Subhash Gatade
Decades are a short time in a nation’s journey.
The sexual assault on three Kuki-Zo
women and their being paraded naked by a frenzied mob in Manipur- with the
police allegedly looking the other way –
has rekindled what happened with one Bilkis Bano from Gujarat, more than two
decades back, and her still unending fight for justice.
One also learns that when questioned
over this horrific incident N Biren Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur, has even
admitted on live TV channel that “There are hundreds of similar cases .”
Inadvertently or so, it has also
brought forth the deeper similarities between the orgy of sectarian violence in
those two regions, one which is still unfolding and one which was witnessed
then.
The wanton killings , burning of
houses and religious places, violation of women’ bodies, people forced out oftheir houses and living in refugee camps, allegations of biased behaviour of a
callous and apathetic the administration , refusal of sorts by the custodians
of law and order machinery to take stringent action against the perpetrators
etc the religious communal angle – it becomes increasingly difficult to
differentiate
The two and half month old video of
the assault on the Kuki Zo women on 4th May in Kangpokpi district, also
involved brutal killing of two male members of the family by the mob. It also
underlines the frenzied as well as joyous participation of people in the
violence and limitless social cruelty on display, reminding of the similar
still pictures flashed in newspapers or on TV channels then, when the bloody
happenings were ‘live’ on our screens from the Western state of India.
What is not to be glossed over is the
fact that the ethnic or sectarian violence in this north eastern state, which
has left 150 people dead – which still simmers – clearly demonstrating the
failure of the state government in controlling the situation, has led to
demands of the resignation of its Chief Minister and clamping of President’s
rule in the state. The continuing strife has also exposed the efficacy of the
‘double engine’ government much talked about by the ruling dispensation at the
centre.
As expected, these developments in
this north eastern state which borders Myanmar have received wide coverage inthe international media as well and growing concern is being expressed by international bodies .
Not many days ago when Prime Minister
Modi was visiting France for Bastille Day Celebrations, the issue was discussed
in European Parliament, (which was derided as a ‘sign of colonial mind-set’ by
India’s official spokesperson. The US ambassador to India also expressed “humanconcerns” over these developments and also showed the willingness “to assist inany way if asked” to do, though underlining that it is an internal matter of
India.
These reports or these concerns may
remind us about the concerns expressed about the happenings on international
fora then when the
situation in the Western state also looked worrying.
No doubt, any discernible observer
would note the differences as well.
The foremost being the alleged
stigmatisation of the very act of fact finding efforts by the state and its
various agencies.
A practice which is increasingly being
used in BJP ruled states.
One can recall how the then Raman
Singh government had similarly charged scholars, activists under draconian
charges few years back when they had gone to investigate a fake encounter
killing and how the case could not be sustained and NHRC directed thegovernment to pay compensation to them .
Reports have appeared about howscholars, intellectuals are being targeted for airing their views on thesituation with the media, and cases being filed under draconian charges against the civil libertyactivists or political workers, for visiting the victims, trying to understand the genesis of the situation and sharing their thoughts, observations to the wider world through reports.
Remember the carnage in the western state in 2002 did not witness any such immediate vindictive action against civil liberty workers and activists for their reports, it is a different matter that leading civil liberty activists were consciously targeted after judicial verdicts in the cases.
One can recall appearance of more than
45 reports by regional, national and international organisations, one of them
also included a report by retired justices and also by an international
tribunal of women leaders and activists from US, UK, France, Germany, Sri Lanka
who toured the state and met women who were violated during the riots and
shared their findings.
(https://web.archive.org/web/20070630044324/http:/www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=17823;
https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/one-thing-was-distinctly-rotten-about-2002-gujarat-riots-use-of-rape-as-a-form-of-terror/225511/)
The long silence of the head of the
government of the Republic of India – who holds the executive authority –
namely the Prime Minister – during the present spate of violence in Manipur has
definitely come under scanner at various levels
(https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/manipur-violence-why-pm-modi-silent-asks-congress-meitei-kuki-clash-2390117-2023-06-07)
Whereas the then head of the Republic,
felt the need to visit the state less than a month after these bloody
developments and remind the then custodians of the state about their Raj
Dharma. Looking at the gravity of the situation the reprimand was considered
very mild then but it definitely underlined the failure of the governance then
practised.
There is no means to know whether the
present President of the Republic – who herself comes from a tribal community –
has written to the executive authority about the situation in the state sharing
her concern or not.
Reports are available which tell that
what the then President of the Republic K R Narayanan had felt during that
period (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/i-felt-helpless-during-gujarat-riots-narayanan/articleshow/riots
) or what he had shared with the Nanavati Shah commission
(https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/post-godhra-riots-were-a-conspiracy-narayanan/articleshow/1088397.cms)
which must not have been soothing to their ears.
