In Dire straits?

Since 15^th November 2011, the government of Manipur has burnt down around eight hundred (800) floating huts of the fishermen in the name of cleansing the phumdis-(floating vegetation mass)- the signature of Loktak Lake.

By- Bhavan Meitei

Democracy, they said, is for the people. However, the conduct of those ‘chosen’ by the process of democracy is hardly democratic. The recent incidents in which the government of Manipur burnt down around 800 huts and displaced around 5,000 inhabitants  truly exemplifies the above situation. The fishermen’s communities whose lives are sustained by the lake have been left in dire straits. Against the backdrop of this unfortunate development and the reports regarding the burning down of equipment for fishing, the problem is going to worsen and will affect the lives of these fishermen for a long time to come.

The genesis of the problem goes back at least 20 years. When the hydel project was commissioned in 1984, it submerged the villages in and around the lake inundating nearly 80,000 hectares including prime agricultural land. The project led to an increase in the number of floating huts due to increase in water level and the loss of fertile land. These huts are used by the fishing communities who are dependent on the lake for their livelihood.

Adding insult to injury is the Loktak Protection Act, 2006 enacted by the government of Manipur that targets the fishing communities which depend on the wetlands for survival.

Rajen Oinam, the Secretary General of All Loktak Lake Fishermen’s Union, told North-East Today that the Act has caused enormous suffering to the fishing communities living in and around Loktak Lake due to the restrictions imposed on fishing. Section II of the Act defines the fishermen as Occupiers while Clause 3(4) declares the lake as protective zones and fishing is banned.

Since 15^th November, 2011, the Manipur government has burnt down homes of fishermen on Loktak Lake by offering them just Rs 40,000 as one-time compensation to leave their dwellings. The notice for eviction was published in newspaper and not even served to them. And the eviction took place prior to the date announced by the government. However, most of the villagers rejected this payment as the amount was too meagre and could hardly compensate for their livelihood and means of survival.

Moreover, many families were included in the survey but not in the approved list for compensation. And some families who were not in the survey were included in the approval list. As per reports, 1147 families were on the approved list and 519 families claimed compensation.  Rajen who is spearheading the agitation against the demolition drive has questioned the State government whether the amount offered will be enough to compensate for the loss.

He also pointed out that there was no provision for eviction in the said Act.

On 19th December 2011, a group of eleven women who were protesting against the forced evictions from Loktak Lake and demanding repeal of the Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act, 2006 were injured. It is alleged that the state security forces charged at the women with batons during a protest at the Thanga Ithing Village in Chingjin in the Bishenpur District. The police also fired tear gas shells and about 200 rounds of ammo in an attempt to disperse the protesting women. There are reports that no woman policemen were involved in the crackdown on the protesters which mainly comprised women and elderly people.

The lake is considered to be an important symbol in the state due to its importance in the socio-economic and cultural life of the people. From the biodiversity point of view, the lake is home to 233 species of aquatic macrophytes of emergent, submerged, free-floating and rooted floating leaf types and different variety of vegetables.

The phumdies act as a catalyst to cleanse the water. The impact of Ithai Barrage, which led to devastation of Loktak wetlands ecosystem, loss of indigenous plant and fauna species, disturbance of the wetlands natural balance and cleansing system leading to pollutions, increasing siltation from the rivers etc have not been considered, and in fact, completely ignored. Oinam Ningthemba, the Executive Member of the All Loktak Lake Fishermen Union, said the Loktak lake project has led to extinction of endemic flora and fauna species from the lake. On a daily basis more than 71 metric tonnes of polluted water is deposited in the lake and the phumdies assist in controlling the polluted water. And if the phumdies are removed from the lake, then the water of the lake will be severely polluted and we won’t even be able to touch our largest freshwater lake of northeast after 10 years.

