most of the crimes, which could have been averted, took place due to the inattentiveness of the Police personnel in Delhi.

This year in the month of January, a northeast girl again was raped in Delhi by a man who offered her a lift from near her office. Soon after the incident, a complaint was lodged with the Dwarka Sector 23 Police next day morning, but the police did not act. So when the police did not act swiftly and timely, the arrest of any culprits was almost impossible.

We have highlighted number of horrifying incidents the northeast students underwent in the past not only in nation’s capital but also other major cities of the country. It is a pity that in most of the cases, the law enforcement agencies behaved in a similar fashion, leading to encouraging those perpetrators.

A girl from the northeast was abducted and gang-raped by 4 car born miscreants in Delhi some eight years back. There were wide spread condemnation and protests against the crime in the capital and even the Parliament was rocked not because she belongs to the northeast but the very behavioural attitudes shown by the capital cops. Had the cops taken prompt action as soon as the two friends of the victim informed them, she could have been rescued before the miscreants made any further advance to rape her.

The miscreants after about two hours of gang-raping the girl had the audacity to come back to the spot from where she was initially abducted and dumped her there. By this time even, the Police was not seen around and this very attitude of theirs had inflamed the north-easterners. The Northeast MPs had stormed the Parliament and questioned the motives of the cops who made a mockery of the laws of the land.

After three months of this incident, another gory incident of stabbing two girls from the northeast took place at the infamous India Gate, Mumbai. One girl died on the spot while other was seriously wounded.

Soon after the sensational incidents, the Mumbai Police personnel who caught the killer tried to justify that the latter was unsound as he attacked several people including his own father and brother earlier in the day.

One wonders as to how the explanation could be taken as logically correct. If the killer had really attacked many people including his father earlier in the day, there must have been enough alarm and they could have nabbed him before committing another crime. But there was no such sign till the killer attacked the unfortunate two girls from the Northeast at the world’s famed “India Gate’ at about 05:45 P.M.

Therefore, the Mumbai episode remains mysterious till date. One wondered whether the Mumbai Police in fear of reprisal from the north-eastern people tried to paint the whole scenario as done by an unsound man so as the matter could rest there abruptly. Regrettably, nobody questioned so far why the alleged deranged man was allowed to go on killing spree throughout the day with impunity.

Sadly, nobody dared alarm about the terrified acts of the killer nor did they try to help the victims lying in a pool of blood on the ground except one person who picked the girls up and managed to reach them to the hospitals.

The Delhi Police’s refusal to admit FIRs filed by northeast students was not new. But there is a new development that the Police in Delhi started threatening those Northeast students who brought criminal cases to their notice.

There were instances where even the Delhi police joined bashing up northeast students. Sometime in the middle of September last year, an ASI and his two associates of the Delhi Police had to be suspended for allegedly abusing and assaulting of northeast boys. Initially, the Police higher ups were trying to hide the identities of their subordinate officers who were involved in abusing the northeast students but they had to act when the northeast MP Sanjay Takam intervened. Most interesting development that used to happen sometimes was even the police personnel who were involved in assaulting northeast students could even manage to fabricate stories in collusion with doctors of the country’s famed AIIMS that these boys were under the influence of alcohol.

Another sad part that used to happen in Delhi was whenever any rape, molestation and assault occurred on the northeast students; people in the locality were seen hardly coming in their rescue. In some instances, they allowed the accused fleeing from the scene. So sadly there is no sense of security in the minds of these helpless northeast students.

Thousands of students from the northeast are swarming Delhi alone annually for pursuing higher and other studies. The number is likely to increase in the next few years because of the unending political conflicts in the region. On one hand, the Northeast youth are frustrated due to the prevailing situation; on the other, their security elsewhere in the country including Delhi is not secure.

We are happy that the Centre had already laid foundation stone for a 500-bedded hostel for the Northeast girls studying in Delhi. We need more such hostels for the northeast students studying in the national’s capital.

At the same time, we along with our 34 MPs from the region still need to play an effective role in the capital to create a sense of oneness and security. Out of these 34 MPs, some of them are Ministers in the UPA Ministry. One of them is holding in-charge of the Department of North East Region (DoNER). We should also tell those personnel who refused to entertain FIR or threatened Northeast students that what they did is not only against the law of the land but it will also bring a serious gap between the people of the region and the mainland people. To certain extent, we can expect solution to this uncultured behaviour of some cops in Delhi, when our 34 MPs with a single voice rise against the racial discrimination on the floor of Parliament.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/34-ne-mps-need-one-voice-to-solve-racial-problems-at-delhi/

By Oken Jeet Sandham

The issue of illegal immigrants in Nagaland is not new. This has been there since long time back. The influx of illegal immigrants had been time and again discussed in many fora and this writer himself had attended in many such fora. In all these fora, participants expressed their major fear that this influx of illegal immigrants would destroy their demography one day. And today, the reality is the survival of the very local people is under serious threat and these so-called illegal immigrants started indulging in all sort of heinous crimes. They had scant respect for the married couple even.

Sadly, this dangerous trend started spreading wantonly without much hindrance either from the locals or local administrations. And innocent citizens have been watching helplessly to all these unwanted developments over the years. The civil societies and local administrations were caught napping. Then hurriedly, whenever any heinous crime was committed by these so-called illegal immigrants, we would wake up and rush to the issue without much strategy only to find that most of these people possessed Inner Line Permits (ILPs). Unfortunately, after some time, the heat would fast subside till such time a new heinous crime was committed by these illegal immigrants.

The checking of ILP defaulters in the state may not be that difficult because most of these non-locals staying in Nagaland doing business activities had ILPs issued by the local administrations. We have mainland Indians like Biharis, UPians, Keralites, Marathis, Tamilians, etc. They would definitely have ILPs, and perhaps a very negligible number of them would not have ILPs. But they are not the issue as they didn’t indulge in crimes and their ILP case can be solved.

But the complication came up when we started checking ILP defaulters among the Muslim communities. Many of them were genuine Indian Muslims, while many were illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Interestingly, most of them again have possessed ILPs issued by the local administrations. But those of ILP defaulters or so-called illegal immigrants would not be found in towns and cities. They would smartly come to towns and cities to commit crimes and return  to outskirts of towns and cities or even interior nearby villages to avoid any police arrest. It is also wondering whether police had really checked about the ILP status of any of such non-locals when they made any arrest of these non-local criminals.

