-------------------------------------------------------------- AID North East Cell Newsletter August 2004 Issue -------------------------------------------------------------- IN THIS ISSUE: 1. About AID NE Cell 2. Feature On Manipur(History,People,Loktak Lake,Manipuri Dance,Traditional Games,Language) 3. About AFSPA 4. Crisis In Manipur 5. NGO Update - NEN and ACRD 6. Need New Volunteers 7. Interesting Links 8. Newsletter Contributors 9. Newsletter Feedback -------------------------------------------------------------- 1. About AID NE Cell The AID North East Cell is a subgroup within the AID organization that was created to focus on issues related to the North East region of India. These are the focus areas for the group: · Further our understanding about problems and solutions specific to India's Northeast through research and projects. · Develop "collaborative" network of partner NGOs for AID in the North East region of India. · Work closely with AID-Guwahati · Actively engage "NE community" in the US and other parts of India For further details about the group, please read our concept page: Link: AIDNEStrategyPlan(http://www.aidindia.org/twiki/bin/ view/NECell/AidNeConceptNote) Link: Current Members of the North East Cell(http://www.aidindia.org/ twiki/bin/view/NECell/ShortWriteupsOnMembersOfNECell) -------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Feature On Manipur(History,People,Loktak Lake,Manipuri Dance,Traditional Games,Language) AID NE Cell Focuses on Manipur The AID NE Cell is focusing on Manipur to highlight the “jeweled land” of India as part of our continuing learning about the North East region. Since Manipur has been in the world news lately, we felt a need to focus on this area to better our understanding of this beautiful land and its people. Manipur History The kingdom of Manipur has been renowned since the Mahabharata era (3102 BC). According to historical evidence, the land was first occupied by the Dravidians followed by the Mongkhemers followed by the Nagas. Then, came the Gandarvas who rose to power by over-throwing the Naga supremacy in the land. The Gandarvas first established their relationship with Aryabarta through the marriage of Chitrangoda with Arjuna. In the course of its history, there have been several invasions from Myanmar (Burma) which borders with Manipur and numerous clashes with the Nagas. In 1826, Manipur was brought into India by the treaty of Yandavo by Raja Jai Singh with the British at the end of the seven year Indo-Burmese war. This followed a dispute in accession to the throne. With the intervention of the British the dispute was settled. In 1891, Churachand was nominated the Raja and it came under British rule as a princely state in the first Anglo Manipuri war. During World War II, Imphal was occupied by the Japanese. After India became independent on August 15, 1947. The Manipur Constitution Act, 1947 established a democratic form of Government with the Maharaja as the Executive Head and a legislature constituted by election. This legislative assembly functioned till it was dissolved on the integration of the state with the Dominion of India in October, 1949. Manipur achieved full statehood on January 21, 1972. Ref: http://manipur.maisnam.com/history Ref: http://www.webindia123.com/manipur/history/history.htm Documents: Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947 Manipuri People Although Manipur is a polyglot land inhibited by numerous tribes, the Manipuris as known to all, are broadly classified into the Meiteis, the Bishnupriyas, the Nagas and the Kukis. They are also distributed into the hill (Nagas and Kukis) and valley (Meiteis) populations. The Meiteis Manipuris are of Kuki-Chin origin. Vaishnavism arrived in Manipur in 1737 in the form of Santadas Babaji who came over the hills from Sylhet and captivated the entire population including the King Pamheida alias Garib Nawaz with his Radha-Krishna kirtan. The King ordered the burning of all historical documents to make a clean break with the past and the Meiteis adopted Gouriya Vaisnavism. Meitei Pangons are Muslims. The Bishnupriya Manipuris identify themselves of Indo-Aryans origin and are followers of Vishnu from the ancient times, as before the reign of King Garib Nawaj. The Bishnupriyas led by the Khumal chieftain initially refused to follow King Pamheida widening the rift between the Bishnupriyas and the ruling Meiteis class. Large numbers of Bishnupriya Manipuris began to migrate out of Manipur which was hastened by repeated Burmese attacks and soon the once-proud Bishnupriyas became a nation of refugees who began to migrate to Assam, Tripura, Burma and Bengal. The Naga tribes occupies the northern hills of Manipur. The different groups of Nagas are Tangkhuls, Mao, Muram Nagas, Tadubi, Kolya, Khoiras or Mayang Khong, Kabuis, Koirengs, Chirus and Marings. The Kukis are distributed widely in Manipur, occupying the south-western, south and south-eastern hills which spread in the district of Churachandpur, Tangnoupal district and Sadar hills in