MEMORANDUM MANIPUR: PERILS OF WAR AND WOMANHOOD Submitted to: Rashida Manjoo Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences Human Rights Council By: The Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and the UN Imphal 28 April 2013 MANIPUR: PERILS OF WAR AND WOMANHOOD © December 2013 Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and the UN ISBN 978-81-905939-6-0 Email:
[email protected] www.humanrightsmanipur.wordpress.com Cover Design: M. James. Mc. Cover Photo: Jansen Lonnquist Back Cover Photo: Human Rights Alert Editorial Team Expert Contribution Nandini Thockchom Thingnam Anjulika Samom Laifungbam Debabrata Roy Sobita Mangsatabam Basantakumar Wareppam Nonibala Narengbam Babloo Loitongbam Hajarimayum Jubita Acknowledgements Manipur: Perils of war and womanhood has benefited from the substantive contribution of Mona Lukram, Lukram Sophy, Wangkheirakpam Shivani, Yengkhom Nonibala, Kangjam Thanilsana, Jiten Yumnam. This document may be freely quoted or cited with due acknowledgement of source Contributory Price: 500 INR/10 USD Printed by MODERN PRESS, M.G. Avenue, Thangal Bazar, Imphal FOREWORD “The death of a woman is not a new act, but the ultimate act in the continuum of violence in the life of the woman.” Rashida Manjoo, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women 28 April 2013, Imphal Violence against women is one phenomenon of deepest social concern in the growing wave of alarm regarding many forms of violence in our society. The concern is even more significant because, historically and traditionally, gender based violence is accorded zero tolerance amongst the indigenous societies of Manipur. Media reports at the national level of so-called “high-profile cases” pay scant attention to the on- going tragedies of women’s lives across India, particularly among the indigenous and tribal women in remote rural areas where class and development related violent conflicts are played out.