The problem here becomes more compounded as these so-called illegal immigrants possessed domicile certificates issued by the Assam’s local administrations. And when these people of doubtful integrity have produced all the documents required, the local administrations here in Nagaland have absolutely no way to object to their ILP applications. Besides they could easily impersonate as Indian Muslims as they could fluently speak Bangla and Hindis.

Yet, the grey area, which has literally become a threat to the state, is the administration without properly scrutinizing the documents of these people of doubtful integrity simply issued ILPs to them. Worse, they indulged in issuance of Temporary Permits (TP) wantonly to many of such people of doubtful integrity. This writer had come across on many occasions that the Muslims after entering Dimapur from across the border would meet some officials in ADC office, Dimapur (Before ADC was not upgraded to DC status) and under the pretext of meeting with some of their relatives at Kohima or elsewhere would request EACs and SDOs for TP. In almost all the cases, these officials simply issued TPs under their letter heads without checking their identities. So once the officials under their letter heads allowed these non-locals of doubtful integrity to reach Kohima or elsewhere, it became a license for them to do as they liked. And there was no question of detecting these people again, because there was no mechanism to detect them.

Another shocking trend is there are lots of ILP racketeers going on in the State. This has largely added to the already fragile situation in the state.

It will be certainly wrong to say that all the criminal activities are committed by the Muslims but it is largely true that majority of the crimes are committed by the Muslims.

While discussing about the illegal immigrants, we also should not forget that there are thousands of other non-locals of other origins—like Bhutias and Tibetans. These people have largely succeeded in business ventures in the state. At least in Dimapur and Kohima, they have done exceedingly well in business sectors. The good thing of these people is they don’t indulge in crimes.

When we talk of genuine mainland Indian settlers in Nagaland like Biharis, UPians, Keralites, Tamilians—they were also hardly heard of committing any crimes. We don’t hear that a Bihari coolie committed rapes in Nagaland. A coolie will live as a coolie and die as a coolie. That’s it.

One will be surprised to know that even some of the Muslims landed in Andaman and Nicobar Island had in their possession domicile certificates issued by Assam administrations. So also Muslims going to Dubai and elsewhere as job seekers had similar domicile certificates issued by the Assam local administrations. But the fact is if one goes to the Office of the Regional Passport Officer (RPO) at Beltola, Guwahati, during office hours, one will see the majority of the passport applicants are all Muslims who are claiming to have all domicile certificates issued by Assam’s local administrations.

It is sad to say that majority of the so-called illegal Bangladeshis staying in Nagaland have domicile certificates issued by the Assam’s local administrations. As such, it is largely impossible for the administration in Nagaland to say that these people are illegal immigrants. So the administration has no option but to issue ILPs to these so-called illegal immigrants if they applied for.

Most of the illegal immigrants in Nagaland are not mostly from mainland India. 95% of them in Nagaland are coming from Assam claiming to be the banafide citizens of that State (Assam). If the size of the population of these illegal immigrants in Nagaland is from Assam and not from mainland India, then the matter is questionable. How can Assam have such a huge population of illegal immigrants spilling over into other parts of the region unless they had infiltrated from across the international border?

The long stretch of Assam forest bordering Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh has over the years disappeared and been systematically occupied by the illegal immigrants. The trouble is most of these illegal settlers are well equipped with valid land holding documents issued by the Assam administrations. Sources say most of the State’s reserved forest in the border areas have vanished and its occupied by the illegal immigrants and not by the real Assamese people. The Nagaland Government often alleges that these illegal immigrants have even occupied the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) that led to frequent border skirmishes.

Various intelligence agencies had been warning of serious consequences if immediate attention was not paid. Unfortunately, these illegal migrants have been given legal protection with resident certificates, pattas, etc. for narrow political mileage. As a result, the real Assamese people have been reduced to minority in most of the border districts and they are now voiceless.

In spite of these developments, there could be still thousands of illegal immigrants in Nagaland who might not have any documents. And to screen these people would not be that problem but they would not come out as and when any drives of detecting illegal immigrants took place. One drawback is such drive is momentary and it only happens when heinous crimes are committed by these so-called illegal immigrants. And logically speaking that those whose intention was to settle in Nagaland or elsewhere for long term plan would hardly indulge in any crime.

Another serious drawback is once these so-called illegal immigrants are detected, where to deport them in the absence of any pact for deportation with any country. Plus this is not the state subject either. So we could only push them if detected at the most to Assam border.

It may be mentioned that the powerful All Assam students Union (AASU) had launched a bloody campaign to push Bangladeshis back to their land. Indigenous people feared they could be reduced to minority in their own land massacred thousands of Bangladeshis, including women and children, across the state (Assam).

The Government and the students’ union signed a pact in 1985. Interestingly the Clauses on the deportation of foreigners have still not been implemented.

There is no shadow of doubt that the unabated influx of illegal Bangladeshis in Assam has not only affected the demography of the state but also the entire region, becoming a serious threat to the survival of the region’s people and country’s internal security as well.

We should also know that region’s economic underdevelopment coupled with Center’s prolonged negligence and the continuous insurgency and the chasm that existed between the people of the region and the mainland people are some of the reasons giving room to the illegal immigrants and outside elements to exploit to their maximum advantages.

There is certainly genuine mainland Muslims in the region like Tamils, Keralites, Bengalis, Punjabis, Marwaris, etc. But the mainland Muslims will have least interest to come and settle in the region and their influx is out of question.

Even if the local NGOs or for that matter student bodies tried to check these non-local people, the mission was tough because most of them would have been well-equipped with lot of documents including ILPs. And once they were found with these documents, they were not only allowed to stay in the state but also shown as Indian citizens legally. So knowingly, we are reduced to helpless creatures. Yet, to identify the illegal Bangladeshis will not be very difficult once the citizens are properly educated about their natures. Assam has larger role to play in solving illegal immigrant issue and the actions taken there will have maximum impact on other parts of the region. If Assam fails, there is no point for other States in the region to think of. Because most of these supposed to be illegal immigrants who are going to other States of the region are well equipped with domicile certificates issued by Assam administrations.