Ironically, the lake was designated as a Wetland of International Importance under Ramsar Convention in 1990.  However, the government failed to ensure participation of communities depending on Loktak wetlands flagrant violation of Ramsar convention. A vital aspect of this division is the ban on building huts or houses on phumdis inside the lake, planting athaphum, or engaging in athaphum-fishing in the core area, which will adversely affect thousands of people living in phumdis huts, as well as others dependent on Loktak Lake especially under Article 19 and 20 of the Act, which divides the Lake into two zones – a core zone comprising 70.30 sq km, which is a ‘no development zone’, or ‘totally protected zone’, and a buffer zone of other areas of the lake excluding the core zone. The arsoning process and targeting the indigenous people depending on the Loktak Wetlands for survival is a clear cut violation and undermining of the provisions of the Ramsar Conventions, in particular resolutions VII. 8 of Ramsar Convention’s Conference of contracting parties held in May 1999 at Costa Rica and Resolution VIII. 19 held in Spain in November 2002, which provides guidelines for establishing and strengthening local communities and indigenous peoples participation and to consider the cultural values of wetlands in the management of wetlands.

The life of the people depending on the lake and the lake itself is at the crossroads. Today the lake is a symbol of all the ills which have come to identify the State. The controversy surrounding awarding of the Loktak cleaning project to a ghost firm is still very fresh in the minds of the Loktak watchers. Perhaps the lake will go the Manipur way- dented and wasted.

PS: This article was published in the January Issue of Northeast Today Magazine. The original link is: http://www.northeasttoday.in/our-states/manipur/in-dire-straits/

Seeking Justice

Every year hundreds of widows are generated by the ongoing conflict. Many of them are still fighting for ‘justice’ as none has got satisfactory explanations regarding the killing and disappearance.

By- Bhavan Meitei

 It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that there is no life in Manipur beyond 5.00 P.M. One extra minute beyond it, fear is the only thing which reigns supreme. Fear is the only thing which keeps people behind closed doors. And fear is the only thing that defines life in this part of the country. However the fear stems not so much from absence of light as much from the sense of insecurity that darkness brings. In Manipur one would find an assortment of archaic laws and the consequences of its application in full force. Death is accepted as run of the mill stuff which does not deserve any attention. The sense of acceptance amongst the people is not because they have successfully achieved the Eriksonian’s “Ego Integrity” stage when a man welcomes death with open arms but because they are suffering from learned helplessness.

         However it is the man in the street that is caught in the cross-fire. They have learnt to take the hit from all sides: state and non-state actors. Here rules are observed more in violation than in obeying it. The law of the land is violated with impunity as accountability exists only in name. A guy with a gun in his hand is the man of the moment and his wish becomes the command of the victims. Here the only certainty is uncertainty of one’s life. One can never guarantee whether the man who leaves the house smiling would come back in safe and sound. Here the issue is not about meeting an unfortunate accident. Rather it is about falling to a stray bullet coming out of a gun irrespective of the identity of the shooter. So many incidents have taken place in the last couple of years which are too well known to repeat here. Such is the level of insecurity prevailing in the State.

But the issue surrounding the vexed problems is the impact on the fairer sex and how they cope with the social and economic consequences upon the death of their husbands. Every year hundreds of widows are generated by the ongoing conflict. Many of them are still fighting for ‘Justice’ as none has got satisfactory explanations regarding the killing and disappearance. In almost all cases young men attending to their daily chores were picked up randomly by security forces and killed in cold blood. In several of these cases eye witnesses, parents and neighbours were present who have narrated the cold established practice of picking up innocent young men and women by members of Assam Rifles and Manipur Police and gunning them down in the most condemnable manner. Some of the problems faced by the widows of the hidden war which takes place in the State on daily basis are:

•           ostracization by the relatives including in-laws and maternal family ;

•           Economic hardship due to lack of source of income; and,

•           Deprivations from enjoying state benefits normally given away to widows as their husbands were classified as anti-state.

      Amidst all the confusion, one Act which has come under heavy attack in the last three decades is the Armed Forces Special Powers Act commonly known as AFSPA. This archaic law has come under heavy attack from left, right and centre for its rather draconian provisions under which the perpetrators of heinous crimes have taken sheltered. However the larger issue is the impact on the common people who have become the unlikely victims of the conflicts. Today many of them have been left high and dry with no support coming from any side. With neither the society approving their existence nor the government of the day extending any support, these unfortunate women are in the proverbial no man’s land.

