Op-Ed
Women’s Bodies as Terrain of War: Experiences from Manipur
Z. K. PahrüPou | BTC, Pfutsero
There is no doubt that the military environment is inherently masculine and misogynist. The masculine cults that permeate military establishments are intrinsically anti-female and therefore create a hostile environment for women.Starting from one’s own peaceful home, to ethnic conflict to world war, men use women’s bodies to control each other. When a patriarchal state uses sexual violence as a weapon of war, it became a dreadful place for women to live in. In conflict-ridden Manipur, women's bodies become the terrain that wars are fought on. There is unabated violation of women’s rights in Manipur as armed forces (both state and non-state armed actors) operate above the law. Encounters, counter-encounters and counter insurgency operations had adversely affected the lives of the common people especially women. Many women were raped, tortured and many young wives widowed. When a woman’s right is violated by state armed forces, they get impunity under the protection of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). When a woman is sexually harassed by member(s) of insurgent groups, the state or the civil society organisation has no power to bring them to justice. The brunt of brute armed forces (state and non-state armed groups) has devastating effect on the local populace especially women.
So often, it was the insurgents in Northeast India that are blamed for forcing New Delhi to militarise and impose AFSPA in the region. But the fact is that it is the deployment of large number of armed forces with AFSPA that creates insecurity and fears and compelled civilians to take up arms. When AFSPA was imposed in 1980, there were only two active insurgent groups operating in the valley of Manipur. Today, after 30 years of its imposition, the provocative act of security forces has given birth to nearly 50 insurgent groups in the whole state of Manipur. The Kukis has the highest number of insurgents group with 38 factions. AFSPA gives sweeping powers to the army such as arrest and search without warrants, fire upon and use lethal force if they felt the need and no prosecution is possible against army personnel who have taken action under this Act, unless sanctioned by the central government. The impunity given to the army implies that women in these areas are being denied of any legal redress that might have been available to them under the Indian legal system. Hence, women are the most affected group by militaristic patriarchal chauvinistic society. For no reason of their own, under militarisation, women experience the cruellest form of oppressions such as rape, sexual molestation, beatings, murder, widowhood, forced prostitution, etc. Some of the glaring incidents of how women were subjected to various forms of oppression under militarisation are discussed below:
1. Operation Bluebird, 1987. This incident took place at Oinam Hill Village, a medium size Poumai Naga village that falls under Senapati District in Manipur. It is 40 km away from Senapati District Headquarter and roughly 80 from Kohima Nagaland. On the fateful day of 9th July 1987, suspected armed cadres belonging to a Naga insurgent group attacked the outpost of Assam Rifles Camp in the village in broad daylight. Nine soldiers were killed. Following this incident, the Indian Security Forces launched one of the biggest operations since 1950s in Naga areas. The counter-insurgency operation was accompanied by rape, murder, arson, vandalisation of public and private properties, illegal detention, etc. The whole villagers of Oinam were detained in the open ground for many days. Three women were alleged raped and five women were alleged sexually molested by Indian armies. Two mothers gave birth in the open ground in full view of Indian jawans where the villagers were detained. The Indian security forces denied the Naga culture of giving the best treatment to the infants and the lactating mothers during the time of conflict and misfortunes by keeping them for weeks under the unhygienic perilous exposure to wet grounds, heavy rain and scorching sun in the concentration camps. Individuals especially women who are subjected to torture and who are forced to witness the torture of their family members had developed serious mental health problems even long after the incident is over. The intent of sexual violence was not only to terrorise and traumatise the people under assault — they are often accused of harbouring militants — but also sending out a message of retribution to the indigenous people’s resistance movement.
2. The Naked Protest Of Manipuri Women, 2004. Let’s fast forward our discussion to 2004, to the incident of naked protest by Manipuri women. The naked protest is forced by the beastly act of rape and murdered of a young Manipuri woman by Assam Rifles. On the fateful night of July 10, 2004, a thirty two year old ThangjamManorama was picked up from her home by 37th Assam Rifles on wild allegation of being associated with a group of Meitei insurgent group (PLA). According to arrest memo, no incriminating items were found at the time of arrest but later it was said that a hand grenade and other items were seized from her home. The next day i.e., on 11th July, her lifeless and bullet ridden body was found in the field four km away from her home. Assam Rifles claimed that she was shot while trying to escape. However, no blood was found nearby the body. There were gunshot wounds to the genitals. An autopsy revealed semen marks on her skirt suggesting rape and murder. An ghastly act was committed by so called ‘security forces’.
In the name of performing its official task, the Indian security forces used sexual violence against women to inflict fear in the minds of people living in conflict areas as in Manipur and Kashmir. Someone had aptly put it, “an injury to one is an injury to all.” The incident had led to widespread and extended protest in Manipur and in many parts of India. Around 30 middle-aged Manipuri women walked naked through Imphal to the Assam Rifles headquarter at historic Kangla Fort with a banner “Indian Army Rape Us”. The protestors also shouted, “We all are Manorama’s mothers.” Manipuri mothers used nude protest to fight against human rights abuses and get justice for their daughters.