the north Manipur. Non-Manipuris settled in Manipur are Bengalis, Nepali, Sikhs, Bihari, Punjabis and South Indians communities. Ref: http://www.manipuri.freehomepage.com/people.html Ref: http://www.manipuri.org/culture.html Ref: http://www.webindia123.com/manipur/people/people%20b.htm Ref: http://manipuri.8k.com Ref: Demographic Details Pertaining to the NorthEast(http://www.northeastvigil.com/facts/nedocs/docmsca.htm) Manipur Loktak Lake Loktak, the largest fresh water lake in eastern India lies in the heart of Manipur. Covering almost 250 sq. km of area in the dry season, the lake is host to a wide variety of flora and fauna and has a great impact on the socio-economic life of the communities around it. Nearly thirty rivers empty into Loktak and it swells to cover about 500 sq. km in the rainy months of the year. The wide expanse of the lake flanked by mountains on the sides is a feast to the eyes of the beholder. One cannot help noticing the green islands of sorts which almost gives the lake the looks of a delta, its water surface unevenly broken up by small land masses. These unique flotillas are called Phumdis, which are heterogeneous masses of soil, vegetation and organic matter. These can vary in size from a few centimeters to 2.5 meters in diameter. An agglomeration of these Phumdis have formed a 40 sq. km floating land mass which has been designated as the Keibul Lamjao national park in the southeastern part of the lake. This park is home to the nearly extinct Sangai or the brow antlered deer. Loktak was declared a Ramsar site (coined from the international convention on wetlands held in Ramsar, Iran in 1971) in 1990 due to its uniqueness and rich biodiversity. Human needs and ways of life coupled with short sighted planning have brought Loktak on the brink of an ecological disaster. Little do we comprehend that such mistakes could cost us our very existence. A considerable part of the catchment area for Loktak is covered by paddy fields treated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The run off from these fields have brought the harmful chemicals into the lake. The Nambul river collects the sewage from Imphal and dumps it into Loktak. Massive deforestation on the adjoining hillsides have led to uncontrollable erosion resulting in the heavy siltation of the lake. Needless to say that the water of Loktak has been rendered unfit for human consumption and the once thriving aquatic ecosystem is in grave danger. Migratory birds in particular and the wildlife in general has been severely affected. The draining of nutrients into the lake has caused the proliferation of the Phumdis which now cover two-thirds of the lake's surface. Clearing of the Phumdis to save the lake poses a formidable challenge to the administration. Long term sustainable solution lies in involving the local community in efficient land and water management in the area along with controlling waste disposal and treatment. Manipuri Dance Manipur presents a mosaic of traditions and cultural patterns. Particularly, it is world famous for the Manipuri style of classical dance which is very distinct from other Indian dance forms. The Manipuri school of dancing whether folk, classical or modern, is devotional in nature. These are a few dance styles: Ras Leela Dance: The Ras Leela, the epitome of Manipuri classical dance is inter-woven through the celestial and eternal love of Radha and Krishna and the Gopies' devotion to the Krishna. The performance is a combination of solo, duet and group dances. This highly stylised form of dance has sublimity, subtlety and grace. Khamba Thoibi Dance: Khamba Thoibi dance is a duet of male and female partners, a dance of dedication to the sylvan deity, Thangjing of Moirang. Khamba and Thoibi are actually two mythological characters who have become immortal in Manipuri folklore. This, with the "Maibi" dance (Priestess dance) , the "Leima Jagoi" form the "Laiharaoba" dance which is, in many ways, the fountainhead of the modern Manipuri dance form. Pung Cholom: Pung or Manipuri Mridanga is the soul of Manipuri Sankritana music and Classical Manipuri Dance. It assumes an important ritual character, an indispensable part of all social and devotional ceremonies in Manipur. The instrument itself, becoming an object of veneration. Pung Cholom is performed as an invocatory number preceding the Sankirtana and Ras Lila. It is a highly refined classical dance number characterized by the modulation of sound from a soft whisper to a thunderous climax. Maibi Dance: During the festival of Lai-Haraoba which is an annual ritual festival of the Meiteis, the inhabitants of the valley of Manipur. The Maibis, the priestesses considered to be spiritual mediums, trace through their dances the whole concept of cosmogony of the Meitei people and describe their way of life. Beginning with the process of creation, they show the construction of houses and various occupations of the people to sustain themselves. It is a kind of re-living of the way of life of the past. For more details on