A STUDY ON THE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS BY THE WOMEN CIVIL

SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (MEIRA PAIBIS)

IN MANIPUR STATE

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO

BHARATI VIDYAPEETH UNIVERSITY, PUNE

FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE OF

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIAL WORK

UNDER THE FACULTY OF

ARTS, SOCIAL SCIENCES & COMMERCE

SUBMITTED BY

KONI POTSANGBAM

M.S.W., M.Phil.

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

Dr. B. T. LAWANI

M.S.W., M.Phil., Ph.D.

BHARATI VIDYAPEETH DEEMED UNIVERSITY, PUNE

SOCIAL SCIENCE CENTRE, PUNE-411038

DECEMBER, 2016
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the work incorporated in the thesis entitled “A Study on the

Social Movements by the Women Civil Society Organizations (Meira Paibis) in Manipur

State” for the degree of ‘Doctor of Philosophy’ in the subject of Social Work under the

faculty of Arts, Social Sciences & Commerce has been carried out by Ms Koni

Potsangbam in the Department of Social Sciences Centre at Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed

University, Erandwane, Pune during the period from November 2012 to September 2016,

under the guidance of Dr. B.T. Lawani.

Place: Pune Dr. G.R. Rathod

Date : December 2016 Director

 CERTIFICATION OF GUIDE

This is to certify that the work incorporated in the thesis entitled “A Study on

the Social Movements by the Women Civil Society Organizations (Meira Paibis) in

Manipur State” Submitted by Miss Koni Potsangbam for the degree of ‘Doctor of

Philosophy’ in the subject of Social work under the faculty of Arts, Social Sciences &

Commerce has been carried out in the Department of Social Sciences Centre, Bharati

Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Erandwane, Pune during the period from November

2012 to September 2016, under my direct supervision/ guidance.

Place : Pune Dr. B. T. Lawani

Date : December ,2016 Research Guide

 DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE

I hereby declare that the thesis entitled “A Study on the Social Movements by

the Women Civil Society Organizations (Meira Paibis) in Manipur State”

submitted by me to the Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune for the degree of Doctor

of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social work under the faculty of Arts, Social Sciences &

Commerce is an original piece of work carried out by me under the supervision of

Dr. B.T. Lawani and I further declare that it has not been submitted to this or any

other university or Institution for the award of any degree or Diploma.

I also confirm that all the material which I have borrowed from other sources

and incorporated in this thesis is duly acknowledged. If any material is not duly

acknowledged and found incorporated in this thesis, it is entirely my responsibility. I

am fully aware of the implications of any such act which might have been committed

by me advertently or inadvertently.

Place : Pune Koni Potsangbam

Date : December, 2016 Research Student
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I feel deeply indebted to my reverend supervisor and research guide,

Dr B.T Lawani, Director, Yashwantrao Chavan Institute of Social Science
Studies and Research, Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune for his invaluable
guidance, constant encouragement and timely advice in the completion of my
research. It was great pleasure to have been associated with and worked under his
inspiring guidance.

I take this opportunity to express my profound sense of gratitude to Honourable

Dr. Patangrao Kadam, the founder Chancellor of Bharati Vidyapeeth University,
Pune for providing the opportunity to undertake the present research study in the
Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune

It is my privilege to extend my sincere thanks to Honourable Prof. Dr. Shivajirao

Kadam, Vice Chancellor, Bharati Vidyapeeth University and Shri Vishwajit
Kadam, Secretary, Bharati Vidyapeeth University for encouraging me to take up
this research work.

I am also grateful to Dr G.R Rathod, Director and all my professors of Social

Science Centre, Bharati Vidyapeeth University for their many valuable suggestions.

I acknowledge with regards my indebtedness to Dr. Deepak Walokar, Director of

Karve Institute of Social Science, Pune for his timely advice and suggestions which
made my task easier.

I take this opportunity to thank the Librarians of Social Science Centre, Bharati
Vidyapeeth University, Manipur University, Pune University and Karve Institute of
Social Science who have helped me in getting the necessary books and journals.