       The focus of this story is on the plight and initiative of the unfortunate women who are made the victims of the fall out of low intensity conflict in the region. One organization that has come into limelight is Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association known as EEVFAM. This organization was formed on 11 July 2009 by the mothers and widows of those killed by police and security forces.

Renu Takhellambam, President of the EEVFAM says: “some thirty of us got together, shared our stories and  cried the whole day on each other’s shoulders. On the other hand pouring out our pent up emotions and finding that we not alone was such a relief, we all felt considerably light at the end of the day. We wanted to build on this collective strength and fight for justice together”. The members of the association meet every second Saturday and share their day to day problems and stories. To save their organization funds, they contribute a little amount of money. They formed some self-help group and take loan from Just Peace Foundation, a civil society organization, in low interest. The loanee uses the money according to her own choice and convenience to improve their lives. Some are doing business in clothes, some weaving, some are running small grocery shops, yet others are farming or making detergents, etc.

      Recently a petition was filed by Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association Manipur (EEVFAM), with the help of Human Rights Alert in the Supreme Court demanding to set up a special investigation team to investigate the cases. The petition also demanded to declare that the sanction under section 197 CrPC and section 6 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 or any other similar provision in any other law is not necessary to be obtained in cases of fake encounters and to pay compensations to the families of the victim. The petitioner placed before the Court details of 62 cases from 2007 to 2012 and also a list of 1,528 cases of extra-judicial executions, compiled by the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and the United Nations.

     Taking cognizance of the matter, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Union and Manipur governments on the petition. However on 4th November, 2012, the hearing of the petition filed by the body seeking for a probe into cases of extra-judicial killings in the State was extended till 23rd November, 2012 following a request from the Manipur Government. The Government of Manipur requested to extend some more time for further inquiry and to cross-check the documents.

On November 23rd, the Supreme Court questioned the “orientation” of the Manipur government over extra-judicial killings in the state and reprimanded it for drawing a parallel with the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, which are already under the court’s scanner over contentious encounters.

“What do you mean when you talk about Maharashtra and Gujarat? Are you saying that since people are getting killed there, so people will get killed in your state too?,” questioned a Bench led by Justice Aftab Alam, expressing its displeasure at the stand by Manipur in its affidavit. The Bench termed Manipur’s affidavit as “strange”. It also expressed displeasure over another submission pointing that militancy, and its difference from ordinary law and order problem, also necessitating a law like the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act. The Bench once again granted time till December 3 to the Centre to respond on the plea for scrapping the Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur Special Powers) Act in Manipur.

     The petitioner documented 1,528 extra-judicial executions carried out by the police and security forces. It is alleged that the huge majority of the killings were in custody and in cold blood. This is a frightening situation that should shock the conscience of the entire nation. During the last decade, the torture and killings in Manipur of innocent civilians with no criminal records whatsoever, who are later on conveniently labelled as “militants”, has been widely covered in the print media and on television. In this way, it would appear to the people of Manipur that the Constitution and the Criminal Procedure Code have ceased to operate within the boundaries of this State. Hence the present petition for a direction to set up a special investigation team to investigate the cases; conduct disciplinary proceedings in all the cases listed, facilitate the giving of evidence by the family members and eyewitnesses to punish the guilty; pay compensations to the families of the victims and declare that the sanction under Section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code and Section 6 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, or any similar provision in any law, was not necessary to be secured for prosecution in cases of fake encounters.

 However the larger issue is the impact on the lives of women who are sacrificed on the altar of societal scrutiny and the consequent economic hardship especially those who are not economically dependent. Given the volatile situation in the region coupled with lack of accountability, it is very likely that more could become victims with little or no relief. But the matter which deserves greater attention is how to prevent recurrence of such situation in future. So long there is no improvement in the level of insecurity which shrouds the lives of the people in the region and so long draconian laws are in force, nothing could be said with certainty about the lives of the people. It is high time the issue is taken seriously and efforts are step-up to ameliorate the lives of the victims. Nothing could demand better attention than this if we are to maintain a shred of humanity in this much troubled state.