other Manipuri dance traditions, please look at this great Manipuri Dance site(http://manipuri.20m.com). Manipuri Traditional Games The tradition of sports dates back to the ancient history of Manipur - a history of small kingdoms which were in keen competition with one another. Wars among themselves and with the Aawa (the Burmese) resulted in a martial tradition which in turn gave due impetus to the development of indigenous games. Sagol Kangjei (POLO): The Manipuri Sagol Kangjei has been adopted by the International Community as Polo and is now being played worldwide. The 'PUYAS' trace it to the mythological age when the game was played by gods. The game is played with 7 players on each side mounted on ponies which are often not more than 4/5 feet in height. Each player is outfitted with a polo stick made of cane having a narrow angled wooden head fixed at the striking end. The ball, 14 inches in circumference is made of bamboo root. The mounted players hit the ball into the goal. Extremely vigorous and exhilarating, the game is now played in two styles - the PANA or original Manipuri style and the International style i.e. Polo. The ponies are also decorated fully with various guards protecting the eyes, forehead, flanks etc. In the 19th Century , the British learned the game of Sagol Kangjei from Manipur and transplanted to other countries as Polo with a few changes. For more details on other Manipuri traditional games, look at this Manipur Traditional Games site(http://manipur.maisnam.com/games). Manipur Language Manipuri language (originally called Meitielon) was made the official language of the state of Manipur with the 1968 Language Act. It had its own Meetai-Mayek script but the Bengali script was adopted to write the language by the British. There have been some efforts to revive the original script. It is also a Lingua Franca among the various ethnic groups in Manipur who use it to communicate among themselves with about 60% of the population using this language. The Manipuri language can be classified as belonging to the Kuki-Chin group within the Tibeto Burman sub-family of languages. There are at least 29 different languages/dialects spoken in Manipur. Some main tribal languages/dialects spoken in Manipur are Tangkhul, Thadou / Kuki, Paite, Kabui, Mao, Hmar, Lushai, etc. Ref: Manipuri Design Guide (IIT Guwahati - The Resource Centre for Indian Language Technology Solutions) http://www.iitg.ernet.in/rcilts/manipuridesign.pdf -------------------------------------------------------------- 3. About AFSPA One of the most notorious phrases in Manipur today is the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. A phrase that is at once associated with national security, counter-insurgency, state terrorism and human rights abuse! It was under the AFSPA that an arrest memorandam was issued for Thangiam Manorama, on the suspicion that she had links with the underground People’s Liberation Army. Her torture, alleged rape and eventual custodial death triggered unprecedented agitation and angry protests across the tiny state of Manipur. The State Government decided to institute a Judiciary Inquiry into the alleged custodial killing of Thangiam Manorama by the 17th Assam Rifles personnel. The Manipur government also withdrew the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act from seven assembly constituencies in Imphal, in-spite of the Centre not favoring this move. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act was passed by the Indian Parliament in 1958 (amended in 1972), to enable effective counter-insurgency operations. The Indian Army and other paramilitary forces were deployed in early 1950s, in the then Naga Hills, to counter the Naga separatist movement. The introduction of the Act was the outcome of this armed conflict. Without the powers of the Act, the security forces could not open fire until fired upon - a passive reaction, where pro-active action was the perceived need of the hour. The AFSPA enabled the security forces to strike first. In the hostile and war-like situation prevailing at that time, the Act gave them sweeping powers to protect the interests of national integrity and stability. Section 1 of the AFPSA states the name of the Act and while Section 2 defined the areas to which it extends (Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram). In part 2(a) of the 1972 version, the armed forces are defined as "the military and Air Force of the Union so operating". In the 1958 version,"military forces and the air forces operating as land forces". Part 2(b) defines a "disturbed area" as any area declared as such under Clause 3. Section 2(c) states that all other words not defined in the AFSPA have the meanings assigned to them in the Army Act of 1950. Section 3 grants the Central Government or the Governor of the State or the Administrator of the Union Territory the power to declare an area “disturbed” if in their opinion the use of Armed Forces in aid of civil power is necessary. Under Section 4 of the Act, any non-commissioned