Meira Paibi (Women torch bearers) is a women's
social movement in the
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions.
History
Pre-indepen ...
of
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of ...
. Referred to as the "guardians of civil society", Meira Paibi dates to 1977 in present
Kakching district
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, settlement_type = District of Manipur
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, map_caption = Location in Manipur
, coordinates =
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. It derives its name from the flaming torches which the women carry while marching through city streets, often at night. They do so both as a patrol, and in protest, seeking redress against human rights violations committed by paramilitary and armed forces units against the innocent. Contextualized, Meira Paibi was founded at a time when the people of Manipur were fighting for self-determination, political autonomy, and independence.
According to ''
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'', Meira Paibi is the "largest grassroots, civilian movement fighting state atrocities and human rights violations in Manipur". One of the movement's leaders, A. K. Janaki Leima, says that "We've been fighting against drug abuse, crimes against women, and the
Armed Forces Special Powers Act
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 is an act of the Parliament of India that grants special powers to the Indian Armed Forces to maintain public order in "disturbed areas". According to the Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act, 19 ...
(AFSPA). We will continue to fight these".
Background
Meira Paibi was established in 1977 in
Kakching
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, settlement_type = town
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, image_alt =
, image_caption =
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,
kakching district
)
, settlement_type = District of Manipur
, image_map =
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Location in Manipur
, coordinates =
, subdivision_ ...
,
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of ...
, India. Meira Paibis are the women "guardians of civil society" and they carry flaming torches and march through city streets, frequently at night doing a patrol duty, and as a way of protest for seeking redress against human rights violations committed by paramilitary and armed forces units against the innocent. The movement evolved at a time when the people of Manipur were fighting for self-determination, political autonomy, and independence.
Predecessor movements
Nupi lan
Women's social movements in Manipur date to
British rule
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...
. Two such movements, collectively known as
Nupi lan (Women's War; Women's Uprising), preceded Meira Paibi. The first one dates to 1904 when women of the
Imphal
Imphal ( Meitei pronunciation: /im.pʰal/; English pronunciation: ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (also known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the f ...
valley protested against the
Assistant Superintendent
Assistant superintendent, or assistant superintendent of police (ASP), is a rank that was used by police forces in the British Empire and is still used in many police forces in the Commonwealth. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held b ...
of British authority in Manipur because of his directive to collect teak wood from
Kabas to build his house. The women who protested were neighbors in the locality. British authorities brought forces from outside the state to end this women's protest. A second movement occurred in 1939 as protest to forced rice exportation which was causing starvation among the local people.
Women, nearly 99% of them, protested peacefully, submitting a petition to the
Durbar
Durbar can refer to:
* Conference of Rulers, a council of Malay monarchs
* Durbar festival, a yearly festival in several towns of Nigeria
* Durbar floor plate, a hot-rolled structural steel that has been designed to give excellent slip resistance ...
(government authority). The movement forced closure of rice mills and eventually proved successful in halting the exportation of rice. Nupi Lan became the forerunner in introducing reforms in the state after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
[ 12 December is observed annually by Meira Paibi as "Women's War Day" commemorating the events of 1939.][
]
Nisha Bandis
The Nisha Bandis women's movement developed in the late 1970s. Its origins are attributed to Meitei women's activism combating alcoholism and drug addiction.[ The women held night marches in the streets of Imphal and elsewhere in Manipur carrying lanterns, chastising the intoxicated, and setting fire to liquor shops. Their actions lead to the introduction of ]prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...
laws in the state.[ The late 1970s was a period of civil unrest,] which established an underground insurgency movement in Manipur. The Armed Forces Special Powers Assam and Manipur Act 1958 permitted paramilitary forces and the police to use unlimited power in dealing with insurgency, resulting in the arrest, torture, and deaths of many innocent young people. The Nisha Bandis became socially active with vigilante activities, protests and marches through the streets of Imphal and elsewhere in the state.
Establishment
The Nisha Bandis carried ' (large-wicked kerosene lamps) and ' (Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
, lantern) but after switching to flaming torches, they became known as Meira Paibi. The Meitei women torch bearers represented the declaration of a just war defending human rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
in Manipur. Their movement has expanded to hold "public meetings, demonstrations, road closures and public bandhs or shut down of all essential services, hunger strikes and mass rallies."[ These women, also known as "women vigilantes", stopped army vehicles, rescued innocent youth who were apprehended on false charges, and negotiated their transfer to the police. The Army did not protest as they respected the role of Meitei women in just causes.][ The Meira Paibi's movement has become known as the third Nupi Lan.]
Recognition
''Times of India'' awarded the "TOI Social Impact Awards: Lifetime contribution" to Meira Paibi and its five leaders, the 83-year-old Thokchom Ramani, Ak Janaki Leima, L Memchoubi Devi, Y Leirik Leima, and Purnimashi Leima.[ These five women -known as "imas" or mothers- take an aggressive posture by lowering their traditional ''phanek'' (floral embroidered Meitei sarong), tie it with a cloth belt (''khwang chet''), and cover their shoulders with the formal ''phi'' (embroidered phanek). They also tie a piece of cloth over their head in the form of a ]turban
A turban (from Persian دولبند, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promin ...
. They carry the flaming torch as a symbol of their feminist movement supporting human rights and peace.[
''Uday '' awarded the
''Struggle of Meira Paibi''
Their fought for the struggle using torch. Many named it with many names but it was Meira Paibi's Movement.
]
See also
* Ima Market
References
Bibliography
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{{Authority control
Indian women activists
People from Thoubal district
Community activists
Anti-corruption activism in India
Indian human rights activists
Social movements in India
Meitei people
History of Manipur
Activists from Manipur
Women from Manipur
20th-century Indian women
20th-century Indian people