Empowerment or Exploitation: Meiteis’ ‘Nari Shakti’ in Manipur Raises Concerns for Mainland Indians

With Nari Shakti as a theme on Republic Day 2024, Manipur Tableau featured a women-run market ‘Ima Keithel’ and a lotus silk-making process that highlighted women’s roles in the socio-economic development. However, their Nari Shakti ideology is a threat to their kind belonging to different communities, its women empowerment is not for all but only Meitei women-centric.

Then, Meitei women folk surrendered Kuki women to be paraded naked, raped, tortured, and even staged a drama to save the rapists from police custody. Now they can be seen openly extorting money with a threat that they can go back to MAINLAND if they find them a nuisance when a woman shopkeeper asked their rights to openly extort the money so frequently. Their display of the Nari Shakti Theme tableau is such a hypocrisy, An empowerment for one to torture and bully the other is not an empowerment, but still is an oppression and discrimination.

The hatred and enmity for whom they called Outsiders or Mayang, a term they used to refer to people from Mainland Indians is a more than a decade-long history. Kangla Karbar, a Manipuri movie will give you a glimpse of how they think of the mainland people. Fraternity is never the ideal they cherish and encourage, but secession from India is always their goal.

Thus don’t be fooled by “the Hindu is in danger card”. It’s the camouflage they wear to take advantage of the influence of The popularity of right-wing Hindutva extremists in India today. Ex-mainlanders residing in Manipur can give you an account of their cruelty. Grabbing off their lands, extortion, physical violence, mob terrorizing their localised locality and sometimes kidnapping even for ransom will be the experience of most of them. They will be Sanamahis and Meiteis first always, Hindu cards will see the light only when they feel threatened and when they want to be accepted.
Will the High Court of Manipur take suo moto cognizance of the incident that violates the Fundamental Rights of these traders and businessmen in Manipur provided under Article 19 ( 1) (g) of the Constitution of India that provides the Right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, provided the trade or occupation is not illegal or immoral and has technical or professional qualifications when necessary, as the police themselves who are controlled by Arambai Tenggol will never entertain an FIR even if the victim knocks on their doors.

Application of ILP in the state is not a reasonable restriction since they carry out the business after securing the permit from the state authorities. So who are these women folk to disrupt and illegally extort others’ money at their will? Or is this an act to send out the message to India, that it’s their land now thus their way and the state government that exists is just a puppet?

Extortion undermines the stability of society and the rule of law. It creates an environment of fear and mistrust and can discourage people from reporting crimes or cooperating with authorities. By making extortion illegal, the Indian government seeks to protect the rights and well-being of its citizens, maintain social stability, and preserve the rule of law as per section 384 IPC.

But the larger question is will they be held accountable for their criminal act? Is the existence of the BJP government even for a namesake more important than the minorities and their citizens except for the Meitei suffering, discrimination and injustice? Lawlessness and anarchy are the new normal in Meitei-dominated areas. It’s just a matter of time for both Biren and the Central government to accept the fact. History will not be kind to them either as they are towards the minorities suffering, discrimination and injustice.