I also would like to extend my warmest feelings to Ima Ramani, founder of Nupi
Samaj and Secretary, Ene Sobita for providing the information that was required for
the study. At the same time, I am also extremely thankful to all my respondents from
the Meira Paibis Organizations and their beneficiaries who extended full co-operation
for my data collection.

My wholehearted thanks to my husband, Mr Raju Ningthoujam who assisted me

during the entire process of preparation and finalization of the present research report.
I also owe my special thanks to my beloved daughter, Nataliya who has been a great
source of inspiration in all my endeavours, for enduring with me patiently in course of
entire PhD work.

Last but not the least, I am highly indebted to my parents, parents-in-law, my

brothers, sisters-in-law and friends who constantly encouraged me and remained a
source of inspiration now and ever before throughout my academic life.

Place : Pune Koni Potsangbam

Date : December,2016 Research Student

 CONTENTS

PARTICULARS Page No.

List of Tables i-vii

List of Charts viii-ix

Chapter 1 : Social Movements in India: A Conceptual Framework 1-32

Chapter 2 : Review of Literature 33-49

Chapter 3 : Profile of Manipur State - The Study Region and

Profile of Women’s Organization (Meira Paibis) in 50-79
Manipur

Chapter 4 : Research Methodology 80-90

Chapter 5 : Data Analysis and Interpretation 91-220

Chapter 6 : Findings, Conclusions and Suggestions 221-265

Appendices : Appendix 1 - Bibliography 266-272

Appendix 2 - Interview schedule for the 273-283

Organization Members
284-291
Appendix 3 - Interview schedule for the
Beneficiaries

292
Appendix 4 - Map of Manipur State
 List of Tables – Organization Members

Table
Title of the Tables Page No.
No.

1 Marital status of the Respondents by their Age 92

2 Occupation of the Respondents by their Education 93

3 Income of the Respondents by their Native Place 95

4 Establishment of the Organization by Designation of the 96

Respondents

5 Other Member of Meira Paibis by Designation of the 98

Respondents

6 Age of the Respondents by Duration as a Member of 100

Meira Paibis

7 Motivation to Join the Organization by Family Support 102

of the Respondents

8 Any Bitter Experience faced by the Respondents by 104

Kind of Bitter Experiences

9 Problems of Working at Night by Designation 105

Impact on the family Relationship by Maintaining

10
Balance between Domestic Chores and Organization 107
Activities

11 Contribution to the Organization by Duration of the 108

Respondents as Member of the Organization

12 Appreciation Received For Involvement and Work with 110

the Organization by Age of the Respondents

13 Reason behind the Existence of the Organization by 111

Designation of the Respondents
14
Establishment of the Organization by Change of 113
Organization objectives since Establishment

15 The Mode of Election for Selecting Main Executive 114

Members by Members in One Group

i
16 Working Hours of the Organization by Mode of 115
Working

17 Mode of Emergency Communication within the Group 116

Participation in Meetings of the Organization by its 118
18
Frequency

19 Opinion of the Respondents regarding the Meeting 119

Place of the Organization Members for Patrolling

20 Any Professional Services provided by the Organization 121

by Professional services provided by the Organization

21 Mandatory involvement of the Respondents in the 122

Organization by Possibility to Withdraw Anytime

22 Differences of the Organization with other Women 124

Organization by Gender preference during Assistance

23 Reason for not Involving the Male Members by its 125

Frequency

24 Mode of Dealing with Offender by Frequent Issue faced 127

in the Society

25 Common offender of Anti Social activities by Duration 130

as a Member of Meira Paibis

26 Opinion about AFSPA by still Dealing the Issues of 131

Arm Force Special Power Act (AFSPA)