officer, if he is of the opinion that it is necessary to do so, may fire upon or otherwise use force, destroy any structure, search any premised and arrest any person without warrant. Section 5 states that after an arrest under the Act, the military must hand that person over to the nearest police station with the "least possible delay". The definition of what constitutes the least possible delay is not specified. Since this provision has been interpreted as depending on the specifics circumstances of each case, there is no precise amount of time after which the section is violated. The holding of the arrested person, without review by a magistrate, constitutes arbitrary detention. Section 6 specifies that no prosecution, suit or other legal proceeding shall be instituted, except with the previous sanction of the Central Government against any person in respect of anything done or purported to be done in exercise of powers conferred by this Act. This section essentially protects the armed forces from prosecution on frivolous grounds, but unfortunately leaves the victims of the armed forces abuses without any legal remedy. In the two decades since the imposition of the Act, the armed forces have been often accused of extra-judicial execution of innocent civilians, rape, molestation and sexual harassment of women, torture, forced labor and large-scale looting of homes and granaries. The Indian government has been accused of violating the international standards of human rights, defined by the Constitution and the international Bill of Human Rights. The United Nations Human Rights Committee, in 1991, found Section 4 of the AFSPA to be incompatible with Articles 6, 9 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966, which was ratified by India on April 1979. To its credit however, the Indian Army has, over the years, created a system of institutionalized training to prevent human rights violations by soldiers. There is a General Staff Pamphlet and an Army Training Memorandum, dealing exclusively with human rights training. The National Human Rights Commission in its report of 2001-02 has appreciated the efforts of the Armed Forces in training their personnel in human rights. According to the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre, there are several cases pending before the Indian Supreme Court, which challenge the constitutionality of the AFSPA. Some of these cases have been pending for over nine years. The Delhi High Court found the AFSPA constitutional given the wording and application of the AFSPA. Civil liberty organizations claim the AFSPA is unconstitutional and should be repealed by the judiciary or the legislature to end army rule in the northeast. It is not just the AFSPA that is shrouded in controversy. Other emergency anti-terrorist legislations such as TADA and POTA are enmeshed in tales of abuse as well. Any democratic government must serve the interests of the people. So the moot point is whether AFSPA is serving the interests of the people of the Northeastern states. Neither the imposition nor the withdrawal of the AFSPA can be the solution to achieving peace and harmony in the region. The government should build an atmosphere of confidence, and all concerned parties should work together for a political and peaceful solution of the problems facing the Northeastern states - with an open mind, without preconditions, and within the framework of the Constitution of India. Here are some additional references for further details: The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (As Amended in 1972) http://new.aidindia.org/twiki/bin/view/NECell/TheArmedForcesSpecialPowersAct1958AsAmendedIn1972 From South Asia Human Rights documentation center http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF102.htm http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/resources/armed_forces.htm AFSPA - A study in National Security tyranny Has many relevant links on the Manorama case http://www.e-pao.net/epRelatedNews.asp?heading=1&src=080404 Timeline on the Manorama case http://www.e-pao.net/epPageExtractor.asp?src=related_news.timeline_Manorama_killing_2004.html Justification for AFSPA by Assam Rifles http://www.e-pao.net/epRelatedNews.asp?heading=10&src=160704 Armed Forces and human rights http://www.hindu.com/op/2004/08/03/stories/2004080300251300.htm The Manipur crisis http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/20/stories/2004082001491000.htm Manipur going the Kashmir way http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug092004/top.asp -------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Crisis In Manipur July 31 this year was a crucial day for agitationists in Manipur. That day, members of 32 social organizations, primarily students’ bodies, took part in a protest that Manipur had rarely witnessed before. Hundreds of demonstrators courted arrest as a symbolic gesture of unity against the “mysterious” death of alleged former Peoples Liberation Army cadre Manorama Devi. The demonstration heralded and