Manipur has had its share of public agitations movements often violent and in direct confrontation with the state and collapse of life in general. The culture of protest runs deep in the veins of every Manipuri since the pre-colonial days. The celebrated Nupilals or women’s war happened twice during the British rule in 1904 and 1939, and both movements were against colonial masters. In both instances, Manipuri women defied the colonialists first against forced labour of its menfolk and second against artificial famine created by British rulers in connivance with the non-Manipuri business class.
Artificial famine once again occurred in 1965 during the days when Manipur was a Union Territory culminating in a student uprising on August 27 leading to the martyrdom of 4 individuals including three students and the birth of All Manipur Students Union (AMSU), the next day. Next came the widespread movement for statehood and subsequent announcement on 21 January 1972 alongwith Meghalaya and Tripura. In fact, Meghalaya and Tripura benefited from Manipur’s movement.
Along came the movement for inclusion of Manipuri language in the eighth schedule of the Indian constitution which bore fruit in early 80s. The June 18 uprising would have never happened had the CSOs of Manipur continued with the bandh in protest against the infamous Bangkok declaration of ceasefire without territorial limits on June 14, 2001. Three days, Manipur shut itself out in protest and on June 18, the public rose with a fury never seen before resulting in burning of the state assembly and storming of CM bungalow leading to the martyrdom of 18 valiant citizens and the birth of a movement never seen before.
The widespread protests shook the very foundation of the BJP-led government at the Centre which ultimately resulted in rolling back the infamous phrase ‘without territorial limits’ from the Bangkok agreement between Government of India and NSCN (I-M). The last prolonged movement was in 2004 against the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act. One may note here that, the 2004 movement was simply not for withdrawal of AFSPA, but for its repeal. After a prolonged movement in 2004 in the wake of the brutal rape and murder of Manorama Devi, the Act was withdrawn it from seven assembly constituencies of Greater Imphal.
In all of these movements, state action against the protestors and agitators had been brutal and excessive. In fact, the protestors in the valley were not strangers to riot control mechanisms like tear gas, mock bombs and rubber bullets etc, so much so that protestors have become acclimatise to anti-riot actions and even how to dodge the ill-effects of tear gas with onion and toothpaste smeared before the eyes or how to grab hold of teargas canisters with wet gunny bags and hurl them against the riot police, besides stones and slingshots.
Many had been injured by rubber bullets and agitated by the teargas fumes. But, extreme suffocation due to inhaling of teargas fumes leading to death is indeed a rare case. One could imagine the number of teargas canisters fired in that particular area where that particular pregnant woman was taking cover which led to her ultimate demise. There needs to be a judicial inquiry of the particular incident.
(The views expressed are personal)