Original Link:  http://www.northeasttoday.in/featured-on-northeast-today/seeking-justice/

THE RISING STAR

Mamta Devi Yumnam is the first and only Indian to win a medal in the World body building championship, making the country proud in international platform. However, the government is yet to recognise her achievement and struggles. 

 By: Bhavan Meitei

Winning a medal at an international level is every sportsperson’s dream. Any athlete would readily give up anything to win a medal! The achievement is unbound, if the achiever is a woman and if she is a mother. Against this backdrop, Mamta Devi Yumnam, the first and only Indian woman to a medal in World body building championship deserves a lot of accolades; however, the government is yet to recognise her achievement and struggles to reach at this level.

In Mamta’s state Manipur, people are trapped between the proverbial rock and a hard place. On one end of the spectrum are the militants who are allegedly fighting for independence, and on the other end are armed forces- both State and Central- who are leaving no stones unturned in taking out their anger on the people for casualities they have suffered in the hands of their armed counterparts. 

Despite these disturbances, Manipur supplies a number of top athletes to the country.

Mamta also bagged bronze medal in the 46th Mr Asia for Men & Women held at Tashkent in Uzbekistan. Her husband, Borun Yumnam was six times Mr. India, Mr Asia silver medallist in 2009. Mamta, the mother of three, urged other women interested in body-building to come forward and give a shot to bringing more laurels for the country. Mamta along with her husband had opened a gym called ‘The Impact’ since 2010 in New Delhi.

What motivated you to take up this profession?

Mamta: When my husband ( Borun Yumnam-six times Mr. India, and Mr Asia) went training for his job, I look after the gym. My first motivation to enter in this field was given by brother Dhiren. In 2011 December, when my husband came back, we discussed about it. He encouraged me. We make exercise chart and since then, I followed regularly.

When did you start participating in competitions? And how did it go?

I participated in national fitness competition for the first time, which was held on 18^th April, 2012 at Pune. I secured fourth position. However, some audiences and judges felt that the best physique award should be given to me. It gave me a ‘ray of hope’.  I sent a SMS asking in which competition I should take part…………to Sanjay More. He said that there is no competition in India; you have to participate in international level. Then, I participated in IFBB Asian Body Building and fitness Championship which was held at Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and I got bronze medal. And comes the 2nd Women's Body Building Championship 2012, Bangkok and here also I got bronze.

Are you happy with the facilities provided by the government?

I was optimistic about getting some support but its saddening to say that I didn’t get any facilities either from any organisations or from the government. The Manipur Gymnasium Association gave me Rs. 4000 and other than that, I didn’t get any aid or help. I wade through all the struggles with the support of my husband to reach this level. Moral support would have been invaluable.

What is your schedule of exercise? How much do you spend to maintain your diet?

I did exercise three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening everyday. In the competition season, I spend Rs.30,000 to 40,000 in supplement alone.

What do you want as a struggling sportsman? Any message to the upcoming players?

Mamta: I want other women interested in body-building to come forward and give a shot to bring more laurels for the country. Hope and aspirations is something that differentiates one human being to another. If you still believe women are bound to sit at home and cook, then you are wrong. Woman can do what all man can, so break the vicious circle of discrimination and prove yourself. 

North Today’s View

Doesn’t she deserve something from the country?

As she is the first women body builder who has won this title for the country, she will need assistance, as she is the one who have given the stepping stone or an example of what woman can achieved inspite of social stigmas?  As an Icon for fitness she should get sponsor from different health products and accessories so that she can inspire other budding bodybuilders. This will help her to meet her needs for preparing better and bring bigger laurels. She is paving the way for all the women from different corners of our country who cannot make this sport as their profession. Time for change!

Original Link: http://www.northeasttoday.in/sports-news/the-rising-star/