3. Mass Rape of 21 Women in January 2006: It was on 10 and 14 January, 2004, that 21 women from Hmar community were mass raped. The incident took place at Parbung and Lungthulein- two remote villages in Churachandpur district in the hills of Manipur. This time, the culprits were not Indian army as is usually the case, but the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) – two of the more respected valley-based armed organisations of the Meiteis.
On the night of January 16, about 18 militants armed with sophisticated weapons dragged the people of Lungthulien to a central place and beat them up mercilessly. Four hundred and two people were beaten and tortured, while 15 girls and women aged between 12 and 27, were either raped or molested. Many villagers were frightened and fled their village the next morning. It came out later that the militants had also been carrying out atrocities at Parbung. On January 6, 10 girls, some of them minors, were raped or molested and several villagers assaulted. One boy, whose two sisters were sexually assaulted, was shot dead on the same night.
The two insurgent groups (UNLF & KCP) have been harassing the villagers and extorting cash and kind from them.The reason of mass rapes, carried out by the UNLF in Churachandpur district in January 2006, was said to be in revenge for being denied adequate ‘protection money’ and seeking army protection. None of the perpetrators have been brought to justice. The incident went largely unreported in the Meitei-dominated press based in Imphal. Even MeiraPaibi (Torch Bearers)-a network of women celebrated as one of the strongest women's movements in the country – kept silent while their sisters in the hills struggled for justice. When a girl was gang-raped in Delhi in the moving Bus, the whole country rose to protest against it. But here 21 women were raped and there was total silence. In mainland India, if it is caste card that keeps people aloof from each other in fighting for the rights of women, in Manipur it is ethnic consideration that weakens the fight against sexual violence. A deep divide already exists between the various hill communities – like the Nagas, Kukis, Hmarsetc – and the valley-based Meiteis over issues such as neglect by the predominantly Meitei-run government and the historical cultural prejudice between the hill and valley people. The chasm was further widened by political rifts created by various armed homeland movements. Every tribe has rushed to arm itself, pushing the region to the brink of open ethnic war. This is where the women find themselves, embattled between warring groups, with the Indian Army as the largest and most powerful armed group.
Conclusion: The above discussion shows only an ice-berg of women’s daily experiences in aa militarised state – Manipur. Firstly, in Operation Bluebird, sexual violence against women was used as a means of counter insurgency operation. Women suffered because of the sin (attack on security forces) committed by men (insurgent groups). Secondly, in the case of ThangjamManorama, it is clear to one and all that the impunity granted to security forces by AFSPA is a great threat to women’s security. Anytime, any woman can be arrested, raped and murdered by security forces in the name of discharging its official duty. Thirdly, the incident of mass rape of Hmar women shows that ethnic based insurgent groups can harass, molest or rape women of other ethnic groups without being prosecuted in civil court. There are many other similar incidents, but which went unreported. Many Manipuri mothers continue to give birth with full of tension for their daughter’s future. They often asked in their heart, “Will my daughter be arrested and murdered like Manorama by India security forces or will they be raped like Hmar women by cadres of insurgent groups? Words alone cannot convey the untold misery of sexual violence against women and their post traumatic experiences.
India along with the rest of the world rose to condemn in strongest term the sexual atrocities committed against women by extremists in Syria- ISIS or in Lybia-ISIL. However, it is India, the biggest democratic country in the world, which overtly allows its armed forces to employ sexual violence against its own mothers/sisters in NEI and Kashmir. Many army and police personnel who were charged with extrajudicial killings and rape cases were awarded medals by state and central government the Gallantry Award. This speaks volumes of the double standard of the state. In December 2012, the central government set up ‘The Committee on Amendments to Criminal Law’ (popularly known as the Justice Verma Committee) to review laws against sexual assault. The Committee noted that the use of AFSPA has legitimized sexual violence against women and recommended for immediate review of this draconian Act. In its recommendations, the Committee said that sexual violence against women by members of the armed forces or uniformed personnel should be brought under the purview of ordinary criminal law. However, army officials defended the Act saying that removing the requirement for sanction in cases of violence against women, as recommended by the Justice Verma Committee, would have a “de-motivating” effect on army personnel. Lt. Gen. Harwant Singh, Former Deputy Chief of Staff for the Army wrote: “No military personnel would want to get involved in false civil cases and spend the next few years doing the rounds of civil courts where all false evidence from the hostile local witnesses will be marshalled against them.” The Supreme Court of India upheld the constitutional validity of the AFSPA, ruling that the powers given to the army were not “arbitrary” or “unreasonable.” Activists called the ruling “shocking.” As long as militarisation process goes on, men will continue to use women’s bodies as terrain of war. AFSPA must go and along with it insurgent movement. It is high time that we should give chance to our mothers to sleep in peace knowing that their daughters are safe and secure in their land.
For discussion:zkpahr@gmail.com