And in Nagaland, when the NGOs were trying their best to check the menace, the administration would start challenging them that it was not their job to check illegal immigrants in the state. We hardly heard that administrations launched any drive to check illegal immigrants or ILP defaulters. But of late very unusual development occurred that pre-paid mobile numbers in Nagaland would be banned saying that 90% of the crimes were committed by pre-paid mobile issuers. I certainly believe that these illegal immigrants who have been committing all these crimes must be pre-paid mobile users and if the 90% pre-paid mobile users were indulging in committing crimes in Nagaland, then certainly, the population of these illegal immigrants in the State must have reached a dangerous point.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/illegal-immigrant-issue-a-threat-to-future-survival-2/

By Benjamin Gondaimei

India is the world largest democracy; a sovereign socialist republic with a comprehensive charter of rights written into its constitution; a signatory to most international covenants of human rights; a country in the forefront of the international struggle against colonialism, imperialism and racism. Rarely do many of us realised that underneath this impressive veneer and national pride about our 3000 year old civilizational legacy, lies a history of systematic violation of basic democratic, and human rights of large sections of our population.¹ It was only with the declaration of the state of Emergency, in June 1975, that the fragile basis of even our constitutional rights was brought home to us. After 1975, many civil and democratic rights groups were formed and since have been functioning all over the country. Every year, publishing investigation reports particularly about violation by the state of its own Laws, registering cases under the provision of public interest law, holding press conferences, and issuing statement, as well as demonstrating against state repression of various kinds of draconian laws have become common fare. So also has the discussion on Indian Constitution ans its laws and justice machinery. This would have us believe that the movement for human rights of which this specialized activity of the civil and democratic rights groups is a part, is alive and kicking. Equally on e can be lead to believe that the activities of the different political parties and related mass organisations, of the hundreds of voluntary, social-action groups working with and for the oppressed and downtrodden as also a far more conscious citizenry would together have contributed to a powerful growing movement for changing the sub-human conditions in which large proportion of our citizens alive.

If anything, reports of gross violations by the state machinery in the form of torture, illegal detention, unprovoked firings, encounter killing, legislation of more repressive laws are now common than ever before. Alongside is the growing feeling of ineffectiveness and powerlessness in various human rights related groups, not only the specialised civil democratic rights groups, but also the different base level or support groups working among different constituencies ad involved with the struggle for a radical transformation of the Indian situation. There is a growing realisation that a weak and insecure state cannot only turn more fascist in its method, but can help generate a mind-set, particularly amongst the slightly better off of its citizens, that all such dissent and protest activity is seen as anti-state, anti-national, inherently destabilizing, and therefore to be put down with a heavy hand. We see not only the structures and the instrumentalities set up by the state to provide justice to its citizens, but also the mass, media and section of the intellengentia, collaborating in a wide ranging process of ruthlessly enforcing the status quo for even further regression from the status quo.  The relative inefficiency of the Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights movements in the country can be understood a t many level, the changing context within which the movement attempts to define itself, a shift in the nature of issues that the movement addresses itself to, the integral organisational dynamics of the movement, the strategies employed etc. All of them are post-facto explanations, that the movement is weak because the state is repressive.

The emerging scenario of the politics of human rights in India is becoming increasingly complicated and problem ridden, given the growing brutalisation of the state in its relationship to civil society as well as the increasing availability of the apparatus of the state to dominant interests keen on maintaining and augmenting levels of oppression and terror. On the other hand when it comes to the growth of the human rights movement, most of this tend to hold back, keen on retaining their specialized identities and afraid of being swamped by a generalised platform or body. Many of the human rights activities have themselves contributed to such an image by insisting that a human rights body should confine itself to fighting against atrocities committed by the state, not in dealing with the sources of these atrocities in the structure of the state and of civil society. While individual activists may involve themselves in political activities, including in party politics, it is not the role of the human rights bodies to get so entangle.

There has taken place an unprecedented polarisation of the Indian society following the rapid spread of communalism and the systematic build up in the media of the extremist and terrorist, threat to the country’s integrity and unity. This has polarised the human rights community too. Alongside, there has taken place a striking decline in the independence and objectivity of the judiciary and the press, partly due to the overall polarisation of society but due to more comprehensive conditioning of the middle class mind that anything that appears to weaken the government at the Centre weakens the Indian state, and anything that weakens the state weakens the constitutional fabric of democracy. The paradox is almost tragic: the greater the incident of oppression, the more widespread the span and location of resistance from civil society, which in turn produces the sense that the state is under attack and must be protected. This inturn is reflected in the fact that increasingly the relevance of human rights activist and organisations is reduced to holding protest meetings and rallies, and to registering and fighting court cases which also amount to little more than protesting, as nothing much come out of the writs and petitions anyway. This has made human rights endeavour even more segmented and specialised, reducing to lawyers and orators.

India has a record of flagrant violation of rights at every level. From a situation of lawlessness created by the state through undemocratic legislation, to arbitrary acts of both policy and intervention, successive governments have attempted to maintain policies that deny to a majority of citizens the right to civilized human existence.

Struggles of the Civil Societies in Manipur

Liberal theory considers civil society to be a property of democratic states. The presence of civil society ensures democratic states, because among the values of civil soceity are those of accountability of states, and limits on state power. Civil society affords a rule bound space independent of the state yet protected by the state, where right-bearing individuals pursue their private interests in peaceful association with others. For the Marxist, the liberal conceptualization of civil society as a sphere of rights legitimizes the domination of the capitalist classes. Civil in the Marxist perspective, is the arena for selfish competition, wage-linked exploitation, and class in equality. Marxist theory has consequently seen civil society as the sphere for the buying, selling and reproduction of labour power.  The state in this perspective by maintaining the fiction of equal rights and freedom actually guarantees the depredation and moral squalor of civil society. Liberals concentrate on the oppressions of the state, but they do not inquire into the oppressions of civil society, and Marxist concentration upon the oppressions of this sphere has led them to neglect any analysis of the institutions and values of the civil society. The privileging of civil society as the sphere where democratic politics can be constructed has major implications. It involves the recognition that the right to hold states responsible and to ensure political accountability resides not only in institutions and constitutions, laws and regulations, but is a part of the social fabric.² Firstly the notion of the public sphere of civil society implies that people come together in an arena of common concerns. The public is not only what pertains to the whole society, it is the vital mechanism which brings together individuals and groups located in private discourses, into a discourse based on shared and common concerns. The transfer from the private to the public takes place through the formation and dissemination of public opinion. The second implication is that it is desirable that, the debate and discussion is public in the sense of being accessible to all. Nobody should be barred on the grounds of his/her location in class or other structures. The third implication is that a space should exist outside officially prescribed channels of communication provided by the state where this free and public discussion and debate can take place.