brought to fore the peoples’ ire against the so-called draconian and all-powerful Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act which gives the security forces in some of the insurgency affected states of India’s North-east sweeping powers to crush “anti-India” (read secessionist) activities. The last time Manipuris, primarily the Meiteis, were up in arms against the Central and State governments was when the former BJP-led NDA government had thrown in broad hints of effecting a change in states’ boundaries to acquiesce to the demand of the Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah-led National Socialist Council of Nagaland for a “Greater Nagaland”. This envisages the incorporation of some of the Naga-populated areas of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur into “Nagalim” or “Greater Nagaland”. At that time, the setting on fire the State Assembly, the beating up and boycott of politicians of all hues and non-cooperation marked the manifestations of peoples’ anger towards anything that was even remotely associated with “Greater Nagaland” – a reflection of the deep-seated animosity between the Meiteis and the Nagas in a region that has been torn apart by internecine inter- and intra-tribal warfare and plagued by insurgencies. The Meiteis are a proud people. The issue of “Greater Nagaland” is as anachronistic to them as the alleged custodial death of Manorama Devi. By all accounts, the reaction of the people to the Manorama Devi issue was a measure of their disaffection towards the Okram Ibobi Singh government in Imphal and the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. Some unconfirmed reports do indicate that the former PLA activist “died in the hands” of the Assam Rifles, a charge that is vehemently denied by Army Headquarters and the Home Ministry which has operational and administrative control of the paramilitary force. Indeed, there is a long-standing demand for the withdrawal of the Assam Rifles from the Kangla Fort (near Imphal). The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is operational in five of the seven states of the North-east. It was imposed in Manipur, mainly the Imphal valley, in September 1980 as part of a “well-intentioned” measure to give more teeth to the security forces, especially the Army, to curb secessionist activities in which, subsequently, no less than 17 armed outfits were involved. Some of the “underground” organizations like the PLA and the Prepak (Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak) and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), to name a few, were armed by the then undivided NSCN, which is often described as the “mother of all insurgencies” in the North-east. While the Meitei insurgent groups were active in the valley districts, the NSCN(Isak-Muivah) faction was predominant in the four Hills districts of Ukhrul, Chandel, Tamenglong and Senapati. The depredations of the insurgent outfits continued through the Eighties and well into the Nineties with both the State government and the Centre seemingly unable to contain the growth and spread of militancy. This was compounded by the ethnic conflict between the Nagas and the Kukis who also formed their own bands of armed cadres to pressure the Centre for the creation of a separate Kukiland state within the Indian Union. The situation went so far that some of the Hills districts of Manipur became practically ungovernable with no semblance of administration, leaving an open field for the insurgent groups some of whom operated from camps within adjoining Myanmar and Bangladesh. In fact, the writ of the insurgent organizations can be gauged from the poll boycott call that was issued by some of them last year and the success that they claimed to have achieved. But it is equally true that insurgency soon came to be identified as an “industry” in which extortion and loot of the public exchequer was commonplace. This became all the more easy with the collapse of the administrative machinery in a number of districts. While the Act was initially effective in containing militancy, the continued presence of the Army in the state often led to its misuse. There have been several instances of human rights violations in the past. There have been protests against alleged atrocities by the Army men against the innocent, especially women. The Army has had to contend with charges of extra-judicial killings and custodial deaths and rape. Some cases found by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have been proved beyond any reasonable doubt. The Manorama Devi case, which has exposed the Centre’s apathetic attitude towards the North-east, is the latest in a series of such charges which, from the peoples’ point of view, has stuck and forced the Centre to temporarily withdraw what some describe as a “black law”. Today, much of the anger in Manipur is a reflection of the state whose citizens have been reduced to a hapless lot – caught between the guns of the security forces and the insurgents and between governments