Crimes Against Women and Children

[Guest guest]

Crimes Against Women and Children

By: Keisam Pradipkumar

My recent visits to Ukhrul district and Phayeng village stirred me to chew over

on the clandestine nature of human trafficking, compelled migrations, unabated

heinous crimes against hapless women and children vis a vis globalization and

prevailing system of political and economic injustice.

As saying goes, that seeing is believable, I made attempts to scan what would be

behind the scene I did see. What I saw at Ukhrul was nothing but the visible

mass exodus of young girls to metro cities of the country.

Was it that case of brain drain as most of them speak English, smart and

energetic; or migration by choice for better social and economic options, or was

it linking with human trafficking for varied reasons in a clandestine way?

Appallingly, even a remote village with a small population of 270 had unofficial

record of group migration of 20 young girls to outside states. During the past

one decade or so, several hundreds of girls had reportedly abandoned their

native villages for their destination to different strange cities.

Every one agrees that Tangkhul girls are admired for exceptionally nice-looking,

hard working, and much sought after for warm hospitality to the guests.

My probing mind got jolted, this time, as wherever we reached at any village, we

were served tea or warm water only by a horde of middle aged women, not by young

girls.

My question was - where had all the teenagers just vanished off the face of the

earth? It poked me to remember the shocking profile of AIDS devastated Uganda,

where its entire younger population (those who are in the sexually active and

productive age group) was inflicted and engulfed by HIV/AIDS pandemic, leaving

behind surviving small grandchildren with grandpa and grandmas only.

Observing the hardships faced by underprivileged people, It was starkly evident

that globalization and urbanization have rendered a ripple effect to the

impoverished economy, particularly the hill economy, which is utterly depended

on cyclic Jhoom cultivation and diminishing forest products.

The strait jacketing Globalization process in Manipur, under which no productive

base infrastructures are embedded, truly a developmental aggression, brings out

new sophisticated lifestyle based on costly consumerism. Since there is no equal

distribution of economic opportunities, globalized commodities only widen the

gapping chasm between have and have-nots.

Many families could not meet the ever rising demands of a costly globalized

lifestyle. While the have-nots being lured, try to embrace the upcoming neo

liberal economic challenges risking one's own life, compromising moral and

ethical obligations. Many promising young girls from valley and hills who dared

to struggle for a better life in the globalised market, ended with terribly

upset stories, as they were betrayed and exploited after being lured.

Interacting with some villagers, they revealed that these vanishing youths left

for Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and other cities, where they have reportedly managed

to get good jobs being offered by different " Companies " . But villagers could not

promptly give the details of companies, job specifications, personal security

etc.

It is a fact that girls from north-east particularly from Manipur are still

distained to bear the brunt of racial discriminations in mainland cities of Mera

Bharat Mahan, specially the capital Delhi.

I could read the apprehensions of the village elders that were buried under

their sly smiles. Because the barbaric expression of racial discrimination such

as physical assault, verbal abuse, sexual harassments, gang rape and murder as

perpetrated by some mainland Indians had inflicted many Naga and Meitei girls.

One Ramchanphy Hongray (19) from Ukhrul who was murdered October last year

apparently for resisting rape attempt at the apartment of 80/A at Munirka, Delhi

being the latest victim.

The other day when I visited Phayeng, a Meitei schedule caste village, I met

those traumatized three children left behind by a young widow, who was murdered

along with her teenaged daughter after gang rape. The gruesome murder only

depicted the magnitude of immeasurably insecure lives of socially deprived

section of the society, such as widows, destitute children and orphans in our

society.

That widow struggled to afford her four children's education, who all were

studying at Donbosco School, challenging every foreseeable constraints and

vulnerabilities she went through. That spirit and courage deserved reverence.

However, the fragile co-operation of the locality in addition to laxity of

police impeded the progress of crime investigation on the murder case. It's an

awful picture.

Interestingly, security forces came up to showcase their good Samaritan gesture

overriding legal procedures, when they dumped the three children left behind by

late Chanbi to an orphanage.

Next turn is of revolutionary justice of underground outfits, if any, that also

seemingly a far cry for the downtrodden people. State or nonstate, armed or

unarmed groups – it makes less different, to the deprived people nowadays, for

them ultimate justice is being throttled on many cases. The present conflict

torn society, where rule of law got spirally collapsed, it's a hey-day only for

criminals.

Then, do we have legitimate moral rights to be proud of " Nupi Lan " (women's

uprising) fought against British imperialist and for the contemporary " Meira

Paibee Movement " against narcotics, alcoholism and human rights violations? Why

should we take to mean " Ima el " one of the largest markets in the world

exclusively run by women, as a symbol of Oriental liberal society and unique

social status of Manipuri women?

Would Sharamila be happy with the prestigious titles like " Iron Lady " or " Nura

Temshingnabi " when the same society who conferred her the titles still continues

to murder and gang rape of many hapless women and girls?

It is the high time to redefine the true value of campaign and observations,

self introspection, redesigning the advocacy strategies, refocusing to outcomes

by avoiding the tokenism and ceremonial aspects from the activities.

Ever escalating crimes against women and children just during and after the

observances, including the recently held Children's day on 14 November, 16 days

Activism Against Gender violence Campaign started from 25 November,

International Human Rights day on 10 December, Nupi Lan on 12 December speak

volumes of the ineffectiveness of these observances, rallies and consultations

so far.

Are we somewhat misfiring or do we get backfired?

State fails to take up short and immediate measures on the recent Phayeng rape

and murder incident. There has been no effective crime investigation, culprits

are moving scot-free, besides no rehabilitative process for the children left

behind by the widow is taken up.

Consequently, judiciary and police investigation could not offer trust to the

public, who have opted an alternative justice – mob trail and mob justice. State

police are pro-active only to counter insurgency operations under the shadow of

impunity of AFSPA.

Culprits of many heinous crimes hardly get punitive punishment.

Highly exposed case of Miss Manorama, allegedly murdered after gang rape and

custodial torture of one Miss Naobi Chanu by state police commandos passed off

without awarding any punishment to the culprits.

It is stated that In India, 22 women were killed each day in dowry-related

murders in 2007 while, In Guatemala, two women are murdered, on average, each

day. Nobody knows- how many of Manipuri women and girl children must have been

killed, tortured, raped, harassed, kidnapped and trafficked each day on this

earth?

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