Despite the diversity in the
cultures of the North-Eastern States, there is a
remarkable degree of cohesiveness woven into the social
fabric of the communities of the region, despite growing
ethnic tensions and violence.
The Tezpur District Mahila Samiti has done a marvellous
job in documenting not only the strengths of women of
this region but the concepts of community solidarity and
cooperative village action. In Pather Siam village of
Golghat district of Assam, women from each of the 55
households offer their services to others during sowing
and harvesting. Women’s wages collected in this
manner on a particular day go to the Mahila Samiti Fund.
The money is also used for fencing the village Namghar.
The women of Manipur have got special mention because
they are mobile and fully involved in small enterprise
and trade. The role of the Meitei women is clearly
defined. While the ‘laishabis’ or young
unmarried women weave, the ‘mous’ or married
ones manage the home and children and the
‘hanubis’ or elder women control trade and
collectively fight social evils. The ‘Ima’,
which means mother, used to hand marital disputes and
divorce cases and people preferred them to courts because
they brought in a humane element in the patriarchal world
of justice and law. Pre-colonial Manipur even had
women’s courts called ‘pajas’. Though
women themselves were exempt from capital punishment,
very often their collective voices were able to stop an
execution.
Most of Manipur’s trade is still controlled by
women. The Ima Keithal (Mother’s market) throngs
with women - both as traders and customers. Artists,
film-makers, writers and even wives of engineers and
doctors have a stall in the market. The women also form
‘marups’ or cooperative societies to facilitate
trade by giving loans on interest.
Though the Imas have not been able to check the drug
racket rampant in Manipur, they have collectively fought
other social evils. Their symbol of unity is a lighted
torch. Working with solidarity, they have been able to
bring prohibition to the State.
In Assam, this collective strength is reflected in
weaving cooperatives and grain banks. Grain is loaned to
people at 50 percent interest repayable in six months.
Through the interest collected, yarn is purchased for
weaving.
The Mizo thlawwngaihna tradition of helping in births,
deaths and marriage has persisted despite the spread of
Christianity. For every handful of rice the Mizo women
put in the pot for cooking, a handful is set aside for
the church.
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