On the other hand, he practices of civil society which are exposed most powerfully are the works of Hegel, Marx and Gramsci, which inhibits the process of democracy. Civil society has provided both the space for democracy and acted as a constraint upon it.

Civil society is not a once and for all phenomenon which can be constructed and left to fend for itself. The freedom of civil society is precarious and has to be guarded against any violations of the autonomy principle. it is perceived that the state had become much more powerful than desired. Indeed the modern state, with its apparatus of power and surveillance, posed a greater threat to human freedom than earlier states which did not possess the same range, modicum and mechanisms of power. Arundhati Roy said “our strategy should be not only to confront empire, but to lay siege to it. To deprive it of oxygen. To shame it. To mock it. With our art, our music, our literature, our stubbornness, our joy, our brilliance, our sheer relentlessness and our ability to tell our own stories. Stories that are different from the ones we’re being brainwashed to believe”.

The values of civil society are those of political participation, state accountability, and publicity of politics. The institutions of civil society are associational and representative forums, a free press and social associations. The inhabitants of this sphere are the rights bearing and juridically define individually.

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, is more of a nuisance than a solution. “Irom Sharmila Chanu’s protest and campaign to repeal the AFSPA must be heard and consider as a democratic non-violent protest.” The Act which gives extra-ordinary power to the security forces was imposed in some States of North East India with the noble intention of controlling militancy but ended up leasing an undeclared State of emergency for undefined reasons and for an unlimited period, it alleged. “The Act has been misused by the security forces by taking advantage of counter insurgency operation in every nook and corners in the North Eastern States. People had undergone several abuses due to the excesses repeatedly committed by the Security Forces throughout the years. It has repeatedly violated the right to life, liberty and security of person.” The foundation also called for incorporation of the list of ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ as laid down and propounded by the Supreme Court of India and immediate review of the Act from the entire North East India.  The Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has admitted AFSPA as inhuman in addition to Justice Jeevan Reddy’s recommendation to scrap the military Act, the civil societies demanded the Government of India and the Government of Manipur to repeal AFSPA without any further delay.  the Government of India responded with all the urgency when Ana Hazare fasted for just 11 days whereas New Delhi has been paying no attention to Sharmila’s 11 years old fasting, the partial attitude of the Government of India is being decried.

Former union home secretary G.K. Pillai said, Irom Sharmila’s fasting for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), must ”reach out to people across the country” like anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare to make Irom Sharmila cause known, says AFSPA enables security forces to shoot at sight and arrest anybody without a warrant if an area is declared disturbed.  “It is a question of how you reach out to people. AFSPA is applicable only in Jammu and Kashmir and in the northeastern states. Corruption is pricking people everywhere and that’s why Anna Hazare had a high moral ground,”  “She (Sharmila) has to reach out to the people across the country. She has to say why she is on fast,”  “AFSPA should be repealed and the government should have a humane law,” AFSPA was passed in 1990 to grant special powers and immunity from prosecution to security forces to deal with raging insurgencies in northeastern states and in Jammu and Kashmir. The Act is a target for local human rights groups and international campaigners such as Amnesty International.

Home Minister P Chidambaram made a fresh attempt is being made to build consensus within the Government to amend the controversial Armed Forces Special (Powers) Act (AFSPA). He said “I am trying to revisit AFSPA but as you know one needs to build a consensus within the Government before amendments can be brought before Parliament.” He said in J & K there was a consensus within the Central Government that if the state withdraws the Disturbed Areas Act, AFSPA will automatically go. “In Kashmir, the state government to was asked to review the application of Disturbed Areas Act and if that act is reviewed, then automatically if the DA does not apply to areas in Kashmir, the AFSPA is not applied to that area in Kashmir. In a statement of the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) said that we will replace the AFSPA with a more humane act.  On the other hand the army has conveyed its apprehensions to the Defence Ministry that replacement of AFSPA or any dilution could hamper its operational capabilities to effectively deal with militancy and insurgency. “On the first route (in JK) there is a consensus at the Centre. Now at the operational level, the JK government would have to, in the Unified Command, agree to review the application of Disturbed Areas Act. “If they are able to lift the DAA from, say five places, then AFSPA would not apply to those five places. So that is something which they have to do and I am in touch with the Chief Minister (Omar Abdullah),” Chidambaram said, adding Omar has to “weigh the pros and cons and then decide when to do it, where to do it. That is for them.”Omar’s government in the state has already constituted a Committee earlier this year to review the DAA. The Committee comprises Director General of Police, Home Secretary and Corps Commander of 15 Corps (for Kashmir) and Corps Commander of 16-Corps (for Jammu).

Congress Party’s scion Rahul Gandhi believes that army is no solution to insurgencies either in Kashmir, North East or Chattisgarh and bated for a political solution to problems. “We need to talk and the political process must begin.  “Army is no solution to the problem of insurgency. Army is meant to fight with the enemy and not with our own people.”

