New Delhi— On the occasion of the anniversary of the All India Scheduled Caste Women's Conference, a significant online meeting was convened by the Management of Streekal Patrika, commemorating the historic event held on July 20, 1942, in Nagpur, graced by the presence of the esteemed Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. The meeting brought together prominent feminists who expressed their profound anger and distress over the recent violence in Manipur. In a resolution passed during the meeting, they demanded urgent and effective action from President Draupadi Murmu to address the matter.
Presided over by senior litterateurs Urmila Pawar and Sushila Takbhaure, the meeting solemnly passed the resolution, uniting in their concern for the victims of the violence. Attendees included esteemed personalities like Sanjeev Chandan, Nutan Malvi, Manorama, Arun Kumar, Binay Thakur, Vivek Sinha, Sudha Arora, Chhaya Khobragade, Anita Bharti, Noor Zaheer, Kalyani Thakur, Kusum Tripathi, Nitisha Khalkho, Jamuna Bini, Meena Kotwal, Jitendra Bisaria, Kavita Karmakar, Quilin Kakoti, Priya Rana, Deepti, and Afreen.
The focal point of the online meeting was the disturbing violence that occurred in Manipur, specifically the heart-wrenching incident involving two Adivasi (Kuki tribe) women who were subjected to unimaginable brutality. The women were stripped naked, paraded by a mob, and horrifically gang-raped. The participants expressed their grief, anger, and solidarity with the victims and their families. They highlighted that this act of violence is not an isolated incident but part of an ongoing trend of caste violence that has persisted in Manipur for three months.
During the discussions, participants also emphasized the failure of Manipur's BJP government and Chief Minister N.K. Biren Singh to address the escalating conflict between communities. Additionally, they drew attention to the visible role played by the BJP government at the Center in the entire episode, raising concerns about the state's responsibility to protect the interests of all citizens, particularly the marginalized and oppressed communities.
The participants condemned the failure of National Commission for Women in taking timely action on the number of complaints from activists and sufferers of the violence in the past few months. Their response was also criticized as inadequate, with accusations of political considerations influencing their actions. The participants agreed that involvement of women in perpetrating violence against women is a deeply alarming trend, with reports suggesting that women were involved in the assault in Manipur. This disturbing development has also raised questions about the silence of certain women's organizations in the state.
Observers have pointed out that the violence in Manipur is rooted in conflicts over land and natural resources, with the state and powerful interests allegedly backing certain groups for their own gains. The issue of ethnic cleansing has been raised, with the loss of life and suffering among minority communities becoming increasingly apparent. This violence has also taken on the form of religious conflict, adding further complexity to the situation.
As citizens of a democratic and secular state, many are outraged by the inaction of the authorities, calling for clear and swift action against not only the direct culprits but also the system that allows such incidents to occur. The demands for accountability and justice led to a resolution being passed under the chairmanship of senior litterateurs Urmila Pawar and Sushila Takbhaure, demanding immediate action from the President of India, Draupadi Murmu.
" We as citizens of India are extremely outraged and find ourselves failing at this incident or other such heinous incidents of violence happening in Manipur. The inaction of the state is most painful. As a society, such incidents also lead us towards status quoism. As citizens of a democratic state, we all have the responsibility of socio-economic-cultural democracy" the resolution read.
It further read, " As a first citizen of this country, we demand from the honourable President Draupadi Murmu, to express our indignation and grief and initiate clear action against not only the direct culprits, but also the culprits of the system involved in carrying out this heinous incident. Through the first citizen of India, the President of India, all of us citizens intend to send a message in favour of democracy by acting on the mechanism responsible for this incident."
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