27 Establishment of the Organization by Action Taken To 132

Plug Source for Illegal Narcotic Activities

28 Most burning Issues in the Society by Whether Political 134

Parties Responsibilities for Creating Problems

29 Opinion on the Most Difficult Issue Handled by the 136

Organization

30 Funding Sources of the Organization by Adequate Fund 138

in running the Organization

31 Adequate Fund Available in the Organization by any 140

Fund Raising Program

32 Networking Level with other Organization by any

ii
 Networking with Similar Organization 141

33 Mutual Assistance extended to other Organization by 143

any Assistance received from other Organization

34 Funding Sources of the Organization by Involvement of 144

Professional Trained Workers in the Organization

35 Establishment of the Organization by Help Received 146

from the Police

Common Target of the Organizations’

36
Strikes/Demonstration by Organization active in Protest 147
and Demonstration or not

37 Organization Strategies by Establishment of 149

Organization
38
Tactics used in Demonstration and Protest by the 150
Organizations

39 Demands of the Organization by Achievement of its 151

Demands

40 Any Sub Group in the Organization by Duration as a 153

Member of Meira Paibis

41 Opinion of the Respondents about bringing Changes in 155

Organization Structure and Functions

42 Establishment of the Organization by their Immediate 156

Needs

43 Attitude of the Government Officials by Designation of 157

the Respondents

44 Establishment of Organization by Organization 159

Difficulties

45 Satisfaction of Work and Activities for Organization by 160

Spirit of Meira Paibis

46 Reason for weakness of Meira Paibis Spirit by Spirit of 162

Meira Paibis Strong or Not
Opinion of the Respondents on Whether They Would
47 Like Men to Involve in their Organizational Activities
or Not 163

iii
48 Future Plan of the Organization by Satisfaction of Work 165
in the Organization
Major Achievement of Organizations by Establishment 166
49
of Organization

iv
 List of Tables - Beneficiaries

Table
Title of the Tables Page No.
No.

50 Age of the Respondents by Gender 168

51 Marital Status by Religion of the Respondents 169

52 Educational Qualification of the Respondents by Gender 170

53 Native Place of the Respondents by Gender 172

Occupation of the Respondents by their Monthly

54 Income 173

Knowledge of the Respondents about the Presence of

55 Meira Paibis in Their Locality by Their Age 175

Knowledge of activities carried out by the Organization

56 by List of activities of the Organization 176

Family Member of the Respondents by Participation in

57 Meetings of the Organization 178

Any Family Member of the Respondents received

Assistance from Organization by Participation in
58 Meetings 180

59 Problems Faced by Respondents by Gender 182

Approach made by the Respondents by Response of

60 Police 184

61 Approaching the Organization Personally by Reason 185

Approaching the Organization Personally by People

62 who Approached the Organization 187

63 Redressal Method used by the Organization by Gender 188

Any Charges Made by Meira Paibis for their Services

64 by Gender 190
191
65 Problematic Situation Impacting the Family and

v
 Respondents by Urgency of Receiving Assistance Relief

Situation of the Respondents if they had not received the

66 Assistance from the Organization 193

Material Assistance Rendered by the Organization to the

67 Respondents by Type of Material Assistance 195

Alternative Type of Assistance Available By Gender of

68 the Respondents 196

Participation of Respondents in Meira Paibis Activities

by Involvement of Respondents after Receiving
69 Assistance 198

Reason for not participating in Meira Paibis Activities

by Involvement of Respondents after Receiving
70 Assistance 200

Frequency of Meira Paibis visiting the Respondents’