It is pathetic that the Indian State has not toed the democratic norms. Rather, on security point of view, the Indian state either simply copied the draconian laws of the colonial or even made new extraordinary and harsher laws in maintaining law and order and tackling insurgency movements in the country. Some of these laws that have been quite abusively used – Punjab Security of State Act, 1953, The Assam Maintenance of Public Order (Autonomous Districts) Act, 1958, The Terrorist and Disruptive (Prevention) Act, 1987, The Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), 2001, repealed etc, etc. It has been experienced oft and again that these extraordinary laws do not solve the problems of people’s dissent and insurgency movements. Instead the common people have been the victims of the atrocious laws. While the Terrorist and Disruptive (Prevention) Act, 1987 has lapsed after wide protests, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is still being promulgated in various states, particularly, the North East India. Sharmila has been undergoing fast unto death for complete removal of the Act. Scores of concerned civil society organisations including Sharmila Kanba Lup and the intelligentsia among others have been launching movements against any further promulgation of such Act, the authority has ever been arrogant. Thus, we experienced gross violation of human rights of the common peoples and subjugation has become the political culture. It is an empirical fact, that Manipuris have been protesting against even the British regime, can be clearly known from events, the First and Second Nupilals, Anglo-Manipuri War, Anglo-Kuki War, Irawat’s and Zeliangrong movements. Despite this situation, merger of Manipur to the Indian Dominion had added fuel to the fire, as a setback there came up the secessionist movements.

¹ Harsh Sethi and Smithu Kothari, “Introduction”, in Rethinking Human Rights: Challenges for Theory and Action, edited by, Smitu Kothari and Harsh Sethi, (Delhi: Lokayan, 1989),1.

² Neera Chandoke, State and Civil Society: Explorations in Political Theory, (New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1995), 61.

Posted: 2012-04-14

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/movements-for-human-rights-in-manipur/

A state integrity cannot be ensured by exclusion policy or weakening of a section of people in economic growth. A state territory cannot be protected by political slogans or breaking our heads on the streets, but by ensuring economic equality among different communities living in that territory. Peaceful co-existence and economic inequality are diametrically opposed to each other. Latter needs to be eradicated to achieve the former. The question of peaceful co-existence cannot come unless our hearts genuinely accept economic equality and our actions follow it. By merely saying peaceful co-existence or economic development of the poorer section of our people without action can never ensure a territorial integrity. The phrases “territorial integrity or peaceful co-existence” itself constitutes a threat to integrity or peaceful co-existence when the shouter himself act against it. Therefore, economic equality between different communities living in Manipur is a pre-requisite of peace, prosperity and integrity of the state.

Ensuring economic equality between Northern India and North East Region, hills and valley, tribe and non-tribe, OBC and general; Thoubal and Keirao; Somdal and Kasom Khullen areas of Ukhrul, for instances, shall result in peaceful co-existence which would give the political stability and economic viability of India, Manipur and Ukhrul. Religious leaders, politicians, thinkers, media houses, bureaucrats, educators and youths should aspire for peace and evolve divergent theories for maintaining peace in Manipur, and economic equality among various ethnic groups living in the state is the best theory for ensuring the same. So, is the case in Indian politics. It’s a universal truth and there is no substitute to it. Since we are closely knitted geographically or as a state, any occurrence of event in one part of Manipur has its immediate impact on the rest; any unhealthy incident adversely affects the state as a whole. Therefore, poverty of hill areas of Manipur constitutes a threat to peace and integrity of the state. It is for this reason economic equality of all areas becomes necessity, not an option anymore because poverty anywhere constitutes a threat to peace everywhere.

Economic inequality breeds exploitation, hatreds, jealousy and so on. It’s a disease, a parasitism because it is all evil. All the major world revolutions e.g. Afro Asian resurgence, French Revolution 1789, India’s Independent Movement, Economic Crises of 1929 which resulted to World War II, are all the results of growing consciousness of economic exploitation. Economic inequality caused tension, war and disintegration in the world. History is a testimony to the fact. Therefore, to Karl Marx, economic inequality is root cause of destruction of peace. Economic enslavement destructs people’s liberty and increases misery.

It is said that only sufferers can break the shackles of dependency. It is for this reason why the hills should stop blaming on valley alone but take sincere initiatives for its own economic development, and the valley being a more advance capital city of Manipur, should extend all possible assistances for the economic regeneration of weaker section of people, particularly people living in the backward hill districts of Manipur in the interest of peace and integrity of the state. We may not be able to continue living together or ensure the integrity of the state by throwing mud on each other or considering of each other as rivals but by accommodating and safeguarding each other’s interests. The new government of Manipur should work on the principle of ‘equal treatment for all”. The rights of all communities must be cared without favoritism. A government has the obligation towards all the constituencies, not only for the people of its choice. Even within the valley areas, there is, no doubt, a wide gap between what ought to be, and what it is. Similarly, within Ukhrul district itself, the western side is much more developed than the southern and eastern areas. If the fragmentation is to be prevented, this has to be corrected, only then, territorial integrity or peaceful co-existence shall not be far to seek. Economic development should be inclusive, not exclusive. Peaceful co-existence or maintaining of integrity are high sounding but of no practical utility in the absence of economic equality. Therefore, economic equality must be considered in the interest of peace, prosperity and territorial integrity of our nation, state or district.

Aaron Keishing,
Sub-Editor, The Aja Press,
Spring Home, Nagaram D-1,
Imphal, Manipur-9612686705
Email: aaronkeishing(at)yahoo(dot)com

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/economic-equality-pre-requisite-for-peace-and-integrity-of-manipur/

A state integrity cannot be ensured by exclusion policy or weakening of a section of people in economic growth. A state territory cannot be protected by political slogans or breaking our heads on the streets, but by ensuring economic equality among different communities living in that territory. Peaceful co-existence and economic inequality are diametrically opposed to each other. Latter needs to be eradicated to achieve the former. The question of peaceful co-existence cannot come unless our hearts genuinely accept economic equality and our actions follow it. By merely saying peaceful co-existence or economic development of the poorer section of our people without action can never ensure a territorial integrity. The phrases “territorial integrity or peaceful co-existence” itself constitutes a threat to integrity or peaceful co-existence when the shouter himself act against it. Therefore, economic equality between different communities living in Manipur is a pre-requisite of peace, prosperity and integrity of the state.