in New Delhi and Imphal who seem to have no clue on what measures to take to improve administration and provide good governance. -------------------------------------------------------------- 5. NGO Update NEN Update (NEN Trip to Visit SEWA) AID College Park has been working with the North East Network since 1999. The very first project involved setting up a health center, which has now become the center of all activities in Dharikathi village in Sonitpur District of Assam. The villagers of this area identified sanitation as a major issue so AID helped NEN and the villagers to build 150 low cost toilets in the area. During one of the post approval visits of the area by Kavita Meegama there were discussions about the need for employment, electricity and roads in the area. Since it is relatively simpler for grassroots NGOs to work with employment issues, AID and NEN worked on a handloom weaving proposal with 150 artisans in 3 villages in Kamrup, Sonitpur and Morigaon districts. This project is expected to increase the monthly income of weavers by Rs. 500 per month. It is also our hope that in future that the initial intervention by NEN will be taken up by village level groups to revitalize weavers, build capacities of women to proficiently manage their own yarn and weaving units and enhance economic of local communities. It is hoped that it will be a platform to mainstream the NE through exhibition of traditional products and also provide an outlet for young weavers to remove the feeling of hopelessness resulting from conflict. Women will be empowered to have better control of their lives and resources. Above all, we hope that this project will enable weavers to establish themselves both on the personal and professional fronts and bring visible and positive changes in their communities. In the past AID College Park had also worked with SEWA in building their spearhead team to set up the Kutch Craft Association for managing and marketing the work of village artisans. SEWA’s model has been extremely successful in reaching the village products to the cities and in fact even in the international market. Building on their strengths SEWA now has a separate office called the SEWA Trade Facilitation Center (STFC) that conducts exposure and training of folks from other NGOs. AID suggested to NEN that some of the village women go for such an exposure trip. It was also expected that this trip would provide an in-road into all exhibitions attended by SEWA. The women in Assam thought it was a good idea so AID coordinated and funded the exposure trip. Three weavers from the three villages of the project were chosen to go for this exposure trip. They decided to travel in March when it is not too hot. Even so one of the things the women mention in their travelogue is the intense heat! The women found it to be an eye-opening visit and found it very intriguing to visit a culture so different from their one. Here is a brief version of the travelogues of Junu, reporting for Lalita, Barnali and herself, the three women from Assam who traveled west to Gujarat! For what is the best way to report than to hear from the people themselves? The text has been translated from Assamese to English by NEN and simply edited in length by AID: EXPOSURE TOUR TO “SEWA”, AHMEDABAD Tour Date: MARCH 21-26, 2004 NEN Report By: Ms. Junu Moni Das, Field Co-Ordinator, Sipinir Handloom Project, NEN Day 1 (March 18, 2004) This is my first exposure trip outside Assam as a team leader of NEN’s handloom project. Shielded with self-confidence and courage, I reached the railway station at 6 am in the morning, a new experience with mixed feelings. We boarded the train on time and then began a new journey, a new experience. The first day of our journey was mostly spent by getting to know each other outside our conventional boundaries of home and work places, discussing on general matters, eating and enjoying the train ride. It was a different kind of feeling, which I was experiencing as a team leader as we were advancing, more and more towards our destination. Day 2 (March 19, 2004) We reached Howrah railway station at around 8:30 am and checked in at Hotel Balaji for the day where we freshened up, had lunch and took rest for sometime. In the evening at 7 PM, we boarded the train to Ahmedabad. Day 3 & 4 (March 20-21, 2004) As we entered Gujarat I could feel the difference in temperature level. It was becoming extremely hot and we were finding it difficult to adjust and we were not feeling very well. But as a responsible leader I had to be cautious of the surrounding (as this was my first ever trip to Ahmedabad) and spent the rest of the journey reading, chatting and sleeping in the train. The scenic natural beauty of the river Narmada from train I was thrilled. I was anxious of Bornali and Lalita as it was their first time out side the North East. We reached Ahmedabad station at 3:15 PM. As we stepped out of the train, we were surprised and breath taking thrilled to hear our names being announced at the railway station by SEWA