House by Services provided by the Organization
71 helpful or Not 201

Accessibility of Organization Members by Quality of

72 Services provided by the Organization 203

Satisfaction of Problems Addressed by Meira Paibis by

73 Gender 205

Opinion of the Respondents about Women Organization

Members Reaching in Times of Need by Age of the
74 Respondents 206

Behaviour of the Organization Members by Level of

75 Impact in improving the lives Of the Respondents 207

Whether Meira Paibis Protect and Provide Security to

76 the Society by Gender of the Respondents 209

Meira Paibis as an Inevitable part of Manipur Society by

77 whether Meira Paibis Provide Security to the Society 210

Whether the Organization has reduced Anti social

78 Activities in the State by Gender of the Respondents 212

Differences in Quality of Services Provided by the

79 Government Agents and Meira Paibis by Differences in 213
vi
 Services

Opinion of the Respondents on the Situation of Manipur

if Meira Paibis Did Not Exist By Gender of the
80 Respondents 215

Approaching in near Future by Reasons for not

81 Approaching the Organization in the Future 217

Suggestions of the Respondents on the Organization for

82 its Future Improvement by its Frequency 219

vii
 List of Charts

Chart
Title of the Charts Page No.
No.

1 Establishment of the Organization 96

2 Presence of Other Organization Members in the 98

Family by Designation

3 Age of the Respondents 100

4 Motivation to Join the Organization by Family 102

Support

5 Problems of Working at Night 105

6 Reason behind the Existence of the Organization 111

7 Mode of Emergency Communication within the 117

Group

8 Participation in Meetings of the Organization 118

9 Reason for not Involving the Male Members 126

10 Frequent Issue faced in the Society 128

11 Funding Sources of the Organization 138

12 Tactics used in Demonstration and Protest by the 150

Organizations

13 Demands of the Organization by Achievement 152

14 Need of bringing Changes in Organization Structure 155

and Functions

15 Organization Difficulties 159

16 Meira Paibis Spirit Strong or Not 161

17 Opinion of the Respondents on Whether They Would 164

Like Men to Involve in their Organizational

viii
18 Educational Qualification of the Respondents 171

19 Knowledge of activities carried out by the 177

Organization by List of activities of the Organization

20 Any Family Member of the Respondents received 180

Assistance from Organization

21 Approach made by the Respondents by Response of 184

Police

22 Reason for Approaching the Organization 186

23 Redressal Method used by the Organization by 189

Gender

24 Situation of the Respondents if they had not received 193

the Assistance from the Organization

25 Alternative Type of Assistance Available 196

26 Involvement of Respondents after Receiving 198

Assistance

27 Quality of Services provided by the Organization 203

28 Whether Meira Paibis Protect and Provide Security to 209

the Society

29 Whether the Organization has reduced Anti social 212

Activities in the State

30 Differences in Quality of Services Provided by other 214

Agents and Meira Paibis

31 Situation of Manipur if Meira Paibis Did Not Exist 216

ix
 Chapter - I
Social Movements in India:

A Conceptual Framework
 Chapter – 1

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN INDIA: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

______________________________________________________________

An attempt has been made in this chapter to give an elaborative introduction to the main
theme of the current research study. It covers the brief introduction to the social movements,
its history, theories, objectives, issues and tactics used in the movements. The concept of civil
society organization and its role in social movements has also been highlighted. It is also
brief about the involvement of women in various social movements. Further, the chapter also
presented some of the important and popular social movements by civil society in India as
well as across the globe.

Introduction to Social Movements

Social movements are perceived as a trend of the contemporary industrialized society. They
have challenged globalization and shaped international, politics thus influencing the norms
and standard of the world.

Social movements develop because the social conditions create dissatisfaction with the
existing arrangements in the society. People join specific social movements for different
reasons including idealism, altruism, compassion, political considerations, frustration and
religious vehemence. They are formed as a result of new components of the civil society as
they not a part of the social order due to its unusual ways. And civil society is by and large
kept on changing; however social structures have a tendency towards stability. As a result of
this reason social movements quite often exist.

Sociologists have been characterizing and reclassifying social movements in response to the
sorts of challenges they saw occurring around them. American sociologists in the mid
twentieth century portrayed such movements as being on a continuum of ingenious collective
behaviour, as the organized end of a continuum whose opposite pole was crowds and riots.
As per such collective behaviourists, social movements were to a great degree organized yet
non-routine entities where individuals act together to make new significance about politics
1
and different subjects, and where they oppose power based on the making of these new
significance.

