internalizing of dominance ideology and loss of independence of women.
Thus patriarchy is reinforced and women live as refugee in their own
home depending upon their husband or father for life with no access to
work for livelihood.
Sunita Akoijam talked about the situation of women in Manipur and she
emphasized the effect of the less visible conflicts in which women are
affected the most. She gave
three examples of how women are affected by the lack of access to
productive resources, customary laws and practices and documentation
problem. She said that in conflict situation physical displacement is
visible but in low intensity conflict, physical displacement is not so
prominent but emotional displacement is. She also gave cases about
disease induced displacement- displacement – both physically and
emotionally due to HIV AIDS. She showed how this disease and practice
associated with it has a toll on mental health and physical well-being
of women.
The discussion ended with a note that the only hope lies in the ongoing
resistance movements and other civil society struggles to end
discrimination against women. Moreover since India doesn't recognize the
term "indigenous" there is little space for implementing
international instruments like the ILO in favor of the tribal people.
Often the customary laws are protected through legal mechanisms. The
domestic violence bill for instance has not been adopted by most of the
North-east states. The discussion ended with a positive thought on the
Naga Mothers’ movement.
Media Workshop-
Media and Forced Displacement of Population (12 December 2007)
The day’s
proceedings began with an introductory address by Samir Kumar Das. He
briefly introduced CRG’s engagement |
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with the theme of
‘Media and Forced Displacement’, which has included organization of
creative writing workshops, auditing of media coverage on forced
migration, supporting media persons writing on displacement through
media fellowships, and gathering and archiving of writings by
refugees.
Following this, A.S. Panneerselvan, Executive Director, Panos South
Asia, addressed the participants on the theme of ‘Forced Displacement
and Forced Migration: Reflections on right to communicate and right to
information.’ He said that the forces of globalization have brought
immense mobility for professionals across the world, but there is a set
of people who are being denied mobility or are being forced to migrate.
It is important to examine ‘who’ is being subject to forced
displacement. Whether conflict-induced or development-induced, the
response that migration elicits is that of ‘managing the
situation.’
Increasingly, Panneerselvan said, the terms of the discourse and
expected policy responses are being reinterpreted or reinvented. For
instance, now in an atmosphere where development-induced displacement is
being immensely talked about, there is talk of creating sanitized
industrial and commercial hubs which are not populated or very thinly
populated. Urban masterplans today are converting space into contested
terrain.
Discussing how displaced people cope with challenges and strive to live
when they are being forced to barely survive, Panneerselvan, highlighted
the need to see them not as victims but as resistors to injustice. The
role of humor in a challenging situation cannot be under-estimated.
Humor is not anti-thesis to pain. They go hand-in-hand and humor can
make it easier for displaced people to effectively and positively handle
change.
The next session ‘Narratives on victims: autobiography, biography and
other creative writings’ included presentation by Rakhee Kolita,
Guwahati; and Urvashi Butalia. Rakhee Kolita’s presentation focused on
writings from Assam that describe the
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