Tribal women air grievances to NCW team

'Proper medicare and education facilities lacking in Moreh'

The chairperson and two members of the National Commission for Women (NCW) interacted with women from all walks of life in Imphal and Moreh, the border town on Saturday. The NCW team and others from the North Eastern states are on a three-day official visit to Manipur.

An interaction was held on Saturday at Trade Centre at Moreh. Women activists aired their grievances to the visiting NCW and other members from the NE states. A tribal woman, Kim, residing at Moreh said that the women at the border town have been at the receiving end since there is no meaningful medicare for them. Expectant mothers have to rush all the way to Imphal at prohibitive costs. Many such women had died on the way or shortly after child birth. Most of the doctors and paramedics who are basically from Imphal never stay at Moreh, she said.

Tamen, secretary of Moreh Khunnai Lup, said that she had made representations to the government pointing out their grievances. However, so far the government has not come to the rescue of the women at this border area. She also said that there is no proper education facility for women at Moreh.

Nirmala Samat Prabhakar, member, assured the women that these problems would be brought to the notice of the authorities concerned. Earlier the NCW held an interaction session with the women vendors in Imphal. Speaking to the women, chairperson of the NCW Mamta Sharma said that there is an imperative need to translate into action the various laws for the protection of women from criminals. She said that if incidents like the Delhi gang rape case are to be avoided then there is an urgent need for such drastic actions. Women commissions should join hands with the NGOs to create awareness among the women.

There are representatives of the women's commissions from Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura in the team. They are scheduled to leave Imphal on Monday.

Meanwhile Sobita Mangshatabam, secretary of Women Action for Development, has expressed concern over the heinous crimes against women and children from the first day of this year in Manipur. She said that in the first 10 days of this month there were three murders of women, rape cum murder of one woman, one rape, killing of two children and finding of a dead woman. Most of the criminals are still at large. She said that there is a need to check such crimes against women and children.