Concept and Definition of Social Movements

Different social activists, political pioneers, researchers and writers who have expounded on
movements have utilized the meaning in different ways. A few researchers utilize the
expression movements synonymously with association or union. It has turned into a
fashionable thing for the activists, political pioneers and social reformers to call their protests
and challenges as "movements" despite the fact that their activities are restricted to the
framing of organizations with few members only 1.

The term social movement picked up prominence in Europe in the mid nineteenth century.
This was the time of social pandemonium. The political leaders and scholars who utilized the
term were worried with the emancipation of the exploited classes and the development of
another society by bringing change in value systems as well as in organizations and/or
property connections. Their ideological orientation and their ideology were reflected in their
definition. Nevertheless, since the mid 1950s, different researchers have tried to give
‘thorough-going’ definitions of the concept of social movements.

One of the popular early definitions was that of John Wilson. He refers social movement as a
conscious, collective, organized attempt to achieve or oppose a major change in the social
order by non-standardized means'. He clarified that, trigger by the inequality, sufferings, and
anxieties they see around them; the public in social movements reach ahead of the common
resources of the social order to initiate their own fight against the malice of the society2.

A social movement is ‘a set of opinions and principles in a population which represents

preferences for changing some elements of the social structure and/or reward distribution of a
society’ (McCarthy and Zald, 1977: 1212–18)3

Rudolfe Herberle4 defines social movement as a collective effort to transform established

relations in a society.

2
Whittier (2002)5, clarified that social movements comprised of shifting groups of
associations, systems, communities and individuals, related by support in difficulties and
through which members defines the limits and significance of their gatherings.

Charles Tilly characterizes them as gatherings that present - value, solidarity, numbers and
commitment (Tilly 2004)6. Diani (2008)7also backs the focus on networks, placing them at
the centre of his analysis by arguing that they ‘constitute’ a movement, as interactions with
power holders can be undertaken by a large number of organisations that are not associated
with each other. It further support the fact that in order a movement to be categorized as
social movement it should be more organized and more than an ad hoc protest. Over the
span of time, challenge and mobilization may form into a Social Movement Organization.
This speaks to the formalization and systematization of development sorting out into a more
perpetual body. In order to comprehend social movements accordingly, numerous researchers
and creators contend that they should have a level of politicization.

Aims of Social Movements

Social movements most of the time expects to accomplish something better for their people
who are by and large among the excluded and helpless in the society. Their objectives may
perhaps be securing more unbiased control over assets, reasonable access to services and
markets, better representation in provincial governmental issues or better conditions of
workplace. They observe the nature and use of power in the society as the basic obstacles in
accomplishing these objectives and have a tendency to sort out around thoughts that give the
constituents of movements new forms of political and social character.

The goals of social movements are not consistent and may perhaps change after some time.
For instance, the early worker's movements were primarily worried in ensuring the their
rights but now, the social movements are fighting against financial control in business sectors
and challenging institutional limitation of restricting economic prospects for poor people
(Webster, 2004)8.

3
Causes of Social Movements

The social movements are caused by different factors. They are,

(i) Social Drift

The beliefs and actions of the people are changing in all civilized societies as the particular
society is undergoing constant changes. Over the span of social drift, the majority of the
general population get new thoughts and knowledge. So as to make these thoughts
operational they organize a movement. The advancement of a democratic society, the
freedom of women, the expansion of education, the removal of untouchability, equivalent
opportunities for both the genders, are the case of social drift.

(ii) Social Disorganization

A society which is consistently changing is to some level disorganized since one part of the
society changes more quickly than the other creating various lags. Industrialization has
brought modernization and urbanization which has in its turn created various social issues
and problems.

Social ineptitude brings uncertainty and weakness since the earlier traditions no longer form a
reliable guide the citizens. They felt cut off from the general public. A kind of feeling
develops among the citizens that their leaders are unconcerned with their requirements. The
people feel restless, astounded and disappointed. Uncertainty and disappointment produce
social movements.