Ensuring economic equality between Northern India and North East Region, hills and valley, tribe and non-tribe, OBC and general; Thoubal and Keirao; Somdal and Kasom Khullen areas of Ukhrul, for instances, shall result in peaceful co-existence which would give the political stability and economic viability of India, Manipur and Ukhrul. Religious leaders, politicians, thinkers, media houses, bureaucrats, educators and youths should aspire for peace and evolve divergent theories for maintaining peace in Manipur, and economic equality among various ethnic groups living in the state is the best theory for ensuring the same. So, is the case in Indian politics. It’s a universal truth and there is no substitute to it. Since we are closely knitted geographically or as a state, any occurrence of event in one part of Manipur has its immediate impact on the rest; any unhealthy incident adversely affects the state as a whole. Therefore, poverty of hill areas of Manipur constitutes a threat to peace and integrity of the state. It is for this reason economic equality of all areas becomes necessity, not an option anymore because poverty anywhere constitutes a threat to peace everywhere.

Economic inequality breeds exploitation, hatreds, jealousy and so on. It’s a disease, a parasitism because it is all evil. All the major world revolutions e.g. Afro Asian resurgence, French Revolution 1789, India’s Independent Movement, Economic Crises of 1929 which resulted to World War II, are all the results of growing consciousness of economic exploitation. Economic inequality caused tension, war and disintegration in the world. History is a testimony to the fact. Therefore, to Karl Marx, economic inequality is root cause of destruction of peace. Economic enslavement destructs people’s liberty and increases misery.

It is said that only sufferers can break the shackles of dependency. It is for this reason why the hills should stop blaming on valley alone but take sincere initiatives for its own economic development, and the valley being a more advance capital city of Manipur, should extend all possible assistances for the economic regeneration of weaker section of people, particularly people living in the backward hill districts of Manipur in the interest of peace and integrity of the state. We may not be able to continue living together or ensure the integrity of the state by throwing mud on each other or considering of each other as rivals but by accommodating and safeguarding each other’s interests. The new government of Manipur should work on the principle of ‘equal treatment for all”. The rights of all communities must be cared without favoritism. A government has the obligation towards all the constituencies, not only for the people of its choice. Even within the valley areas, there is, no doubt, a wide gap between what ought to be, and what it is. Similarly, within Ukhrul district itself, the western side is much more developed than the southern and eastern areas. If the fragmentation is to be prevented, this has to be corrected, only then, territorial integrity or peaceful co-existence shall not be far to seek. Economic development should be inclusive, not exclusive. Peaceful co-existence or maintaining of integrity are high sounding but of no practical utility in the absence of economic equality. Therefore, economic equality must be considered in the interest of peace, prosperity and territorial integrity of our nation, state or district.

Aaron Keishing,
Sub-Editor, The Aja Press,
Spring Home, Nagaram D-1,
Imphal, Manipur-9612686705
Email: aaronkeishing(at)yahoo(dot)com

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/economic-equality-pre-requisite-for-peace-and-integrity-of-manipur/

Dhobi Ghat , a slum area with a majority of muslim population , is situated on the bank of river Yamuna, near Batla House, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi with around 150 families. These families are mostly deprived and poor, surviving with low literacy rate, malnutrition, hunger and lack of sanitation.

Note: This is an excerpt. To read the whole article, please download the PDF file

Khudai Khidmatgar had organized a youth camp under the guidance of social activist Faisal Khan, with its objective of ‘service of God’ on 26th feb 2012 for the families of dhobi ghat. There were 20 volunteers in this campaign. I was one of them to experience the ground conditions of this area.

One of the most shocking facts discovered was that no civil society group/ government officials had ever visited them, even though this area is in the capital city and is situated near Jamia Nagar. How is it possible that NGOs who get crores of rupees to work in slum , to eradicate poverty, to fight with malnutrition, to raise voices for rights, to campaign for education etc; have never visited this area, I wondered.

My report here is dedicated to those people, with the hope that their condition will become better gradually through joint efforts of the government, civil society and their own. In my first sight of this area, I saw children playing, not with modern era toys, but with plastic bags immersed in waste, garbage of river etc.

____________________

Note: This is an excerpt. To read the whole article, please download the PDF file

Ravi Nitesh
ravinitesh (at) gmail.com

March 12, 2012

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/dhobi-ghat-a-slum-of-the-national-capital-questions-on-development-governance-and-role-of-civil-societies/

