Manipur: Political history: 1953-
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Women in politics
Absent from the political arena
When `Iron Lady' Irom Sharmila -who took on the Centre single-handedly with her epic 16-year-long fast demanding repeal of AFSPA -filed her nomination against the formidable Congress CM Okram Ibobi Singh, few were on her side. The significance of the quest for the political equality that Sharmila has set out to achieve was lost on many .
That's because politically , women are nowhere on the scene in the poll-bound state. Manipuri women, who man the society and guard it from social evils, had in 2004 staged a naked protest outraged over the rape and murder of a woman allegedly by personnel of Assam Rifles. Yet these guardians are still ignored in the political arena.
Take the major parties. All told, there are only 10 women nomi nees among the 266 candidates.This, despite the fact that women outnumber the state's male voters. The Congress and BJP have fielded two and three candidates, respectively, while Mamata Banerjee's TMC has also fielded one woman candi date. Apart from Sharmil herself, PRJA has fielded Manipur's first Meitei Muslim candidate. The outgoing assembly has three women, including Ibobi Singh's wife.
A Congress politico claims, “The party is interested in giving more tickets to women, but they're not interested in politics.“ Explanation or excuse? Strangely , a BJP neta made exactly the same remark to justify the absence of women in the fray.
Leading women's activist Sobiat Devi says a patriarchal society, lack of economic independ ence and the lack of support from families, even their husbands, is the reason behind this inequality being perpetrated.
“In Manipur, women are at the “In Manipur, women are at the orefront when it comes to taking on militants and security forces. But when it comes to equal rights in policy-making, equal rights in policy-making, the equation is vastly skewed,“ she says. Devi's NGO Women Action for Development is doing ground work to gauge how much funds a woman needs to contest in an assembly election. “However strong Manipur's women may be, they live in a patriarchal society. Men call the shots in society and at home.Fighting elections is all about money and muscle power -women here lack both,“ she said. But there's hope yet. “Five years from now, you'll see a change,“ says a hopeful Devi, adding that women have 33% reservation at the panchayat and urban level elections but not where it matters the most -the assembly .For Devi and hundreds of women, Sharmila has shattered that barrier that kept women away from contesting.
Others are part cautious, part sceptical about Sharmila's bid.“Irom's entry into politics came just six months ago... Her party is controlled by a few men. Some of whom are using her iconic status to make a headway in politics,“ says Binalakshmi Nepram, author and founder of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network, Control Arms Foundation India. Nepram says it's a long road ahead for real `change'.Sharmila's poll bid is crowd funded, including donations from Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. She has said she'll defeat the CM and take up the one cause she crusaded for repeal of AFSPA.
Statistics, year-wise
2020
Five ex-Cong MLAs join BJP
Of the six Congress MLAs who recently resigned as legislators of Manipur assembly, five joined BJP in New Delhi on Wednesday. Those who joined BJP include Okram Henry, the nephew of former CM Okram Ibobi Singh, among others. TNN
6 Cong MLAs quit assembly, party
6 Manipur Cong MLAs quit assembly, party, August 12, 2020: The Times of India
Six Congress MLAs in Manipur have submitted their resignation from the assembly and also quit the party. The six legislators, who had handed over resignation letters to speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh, formally informed the Congress office in Imphal about leaving the party.
The six are among the eight Congress legislators who had defied a party whip on Monday and skipped the one-day session of the assembly, in which the BJP-led N Biren Singh government had comfortably won the confidence vote.
Those giving up their assembly membership as well as quitting party included Okram Henry Singh, nephew of Congress legislature party leader Okram Ibobi Singh. Others are Oinam Lukhoi, Md Abdul Nasir, Paonam Brojen, Ngamthang Haokip and Ginsuanhau. Assembly speaker M Ramani Devi said the speaker has accepted resignations of five of them and their seats have been declared vacant. AGENCIES