There was a time when Manipur was
earlier much discussed in the mainstream media when the historic fast was
undertaken by Irom Sharmila to repeal the draconian AFSPA ( armed forces
special powers act).
It had also received national
international attention when a group of elderly women had gathered in front of
17 th Assam Rifles headquarters and then stripped their clothes off to protest
the brutal rape and murder of Thangjam Manorama (https://www.hrw.org/reports/2008/india0908/3.htm
;
https://www.dailyo.in/politics/mothers-of-manipur-naked-protest-thangjam-manorama-indian-army-afspa-meira-paibi-18391)
Meira Paibi, ( Women Torch Bearers)
the social movement of women in Manipur had even carved out a niche in its
struggle against social evils as well as its torchlight processions, in
opposition to draconian laws
This is a New Manipur..
Despite a long history of social and
political movements it may be difficult to comprehend why the sectarian
violence in Manipur – which has not yet stopped since last two and half months
– did not receive the attention it deserved in the rest of the country, why it
did not hit the conscience of the citizenry similarly on a big scale, till the
video of the sexual assault went viral, whereas the carnage in Gujarat then
created an uproar then not only in rest of India but was heard on foreign
shores as well.
Is it because Manipur is a relatively
small state with a population of around 2.8 million whereas Gujarat is a big state (population 70
million plus) Or was it because the rest of India always remains oblivious of
the situation in the North Eastern states?
(https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/the-neglected-states-of-the-nation/220206)
Was it because what is happening in
Manipur involves the Meiteis ( 53 per cent of the population mainly Hindus- who
populate the valley) and Kukis ( mainly Christians, who are considered tribals
and who are less than 30 per cent of the population ,who largely populate the hills) and
relations between both these ethnic communities have witnessed strains for
various reasons in recent times or was it because the simmering conflict in the
state helps further the majoritarian Hindutva agenda in rest of India “?
There is no denying that the judgment
of the Manipur High court granting ST status to Meitis acted as a trigger – a
judgement which has been stayed by the highest courts.
Or is it because the majoritarian
agenda pursued and peddled by the RSS-BJP combine had relatively less purchase
then and two decades after the carnage there is growing acceptance,
legitimation of the basic premises of Hindutva signifying that India has
radically changed.
There could be many such questions.
When Gujarat 2002 was unfolding before
us, which was the first ‘live’ riot brought to our bedrooms thanks to the TV
networks- it was a wakeup call for all conscious people us to know the deep
penetration of anti-minority ideas in the people’s psyche.
It was a shocking realisation that
despite the commitment of the founding fathers / mothers of Independent India
towards Secularism and pluralism, and their wholehearted efforts to lay
foundations of a democracy and the related institutions, its social basis is
still weak and much needs to be done about it.
Was not it Dr Ambedkar who had cautioned
us earlier how “Democracy in India is only a top dressing on an Indian soil,
which is essentially undemocratic.”
Today when the north-eastern state
still remains in turmoil and failure of institutions coming under scanner again
and again whether similar rephrasing is needed today ‘What Manipur is
witnessing today …’’
Remember what the NCW Chief had said
about the response of the Manipur government over the rape and sexual assault
complaint filed by the Commission itself. She claimed that ‘[t]hat Manipur
government officials did not respond to three complaints on violence against
women.
(https://www.hindustantimes.com/videos/news/manipur-shocker-women-panels-big-reveal-on-sexual-violence-no-response-from-101689938576240.html)
–
Lastly, India has definitely changed
qualitatively since the year 2002 India turning colour (may not be de jure but
de facto —) abandoning its basic principles and becoming more Saffron, does not
look outlandish today.
It is time to gather enough wisdom and
energy and forces to stall such a possibility, resolve to rededicate oneself
for reinvigoration of the idea of secular India, a plural India where all
communities would live in peace and harmony and there would not be any
discrimination on the basis of faith.
Perhaps it is also time to say goodbye
to the ‘myth of age old tolerance’ in our society, much talked about even by a
section of the educated people in the country.
How can a country, a people who
refused to even look at a section of the marginalised people as equally human
since centuries would be termed tolerant?
The viral video or other testimonies
of survivors are another proof, what kind of barbarians and criminals we
harbour in our society who at the drop of hat are ready to unleash unimagined
cruelty on the ‘other’ and draw vicarious pleasure in full public view in
violating women. Such brutes receive political patronage, in fact; there is a
synergy between them,
And how we with our stony silence let
such rapists being declared ‘Sanskari’ and being felicitated for their heinous,
anti-human acts.
