Waking up the slumbering oppressed women of the present day Manipuri society is not an easy task, no matter multiple women activists have been trying to pull them out of the groove. Every experts know the obscure and oblivious problems of the contemporary women of this society. But except giving lectures, none has given an plausible hopes of ray for struggling the dark side that, they have been experiencing since the nostalgic past to the present days.
Modern contradictory theories now come up on what and what should not be to the girls of today. Is it right that women are confined under strict limitation of traditions or is it time that they too should come out of the groove? – A matter much debated in today’s Manipur.
Today, the traditional Manipuri women and the present day women, are immensely influence by the so-called modernization or in the are being influenced by borrowed culture of other society. Since, time immemorial women are most of the time put as commodities by their male counterpart; they are considered sometime as their cook, or sometime as their slaves. However, the traditional Manipuri women had no complaint; they tolerated and spared all their energy for a better and prosperous future society. But as the instrument of legitimate violence to some of the authority has been provided the tolerance shifted towards another direction. The coming of armed soldiers with license to torture any people of this land seems unbearable to them. They came out with torch in their hand to struggle the changing face of inhuman tortured to them. But many times they fail and fall as a victim of indecencies.
From 1980s till late 2000s there were many reports of women being raped and tortures by the Indian Security Forces in the name of wiping out insurgencies. The case of Ahanjaobi, Pramo and Monorama etc. cannot be forgotten by each and every one of us. There were/are many unfortunate women who have to struggle for survival disregarding their values of dignity. The emergences of flesh trade girl child trafficking are a matter of serious threat. People of the state had witnessed extreme form of exploitation to women but still are not courageous enough to even voice for them.
Today many experts have highlighted the societal conflict and problems that are based on true events. News report published in newspapers where the extreme atrocities on women are committed and many others facts and reality are just another kitchen talk . Even as they felt sorry nobody comes to the rescue. They remained as a silent spectators always waiting for someone to act. They remain at home without wanting to utilize what they have been provided to ponder upon. To be precise, everyone understands the pains and sorrows that the women of this society are facing but nobody is ready to take the risk of fighting it.
It is a fact that, the ailment and the predicaments in family through the spread of HIV/AIDS, the physical and mental torture from marital discords, and the pain and the sheer violation of dignity of women through rape and torture, the loss of sons and daughters through ethnic and violence has indeed shattered away the prestigious status of the present day Manipuri women.
From sociological perspectives, the importance of ‘endogenous’ development at which modernization does not necessarily required to borrow culture from other society. It should be our own culture that will make our society unique.