Thursday 14 May 2020

#BookReview : The Mothers of Manipur by Teresa Rehman



July 15, 2004, Imphal (Manipur, India): An amazing scene unfolds in front of Kangla Fort, the headquarters of the Assam Rifles, a unit of the Indian army. Soldiers and officers watch aghast as twelve women, all in their sixties and seventies, position themselves in front of the gates and then, one by one, strip themselves naked. The imas, the mothers of Manipur, are in a cold fury, protesting the custodial rape and murder by the army of Thangjam Manorama, a 32-year-old woman suspected of being a militant. The women hold aloft banners and shout, “Indian Army Rape Us” and “Take Our Flesh.” Never has this happened before and the army is appalled. Very soon, news of the protest goes viral. People around the country are shocked. Can this be possible? A naked protest in India by mothers? 
In this unusual book, journalist Teresa Rehman tells the story of these twelve women, the momentous decision they took, and how they carried it out with precision and care. In doing so she connects the reader to the broader history of conflict-torn Manipur and the courage and resistance of its people—in particular its women.


The Mothers of Manipur is a collection of interviews & story of a historic protest which took place in Imphal on 15th July, 2004. It has been written by Teresa Rehman, the author is an award-winning journalist based in Northeast India. She had worked with India Today, The Telegraph and Tehelka magazine. In her new role as a media entrepreneur, she now edits her own webzine.  

In 2004 a girl named Manorama was picked up by the army as she was accused of being a member of a banned outfit, later her body was found brutalized. This led to a great uproar within the community & on that fateful day, 12 women gathered at the gate of the Assam Rifles’ headquarter & stripped to protest against the killing. They carried a banner which said “Indian Army Rape Us” which was meant to shame the personnel inviting them to rape these elderly 12 women & leave the young ones alone. This book interviews the same women who decided to do this courageous protest & hear their stories. Get this book here,
Stories & narratives from the North Eastern states have been one of the least explored ones in terms of Indian literature. Its history has been equally neglected but luckily there are some books which indeed have depicted its ground realities. This book also deals with the lived realities of locals who have been suffering since a long time. This book laid bare the pain & anguish of the locals through different interviews. I can’t recommend it enough. Please do read.


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