Social Movement in Manipur
Women’s Movement in Manipur
Introduction
Women play a very important role in the social life of Manipur. A study of social life and social change of Manipur will be incomplete without a study on women. Women participate in multifarious activities of socio-economic and political matters. They does not raised only women’s issues, but raised all others social issues such as discrimination of the minorities, negligence to culture, language , marginalization due to developmental process leading to displacement, violation of human rights etc. Social movements are an effort to change institutions and practices. In Manipur the role of women in social movement can be traced back to the pre British period when Manipur was under monarchical system. Women’s movement emerged in a more organized manner with a creative ideology from the early part of the 20th century. Women’s movement in Manipur is norm oriented type and connected with reformations. Social movements came into being as reaction to the discontent, dissatisfaction and contradiction in the then society of Manipur.
The first Women’s movement of 1904 was a reaction to the contemporary social problems. The immediate cause of the movement was the revival of Lallup. The Political Agent ordered the villagers to collect bamboos, thatch, reeds and other materials for the construction of the bungalow. All the people of Imaphal at least one male member of the family were ordered to extract teak wood from the kabow for the construction of the house of the Assistant Superintendent which the people protested and assembled at bazaar. The Meitei women took main part in the protest. From the side of the government all sorts of means were used for controlling the movement, using army, lathi charged, even more than five people were not allowed to assemble etc but the women did not stop their movement, they disobeyed the orders, entered into the residence of the Political Agent and Superintendent. They were injured but their relentless
Introduction
Women play a very important role in the social life of Manipur. A study of social life and social change of Manipur will be incomplete without a study on women. Women participate in multifarious activities of socio-economic and political matters. They does not raised only women’s issues, but raised all others social issues such as discrimination of the minorities, negligence to culture, language , marginalization due to developmental process leading to displacement, violation of human rights etc. Social movements are an effort to change institutions and practices. In Manipur the role of women in social movement can be traced back to the pre British period when Manipur was under monarchical system. Women’s movement emerged in a more organized manner with a creative ideology from the early part of the 20th century. Women’s movement in Manipur is norm oriented type and connected with reformations. Social movements came into being as reaction to the discontent, dissatisfaction and contradiction in the then society of Manipur.
The first Women’s movement of 1904 was a reaction to the contemporary social problems. The immediate cause of the movement was the revival of Lallup. The Political Agent ordered the villagers to collect bamboos, thatch, reeds and other materials for the construction of the bungalow. All the people of Imaphal at least one male member of the family were ordered to extract teak wood from the kabow for the construction of the house of the Assistant Superintendent which the people protested and assembled at bazaar. The Meitei women took main part in the protest. From the side of the government all sorts of means were used for controlling the movement, using army, lathi charged, even more than five people were not allowed to assemble etc but the women did not stop their movement, they disobeyed the orders, entered into the residence of the Political Agent and Superintendent. They were injured but their relentless
References: 1. Singh Joykumar( 2005). Social Movements in Manipur. New Delhi. Mittal publications 2. Devi Binarani (2011). Women’s Movement in Manipur. New Delhi. Concept publishing company 3. Sanamani Yambem(1976). Manipur Women’s Agitation, 1939. Journal Articles. Economic and Political Weekly. 11.325-327+329-331 4. Zehol Lucy (12 May 2010). Women’s Movement in Manipur: Some Observations. Files. Retrieved 19th Sep 2012 from http://dspace.nehu.ac.in/handle/1/2149 5. Sharma H.S (2011). Self Determination Movement in Manipur. Files. Retrived 19th Sep 2012 from shodhaganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/1603/…/15_chapter%207.pdf 6. Agnihotri Indu, Mazumdar Vina( July22,1995). Changing terms of political Discourse: Women’s Movement in India 1970s-1990s. Journal Article. Economic and Political weekly. 30, 1896-1878 7. Saroj Arambam, Parratt John (Oct 2011). The second Women’s war and the emergence of Democratic Government in Manipur. Modern Asian studies. 35, 905-919 8. Ibotombi longjam . Nupi Lan –The second Women’s war in Manipur. Retrieved 19th Sep 2012 from themanipurpage.tripod.com/history/nupilal.html.