members. They had come to receive and welcome us. I was feeling very special. They took us to an exquisite hotel beyond our imagination and as we entered we could feel that we were looking very shabby after three days train journey. We leisurely had bath in the beautiful bathroom and dressed up neatly. As we sat down to eat we could feel the taste of food was very much different from what we eat back home. Initially, we found it difficult to adjust with the taste of food but slowly we started enjoying it. Later that night at around 11pm, I made a phone call to Hiral Ben. As I slept various thoughts came across my mind regarding how and what kind of people we would be meeting the next morning. Day 5 (March 22, 2004) In the morning at 10:30 am, dressed in our own respective traditional dresses we set out to visit SEWA’s STFC by SEWA transportation itself. There we were introduced to Hiral Ben and Mona Ben and also gave our own introductions. Mona Ben briefly explained us about SEWA’s activities. We came to know that Ela Ben initiated SEWA with the mission to help the poor and distressed women. This they do it by way of imparting trainings on creating health awareness, childcare, insurances, savings, modern agricultural technologies and marketing. This training is being given to the women and later they form groups, which they call as District Federations. SEWA has been working since the year 1972 and has so far covered 14 districts in Ahmedabad. Hiral Ben then took us to see the Agriculture and Embroidery unit. There we got to see that the work done by the artisans are very fine and well finished. Apart from these works they also worked under various companies earlier. We came to know that the Salt and Gum (adhesive) Companies situated at Surendernagar were also initiated by SEWA. After visiting the Agriculture and Embroidery unit we went to visit Bal Sewa. It is a day care centre, which takes care of children of working mothers who work in companies as laborers and in agricultural fields. This centre manages children between age group of 0 to 6 years and is open from 9AM to 5PM where they are given nutritious food three times a day. To enroll a child into Bal Sewa one has to pay Rs.2 as admission fee and Rs.1 per day or Rs.30 in a month or any other agricultural goods of that value. This centre has got three teachers to take care of the children. The working mothers also prepare herbal medicines form the medicinal plants that are available in their areas. Another interesting part is the Life Insurance Centre of SEWA, which was started in the year 1995. They have 1,80,000 members who have insured their lives and pay an annual premium of Rs. 85. Later we were taken to the Federation, which carries out six types of activities like training on education, management, leadership, marketing, capacity building and many more. All the works that are being mentioned above are carried out very meticulously, and are marvelous and really worth appreciating. It is also important to mention here that all the training imparted here compulsory to attend by all members. We concluded our daylong program by visiting Banas Craft shop at C. G. Road in Ahmedabad. Day 6 (March 23, 2004) Today we visited SEWA Academy. There we saw VDO centre where we could see the activities of SEWA training with women’s groups. Next we looked at the SEWA BANK, which I feel is a model institution, because it provides loans to poor women for various projects and activities. SEWA has also instituted a Shanti Path Kendra in Ahmedabad for encouraging amity between Hindus and Muslims. This was interesting as in our region we do not have religious communalism. Day 7 (March 24, 2004) Today we visited the Dhoop and Biri making units. Here we saw that workers were provided with masks and other facilities along with health and child care awareness trainings. Door to door health checkups are also conducted in the villages. In the SEWA office women are provided training on Housing Management and in this whole process, we were also involved. Day 8 (March 24, 2004) We visited SEWA’s Handloom Training and Production Centre in Khera district and here we met and interacted with three weavers. Here, we came to know that they also have a Nursery on plantation, which is jointly owned by SEWA and the weavers. Day 9 (March 25, 2004) Today Hiral Ben and Mona Ben took us to STFC. After this visit, we went to Gandhinagar, where we were shown how designs are developed, removal of stains, cloth cutting machines, etc. We were also shown the use of a magnifying glass. After this, to show us the marketing angle, we were taken to a five star hotel outlet, where clothes made by SEWA are sold at much higher prices. ACRD & IIT Guwahati Partha and Debo have talked to Professor Dr Sashindra Kumar Kakoty from IIT Guwahati and Sunita from ACRD and they will be collaborating with each other on creating flood resistant home designs. -------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Need New Volunteers Pending tasks for which new volunteers are