Benjamin Gondaimei: Debate on Cultural disintegration of the Zeliangrong

Since i was born, i was wrapped up in a cloth made out of tribal weaving, and as i grow up, i started pulling up huge-huge Shawl especially in winter to keep myself warm, but that was soon replaced by jacket designed in better shape to hold firm and warm me from cold. Moreover our elders on any occasions would call us to dance and we continue to go practising our tribal dances. But later, it was taken over by Break-Dance, Ball-Dance, Couple Dance etc-etc, hardly in the villages i rarely find youths and young people getting involved in the traditional/cultural factor. Now many of us do not know (including me) how to dance, and sing our folk songs.
Our Grandpas and Grandmas were excellent in weaving basket and craft-making, but now i hardly see people getting involved in the self-employing matters. My eldest sister and my Ma was an excellent weavers, but, now the coming up ladies and lad knows or do not know what is weaving and what is sewing of our own traditional attires. There are many things to ponder on…but what i am trying to say is; what can be the causes, in the process of dwindling our cultural integrity/dignity, and what would be the remedy..??
• Comments
Lumpiulung Kamson That’s cultural invasion…we were the victims.
Resurgence is on the way but if educated people do not involve we are still be on the back foot….As for baskets/clothes/attires of ours, professionalism is required. nowadays, u don’t have time to train all the girls in the family say for weaving, time had changed but market them properly once you have the products..
I believe some stalls of cultural items will put up in the upcoming AZSU conference for e.g…Let’s buy them. Money isn’t the issue but the brand value is….Let Bro Amstong Pame or Sister Gaina Kamei or any smart and good looking be the brand ambassadors (speaking my minds out!)
Jonah Kamei good topic. This is specially we Christian only, who made losing our culture and traditional. I Never forget the past incident that happened, exactly i forget the year , at around 1995 only one of the most important traditional festival called NANU at Khoupum ( all villages celebrated in same day given a fixed date by village elders ). At that time culture and traditional etc are well maintained and practice. At that day the so called NSCN(IM) group came to our khoupum valley and bandh the traditional festival. House to house, door to door entering and destroyed all the traditional items. The important rice bear made for the festival was flooded in the rooms and kitchens. Many-many harassment had been done at that day to our lovely village elders at KHANGCHU (Morung). More than thousand of thousand worth rupees r lost. At that time Christians are the main supporters of NSCN (IM)-Nagaland for Christ… ?@ the khoupum incident no Christian forum or village churches interfered in bringing justice. I saw with my own eye; they forcefully made them to kneel down (the elders and NANU family members) to drink all the rice bear which is flooded in the floor, beating them blue and black. During last month election i went home and asked the cultural items to preserve it to some of the village elders the same story came over again- all important custom and traditional items are already destroyed nothing available now. very sad…..
Gainithoi Gonmei Cultural awakening or revival is the need of the hour. Detaching from the cultural activities by our people will only leads to cultural suicide and finally we will be known as a lost people. We must reassert our customs and traditional values which are the only identity and we which can be made distinction from others race. Culture is our identity so we must preserved it.
Rampau Michui Cultural revival will take more than a wish. It will require the political will of those who occupy political position. There must be a concerted efforts on the part of intellectual to preach our cultural sermon rigorously. In fact today no product will flourish without market and without money coming from the market no industry can be kept alive. If we revive our culture just for the heck of it it will be like repairing a dilapidated house drinking a lot of resources without a glow coming out of it. What we need is a cultural industry. Think of the Western Culture, Hollywood promotes it. Indian Culture Bollywood promotes it, Meitei culture, meitei film industry promotes it. In order to produce culture we need more than talking about folk song and stories or the traditional way of weaving. We need our present stories, present fashion, present gourmets, present ideology, present consciousness be written in books, recorded in songs, produce in movies, sold in the market take the profit and bounce back with a new product totally our product in our language in our homes.
But when it comes to implementing or making it a reality, we need an organised intelligentsia to draft our route to begin with. Unless there is a conscious collective revival movement of culture, someone doing somewhere will die with the death of the person doing the thing…either dance, or rice bear, weaving etc.
Kasumpou Gonmei the causes of losing our culture are Globalization, education, mass media, christianity in short. We have to conscientize our people first by imparting our identity of who we are through seminars and consultations. Unless we do this it is hard for us to rebuild our lost culture.
Gaikhuanlung Gangmei One thing we can maintain our cultural item is Khangchiu & Liuchiu. It is social organization like club. We can have two three Khangchiu/Liuchiu in a village. Change is necessary since situation changed, but we can maintain the name and the form. Christian society also have chabamvlu swmei; but they don`t want to use this cultural name, in stead English name social gathering. ——–About compilation of traditional song, Brother Ragongning Gangmei published quite a thick book. That must have almost all the songs.

Benjamin Gondaimei There will be a time when we have Cultural Dance and Folk music teachers in our School and colleges, all the students will be required to learn and will be compulsory. To introduce our Local (ZLR) Cultural studies programme in the school Syllabus, in our ZLR areas.

(Example) Starting from Class IV-X, One subject each in a year, and school can also deal it with the said subject, how to implicate them in our society.
I guess every one of us knows how to lead a March-Pass or go parading in the 15 Aug. or in 26 Jan (republic day). Like-wise, our Cultural Programme should also be made inevitable.
Langs Gonmei ?……there are many ZLR NGO’s established with a motive to ZLR culture. They are good for minting money. May in the near future, we will have ZLR dance academy… and so on. Christians are also to blame for this state, we have been demonising our art and culture by vehemently repudiating. We need to de-paganised and de-demonised. I agree with Gondaimei idea of incorporating in syllabus, but as an elective. We can have different course on folk dance and music of different genre. I’d love to try drums and of course lamluan lu. Private run schools have certain amount of autonomy in deciding the curriculum. we can easily incorporate, if we have will and determination to do. Catholic run schools are very good in enculturation. Kudos to them for enlightening us. ….many of us think that we have apostasized by dancing and singing cultural/traditional. Woe unto them for their naiveness.
Shingsing Golmei With malice towards none!!!
Well, coming to Benjamin’s question..to begin with, we, the followers of our indigenous religion believe that culture n religion r inseparable. And our culture is enriched by the observance of festivals, which in turn is associated with religious activities. For us, without these religious activities n rituals, the observance of all these festivals become meaningless. Every year, we observe a number of festivals but we see the dwindling of our rich culture due to lack of initiative/interest, where only the followers of TRC r left with the task of promoting it. Most of the rest r happy taking the neutral role. For them, cultural items like costumes, dances, musical instruments r given up except as show pieces during meetings/conferences etc. Somebody had mentioned somewhere already, but i would mention again, how our ppl who converted to another religion sold/burnt off all invaluable cultural items like costumes, tadan-tu, nthi-nai, simiu etc. Happened with some of my near ones too. Also for them, singing traditional songs n dancing our folk dances r things of the past. Until…..
I remember, years back, a theologian who came to learn our folk dance from my village coz the first time he went abroad, he was asked to show his cultural dance n he dint know how to. Coming to basket-weaving n crafts, yeah, it’s very true that nowadays, it’s hard to find ppl who can do it…even in my village, only maybe 2 elders knows the craft. That’s y, this time when i went home, me n my sister planned to have a workshop, inviting all youngsters to come n learn from my uncle. However, it dint materialise this time due to time constraints n other factors. The idea of the workshop came to me when, last yr, a TRC follower died n for the burial, we needed some baskets to put in the food, drinks, dao, spear etc, to be buried along with the dead ( for his journey into the ‘other’ world). That time, my uncle who knew how to weave them had gone to Tml, so we approached another elder(christian) for it. But he declined saying that “nangniu kachap tatmeithe tu ethei, heikummei teini phaithai ninade”.Somehow, somebody got it done. As for weaving our traditional costumes, m like nearly zero at it n m not proud of that but my mom is continuously into it…i wish i knew how to too…
So,according to me, all of us, both christians n TRC r to be blamed for the dwindle. TRC, for not being enthusiastic enuff to promote it n for some of the followers having the wrong notion that festivals r only for merry-making. Many of the youths n even elders today do not know whats Lamluan Luh, Kalaam Luh, Taraang Luh, Kailong Pat Luh,Chabam/Pajei Luh, BaanGeiluh etc…n my appreciation goes to those who took the effort to preserve n record our folk songs, rituals on cds, books etc.
Gairiangmei M Naga bro Benjee, I am glad to see all the comments. Yes our cultural/traditional attire is under threat, almost down/wipe out but is still not destroyed. Thanks to all the strong headed-protectors, there I am also one of the members of promoters and preservers. Fortunately, at the age of 15 to 18 (yrs), I used to participate in the cultural programme and actively dance with my seniors: gaan-laam, leangdai-laam, tareang-laam, seem-laam, laotai-laam, khuaiguna-laam etc. I used to sing-songs: kailuan-ruanlu, lamruanlu, luluang etc, after coming here in Delhi no time to practice so forgotten almost all, but my spirit is still burning inside. In 2004, I was the Chairman of Gaan-Ngai Celebration Committee,Delhi. Theme: “zlr culture at the crossroad”. The main purpose of the celebration was to protect, promote & preserve our culture & tradition at the same time reaching out to the world. With the cooperation from all our zlr, non-zlr brothers and sisters from not only Delhi and NCR areas but also from well wishers: MPs, dignitaries, media persons from Delhi, Manipur and Nagaland, the programme was a grand success. In 2010, I went to my home town for vacation, I had contact many elders and encouraged them to start practice, and collect traditional songs. I have fixed the time/dateline to collect all the songs and their write-up by April 2012. In this way I am trying my level best to collect songs from village elders. Hope, my little effort may be a treasure in the days to come. OUR CULTURE, OUR LIFE, long live zlr culture.

