‘Repeated ethnically motivated conflicts’ causing displacement

Dimapur, December 11 (MExN): A two day workshop on “Displacement, Development and Militarization” was held on December 8 and 9. The workshop organized by Women Against Militarization and State Violence Programme, The Other Media (Delhi) and the Naga Women’s Union, Manipur (NWUM) focused on issues of development and conflict induced displacement as well as the fallout of militarization in the north eastern region.

Deliberating upon various causes of displacement, the participants felt that for decades the main reason was the repeated ethnically motivated conflicts over homeland in the Northeast which culminated into struggles for political autonomy or self-determination that inevitably caused ethnic violence and led to displacement of the affected people. In recent times, other factors like government initiated development projects, natural disasters and takeover of land by migrant communities besides counter-insurgency operations, acquisition of land for anti-people development projects, and increase in militarization to further these purposes have also contributed to displacement seriously. The participants at the workshop also shared their experiences and common problems. They further deliberated on strategies for overcoming shared problems, increasing women’s participation as well as means for meaningful intervention regarding the twin problems of displacement and militarization. 

The workshop discussed at length the ongoing people’s struggles relating to the construction, resettlement and rehabilitation of the affected people as a consequence of Mapithel and Tipaimukh dams in Manipur. All participating organizations unanimously condemned the large- scale displacement and apathy of the government towards its promises of ‘just and proper rehabilitation’ (e.g., the compensation where it is paid is highly inadequate) and the atrocities committed upon peaceful protestors at the Mapithel dam site on November 3 last.  

The workshop culminated with a firm resolve to create a pan-Northeast Alliance of Women’s Groups cutting across ethnic lines to strengthen women’s movements in the region against the government’s anti-people development paradigm and to jointly struggle, along with other progressive forces in the region, for a policy for the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) either due to ‘development’ or ‘militarization’. 

A number of frontal organizations in the northeast including Indigenous Women’s Forum Northeast India (IWFNEI),  Naga Women’s Union Manipur (NWUM), Manipur , Dimasa Women’s Society (DWS), Assam,Tripura Student’s Federation (TSF), Tripura, Boro Women’s Justice Forum (BWJF), Assam, Diocesan Social Service Society (DSSS), Manipur, Zomi Mothers Association (ZMA), Manipur, Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) and others were among the 13 organizations that attended the workshop.

Commemorating the 60th UN Declaration of Human Rights on December 10 the participants went to Chandel  to attend a program jointly organized by Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) and Chandel Naga Peoples’ Organisation (CNPO) with the partnership of All Chandel Artists’ Association and Social Upliftment Society, Chandel.

The participants also reiterated support to Irom Sharmila in her struggle against AFSPA and appealed the GoI to repeal AFSPA at the earliest.
 



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