“While entire communities suffer the consequence of armed conflict and terrorism, women and girls are particularly affected because of their status in society and their sex.” declares the Fourth World Conference of Women in Beijing.
In any
struggle, women play an important role by actively participating in that
struggle. They are fearless and militant, and, since Indian freedom struggle
there has been enough evidence of the fact. Such movements are made successful
by the participation of the masses, and in return most of them face repression
from the state machinery, they and their minor daughters are raped in large
numbers and even killed. In the conflict areas, women are mostly killed by the
militant groups, besides the Army. In such conflict zones, women face trying
situations and deep insecurity when their family members are killed either by
militants or by state forces; they face a strange situation when the course of
their lives is totally changed. In such areas, where the movements of self-
determination are going on, women are doubly made sufferers because they make
for vulnerable soft targets and also
because they lose their husbands, siblings and children.
Women are
the symbols of culture in every society. So, on the one hand, they are expected
to play an important role in the movement for self-determination. But, on the
other hand, they are first targeted by the state as it knows that the defenders
of these cultures must be defiled and their self-respect crushed in order to
suppress the movements. Rape, torture and harassment form the repressive forces
are brought down upon women to restrict their social mobility as well as to
destroy the honour of the entire tribes.
While entire
civilian populations are affected by and suffer the consequences of armed
conflict and terrorism, the impact on women and girls is far worse because of
their low status in a patriarchal society. They suffer disproportionately more
due to displacement, loss of home and property, and loss of close relatives,
and face poverty and separation, sexual slavery, rape, along with long
socio-economic and psychological trauma.
Like other
regions of armed conflict, in Assam also women are seen in various roles, which
have different impact on their lives. They suffer atrocities at the hands of
the State, being relatives of armed activists; at the same time, they face
atrocities at the hands of the militants, being close relatives of armed
personnel or Government officers. In time of different movements for self-
determination the militants take shelter in the houses of the villagers, and as
a consequence, the members of the family, mainly the women members face
physical and mental harassment from the state forces despite their innocence.
During the Assam Movement, especially during the 1990s, many such incidents
occurred. In most cases serious psychological impact was seen on the victims,
as rape is perceived as a crime against the honour of the tribe or morality of
the family. The victim is often viewed by the community as ‘defiled’ or
‘spoiled’, and in many cases she is even socially boycotted.
When the
normal social and economic life is disturbed, there are constant threats and
anxiety of living in an atmosphere of oppression and fear. The loss of
traditional support bases leads to serious consequences, when women are
alienated from family and society. They land up in prostitution, human
trafficking etc. Another impact is that since rape is seen as an act of dishonor,
not merely as violation of human rights, such a situation leads to restriction
on women’s mobility; assertion of ethnicity is over exaggerated and imposed
through brute force and patriarchal and fundamentalist values and ideologies
are reinforced. Due to the lack of sympathy and dearth of Government schemes or
provisions for the widows, mothers and wives of the ‘missing’ people, they are
faced with heavy economic burdens.
Women are
also targeted by the insurgent groups now and then. A girl, Rashmi Bora of
Nagaon District was killed by ULFA in the later part of 90s as she was
suspected to be an informer. Similar was the case with Priya Basumataru of
Chirang in August 2014, who was killed by NDFB (s) in front of the villagers. A
few years ago, Jahnabi Mahanta of Dibrugarh, a teacher joined ULFA and died
just after few months. According to a senior police officer she was murdered as
she had relations with an ULFA leader.
Since 1990
to 2014, in major incidents of terrorist violence in Assam many women lost
their lives, became widows or homeless. It is a long list.
ULFA gives a
call for boycott of elections and kills other democratic forces for the sole
reason of participating in elections. In 1998, February there was an attack by
ULFA on the leaders and members of Sadou Asom Pragatisil Nari Santha in
Naharani of Dibrugarh district in which a CPI(ML) leader and candidate of Lok
Sabha election Anil Kumar Barua was killed and a woman leader suffered bullet
injuries. Another woman leader was beaten with rifle butts.
Due to
conflict among different militant organizations also women have to suffer. In
Dhemaji, Assam, on 15th August, 2004, ULFA killed 13 people including both boys
and girl students (12- 14 yrs) by blasting a bomb in the Independence Day
official function organized by the district administration.
In 1996,
December the BLT killed a prominent women leader of Bodo Women Justice Forum,
Golapi Basumatary with the claim that her organization was working as a front
of NDFB (RanjanDaimary), a rival outfit. There are also incidences of sexual
harassment by the militant groups. One such example is that of 4thMay 1998, in
Bangalduba of Kokrajhar district. Galmu was an old widow having good relations
with two members of a militant outfit. On that day, the two members came to her
house and forced a young girl out of the car. As they started molesting her,
Galmu and her daughter protested and the militants killed them and burnt their
house.
There are
other impacts on women while they are active as combatants and also after
coming to the mainstream. From some interviews, it is seen that their lives
became very painful because of the sudden transformation from militant cadres
to so called ‘housewives’, because after coming to the mainstream of politics
they are again expected to lead lives of subjugated women in a patriarchal
society.
In relief
camps, victims of ethnic clashes and militant attacks spend months and years
without basic hygiene and civic amenities. One can imagine what kind of lives
they live if there is no privacy, no security, no health care.
Displacement
is another dimension of misery of the people in armed conflict areas and it
affects the women most.