Benjamin Gondaimei can be reached at bgondaimei(at)gmail(dot)com

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/facebook-zeliangrong-naga-zeliangrong-ringtelo/

By Dr. Kateipfona, nagavoices (at) rediffmail.com

The 10th General Election in Manipur saw the use of lemon mobile handsets for capturing the image of voters. This innovation was presumably introduced to prevent proxy voting. But this half baked idea is now the centre of a storm that will leave the Election Commission of India dumfounded. The state of Manipur has been used as a guinea pig and the surgery which was attempted with such a sloppy and ill conceived mechanism has resulted with grave potentials for the future of democracy. A critique on the issue is furnished as follows –

1. Digital cameras were not used and the questionable quality of the lemon mobile handset selected for the purpose presumably was done in order to cut down cost. Many of the images were blurred either due to poor lighting or camera quality. The image quality were reported to be, in some cases so poor so much so that it could not be made out if the image is of a male or a female or that of a young or old person.

2. After the EVMs are closed on conclusion of polling, the election officials handling the camera can play mischief by tampering with the sequence or numbering of EPIC. On reaching HQs for safekeeping till counting day, the Returning Officer can also tamper with the same. Anybody with working knowledge of computers will have the capability to do this.

3. So when the polling officers and presiding officers in consultation with the polling agents of all the candidates have through consensus closed the polling and sealed the EVMs, the responsibility for irregularities that have now surfaced must be borne by the Officials who have conducted the polling.

4. The duty and responsibilities of the election officials deputed to polling station is to ensure that there is no proxy voting. Otherwise it would be enough to install only an EVM in each polling station and leave the rest to the voters. The officials must be therefore be held responsible for any lapses that have been observed on this issue.

5. Election observers sent by the ECI had duly made their inspection visits to the polling stations and their reports of free and fair pollings should have been respected.

6. While the guidelines/circulars from the ECI made photographing of voters mandatory, more than 2.18 lacs voters were not photographed, which is about 12.5% of the total of 17.41 lacs voters. Why was it not made applicable across the board?

7. The use of camera was more strictly implemented in the hills than in the Imphal valley.

8. There was no organic connect between the Electronic Voting Machines(EVMs) and the Lemon cameras. The photos affixed to the EPIC is the only reference for the lemon cameras. A software to detect anomalies is reportedly being used. If that be so, on detection of mismatch and proxy, what can be done? At the most, the person identified can be punished. But you cannot invalidate his/her vote because it is already in the EVM. The ECI can use an ultra sophisticated technology to determine whom the errant voters had exactly voted for and if this can be done without raising another storm, deduct the number of such errant votes from the total polled by the supported candidate. Can be possibly done but it almost impossible.

9. Now the other option is to go for repoll. But already complaints have been submitted for repoll in 468 polling stations, which represent almost 20% of the total of 2357 in the state. But what about the other polling stations for which no complaints have been submitted but where the same faulty mechanism had been employed. The abuse of the mechanism was universal and the difference is only in degrees. So logically the repolls will have to be as good as a total re-election.

10. One important question that comes to mind is why did the ECI accept complaints directly at their Delhi office when initially the State Returning Officers and the State Chief Election Officer had rejected the complaints, taking into consideration the local situation and ground realities where decision making is done at the village and community levels. The ECI had also entertained the complaints of only the Indian National Congress candidates at their Delhi office, while all complaints irrespective of parties had been rejected at the state level. Why this differential treatment? Have some of the ECI officials been compromised in their integrity.

11. Having committed the fatal mistake of opening the floodgate of complaints by superseding the good judgement at the state level , the ECI will have to be held responsible for bungling the whole exercise, for wasting enormous resources, putting the electorates to great inconvenience and depriving them of the right to have democratically elected representatives in due time.

Now saddled with all these problems and question, the ECI can only consider the following options to get out of this imbroglio –

A.
(i) Apologise to the nation for having experimented with the lemon camera without due care and entertaining complaints over the controversial issue of photo mismatch without taking into account the ground realities and wasting precious resources in terms of manpower, funds and logistics.
(ii) Reimburse all expenditures incurred by all the candidates and their parties and supporters.
(iii) Conduct a full scale re-election as none of the polling station will be found to be in line with the ECI guidelines.

B. Alternatively, reject all complaints as was done at the state level and allow counting of votes as they were received from the EVMs.

Both the options are far from easy and will be met with strong resistance. But the ECI, which is a constitutional authority, will have to exercise the option that would be the least damaging to the fragile Democracy that has subsisted in this part of the country all this years since the Independence of India, the world’s largest Democracy.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/02/lemon-camera-the-election-commission-of-india-and-the-10th-general-election-in-manipur/