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 

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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