needed Task 1: Ship of Hope: Need design engineers and/or people with skills in the area of Ship Building/ Naval Architecture/ Design of Engines Task 2: Research on work done by Samrakshan, an NGO based in the South Garo Hills of Meghalaya, in the field of wildlife preservation and preservation of Tribal culture. The volunteer will need to prepare a dossier on the NGO - with information on how the NGO was set up, the work they do, specific districts that they are working in, etc. The volunteer will work with the NE Cell to identify possible ways in which AID can work with them. Task 3: Prepare project posters for AID supported projects in the North East - ERLISID (Eastern Regional Link for Sustainable Development), RVC (Rural Volunteers Center), ACRD (Assam Center for Rural Development) and NEN (North East Network). Please send an email to ne-cell@mit.edu and we will work with you. We would really appreciate it if at least one member of an AID Chapter can get on our NE Cell mailing list. -------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Interesting Links Since our focus for this month’s newsletter has been on Manipur, here are some good Manipur related links for your resource: Manipur Portals http://www.kanglaonline.com http://www.e-pao.net http://www.manipuronline.com http://www.manipuri.org Manipur Focused Govt. Links Manipur Bhawan, New Delhi: http://manipurbhawan.nic.in Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region: http://www.northeast.nic.in Manipur State Govt.: http://manipur.nic.in Imphal West District: http://imphalwest.nic.in/iwfront.html Imphal East District: http://imphaleast.nic.in Ukhrul District: http://ukhrul.nic.in Tamenglong District: http://tamenglong.nic.in Bishnupur District: http://bishnupur.nic.in Churachandpur District: http://ccpur.nic.in Chandel District: http://chandel.nic.in Senapati District: http://senapati.nic.in Thoubal District: http://thoubal.nic.in North East Council: http://necouncil.nic.in/aboutnec.htm Manipur Urban Development Agency: http://muda.nic.in Regional Biofertilizer Development Center: http://manipur.nic.in/rbdc/welcome.htm Social Welfare Department, Manipur: http://socialwelfaremanipur.nic.in North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd: http://www.nedfi.com Other Interesting Manipur-Related Organizations CORE, Manipur - http://www.coremanipur.org Citizens Concern for Dams and Development (CCDD) - http://www14.brinkster.com/ccddmanipur Northeast Mediawatch Cyberzine - http://www.northeastvigil.com/index.html AFSPA - Armed Forces Special Powers Act The AFSPA Act: http://new.aidindia.org/twiki/bin/view/NECell/TheArmedForcesSpecialPowersAct1958AsAmendedIn1972 From South Asia Human Rights Documentation Center: 1. Losing hearts and minds It’s easy when you use laws like the AFSPA - http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF102.htm 2. AFSPA - A study in National Security tyranny - http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/resources/armed_forces.htm - Losing hearts and minds It’s easy when you use laws like the AFSPA - AFSPA - A study in National Security tyranny Manorama Case http://www.e-pao.net/epRelatedNews.asp?heading=1&src=080404 http://www.e-pao.net/epPageExtractor.asp?src=related_news.timeline_Manorama_killing_2004.html Justification for AFSPA by Assam Rifles http://www.e-pao.net/epRelatedNews.asp?heading=10&src=160704 The Hindu Op-Editorial: http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/20/stories/2004082001491000.htm -------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Newsletter Contributors We would like to thank the following contributors of this month’s AID NE Cell Newsletter. About AID NE Cell - AID NE Cell Members Feature on Manipur - Somnath Mukherji (Loktak Lake), Partha Gogoi (History),Mona Mandal (History, People, Dance, Games, Language) About AFSPA - Sree Ganesan Crisis In Manipur - Chandan Nandy NGO Update - Tulika Narayan (NEN), Mona Mandal (ACRD) Need New Volunteers - Anand Sivaraman Interesting Links - Sree Ganesan, Anand Sivaraman, Mona Mandal Newsletter Feedback - Anand Sivaraman, Mona Mandal Editing of the Newsletter in Web Format - Mona Mandal We look forward to getting North East related entries from other individuals in AID that you would like to see in the newsletter. Please send an email to ne-cell@mit.edu and we will follow up with you. -------------------------------------------------------------- 9. Newsletter Feedback What do you think of this newsletter? We would like feedback on the newsletter from the AID wide audience as we continue to bring you updates about the work we are doing in the North East Cell. Please send us an email with your feedback at ne-cell@mit.edu with the following: Q, Please email us your opinions and feedback about the AFSPA. Q. Do you have any general comments about the newsletter? Q. What do you like/dislike about this newsletter? Q. Do you find this newsletter useful for your projects for the North East? Q. What are some additional things you would like to see in this newsletter?