On March 8 this year, we celebrated the last “International Woman's Day' of this millennium. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the universal declaration of human rights by the United Nations and the fifth anniversary of the world conference on human rights which recognised women's rights as human rights.

Perhaps now is the time to reckon whether we have not considered women's rights as a platitude to be uttered on occasions marked off by particular days of the calendar, like the vacuous promises made by politicians during an election year. Have all the verbal callisthenics over 'gender sensitisation', 'women's empowerment' et al wrought any changes in the status of women across the country? Are we close to glimpsing the all-new, all improved New Woman of the 21st century emerging from the obscurity of the ages past with a civilisational makeover?

The answers to all these questions are, like the popular refrain of an old song, blowing in the wind. Even in the North-East, where the position of women is relatively better than that of the rest of the country, the difference is merely superficial. For, the women in this region have actually suffered more than the sisters elsewhere because of the plethora of insurgent groups in the region which have destroyed homes, snuffed out innocent lives and ruined the indigenous economy. They have also been acting as moral storm-troopers, rewriting societal mores and norms to the detriment of women's interests.

In its mildest form, this mindset is reflected in the dictates issued by various Naga insurgent groups to the Naga women concerning what they should wear and how they should do their hair. In its severe form, it is to be seen in the case of a 21-year-old girl, Yendenbram Sajana, from Manipur who was shot dead at Wangijing in Thoubal district of the State on the night of December 8, when eight militants including three women whisked the girl away at night from her home. The girl's bullet-riddled body was discovered the next morning barely three kms from her house. What was the reason for the gruesome murder? The girl was in love with a non-Manipuri Army officer!

In a trenchant criticism of the moribund attitudes of the North-East insurgents, M. Changkija, a Naga, in her article, 'Hypocrisy at its Best', (Eastern Clarion, dt. 29.12.98) writes: Whether the girl had a relationship with the captain or not, is not ascertained. But she was alleged to have been in love with an Army officer. Apparently, that was her crime. Therefore, she was arbitrarily accused, condemned, convicted and sentenced to death by people who are laws unto themselves by virtue of the guns they hold. That a young girl should lose her life simply because of her alleged love affair is a sorry statement on the mindset of our people in this region.

The incident is not only a serious violation of human rights but it also exposes the myth of freedom, which our women are supposed to enjoy. It cannot be denied that under the facade of the friendly, jovial and hospitable tribals, there live incorrigible racists inside our people in these parts of the country. Modern education, classless and casteless tenets of Christianity and exposure to the attitudinal changes across the globe have not erased the bigots, the fanatics and the fundamentalists in us.

It is pointless on the part of our various 'freedom fighters' and self appointed moral police to appeal to the United Nations for our right to self determination and sovereignty, if the same United Nations' Declarations of Human Personal, Political, Economic, Social, Educational and Religious Rights are abused and violated by the very same 'freedom fighters' and moral police. Nobody and no power on earth can claim to have the right to abuse and violate these rights, especially human and personal rights.

Yendenbram's murder also reveals women's realities in this region. This young woman's murder has revealed the unwritten laws and dictates imposed on women here, specially by those who train their guns on the people in the name of fighting for our freedom.”

The Joint Action Committee of the local people formed in the aftermath of the murder has questioned: The girl has no blot on her reputation. What is wrong with the girl having a relationship? Does the revolutionary theory say that a girl who has relationship with a man, should be killed? Can your guns win the hearts of the people?

The outrage and revulsion generated by the incident had barely subsided when newspapers reported the murder of a 17-year-old schoolgirl, Shangrejwom Baby Rankhul from Moiragpal village of
Senapati district in Manipur. This student of class IX at the Aton English High School was shot dead by an unidentified gunman at Nagaram colony in Imphal on the night of December 9 last. According to reports, a gunman knocked at the door of her cousin's house where she was staying, at 1 a. m. Family members said they heard her talking to the man. An argument and a gunshot followed. Shangreiwom died on the spot as she was shot from point-blank range.

In the words of Monalisa Changkiya, “These two tragedies are merely the tip of the iceberg, because most crimes against women in our societies are still not reported but concealed and as is typical of most patriarchal societies, women are not only considered as mere property but paradoxically also supposed to safeguard and uphold the pride and prestige of the family, clan, tribe and community. If our people really believe that they are superior to those in the rest of the world, then they must immediately ensure the end of crimes against women in our societies. And the only way to ensure the end of crimes against women is to respect their rights.”