(iii) Social Bias

Occasionally group of individuals feel that unfairness has been done to them and hence they
become disappointed and disturbed. The sentiment of social disparity is not restricted to the
miserable poor. Any individual or gathering, at any status level may encounter social bias.

In this manner, social movements emerge wherever social conditions are favourable.
Typically in a steady, integrated societies there are few social movements. In such society

4
there are not very many social pressures or estranged groups. The general population are
fulfilled and contented. But in a changing and constantly changing society, the general
population experience anxiety and tension. These malcontent populaces for the most part
construct social movements.

Nature of Social Movements

Social movements are most popular form of collective actions. Social movements have rose
generally with no financial backing from outside benefactors. Instead, they depended on little
contributions from members. In circumstance where legitimate channels for people to voice
their grievance and demands don't work, these may perhaps be communicated through street
agitations or by participation in nearby gatherings/affiliations. A social movement requires
sustained collective activity over time with a specific end goal to be effective.

Such sort of action is frequently organized against the authority of the state and usually takes
the form of challenging and demanding changes in state policy or practice. Collective action
need to have some level of organization. Such organisation may incorporate a leader and a
structure that orders how individuals connect to each other, settle on decisions and complete
them. Those people taking part in a movement too have shared targets and ideology. A social
movement more often do not have a typical method for approachment to achieve or to
counteract change. These characterizing characters are not consistent. They may change
throughout an existence of social.

Mobilization and disruption are the most critical fundamental qualities of Social movements.
It is also seen as a means for the introduction of new ideas into the political agenda.

Protesting is considered as the most noticeable type of any collective activity. However, a
social movement also acts in other similarly critical ways. Social movement members and
activists hold gatherings to assemble people around the issues that worry them. Such
exercises help mutual understanding; furthermore build up a sentiment understanding or
agreement about how to seek the collective agenda. Even though social movement bring
unsteadiness, it must be stressed that their rise does not symbolize a disappointment of
democracy, but rather is a basic part of it.

5
Issues of Social Movements

The focal of their movements and the issues, around which social movements sort out and
mobilize individuals, can change. Some issues that social movements mobilize are:

• issues related to access and control of useful resources. Eg. Movements like the pastoralists
movements or indigenous groups’ right to utilize forest assets.

• issues that assemble against economic exploitation and inequity of access to markets, labour
markets in particular. They may involve individuals and associations in particular business or
ventures. Such as movements that deal with trade liberalisation and their effect.

• those agitation that challenge prejudice, social exclusions and those that are based on
sexism, gender, ethnicity etc.. Example can be human rights or suffragettes’ movements.

National movements have developed from mobilizing against a specific local issue to a
national movement. Universal and transnational movements have multiplied from the
Nineteenth Seventies onwards, and identify with issues of peace, anti-nuclear arms,
environment, human rights, gay rights and all the more as of late, against globalization. The
1970s and 1980s has likewise seen a fast development of the indigenous people groups' rights
movement around the world like US Scandinavia, New Zealand etc.9.

Tactics of Change

A social movement might use its own methods or techniques to achieve its target.
Nevertheless, there is no sureness about it. It may be aggressive or peaceful, compulsive or
persuasive, democratic or undemocratic ways and methods. But Social movement
activists/groups usually organized peaceful movements. They believe in non-violence and are
opposed to using aggressive/violence means. Non-violence and peaceful methods include
media stunts, not co-operating the government, demonstrations, strikes, boycotts, negotiation
and civil disobedience. The famous American Civil Rights movement and Civil disobedience

6
led by Mahatma Gandhi come under this category

Social movements hardly take part in violent strategies, and those that do, frequently utilize
in a restricted manner. In any case, individuals and leaders of initially non violent movements
may choose to wage war for different reasons, and armed groups may have may have their
origins in broader social movements

Target Audience

Social movements might target individuals or groups to bring change. It may aim even at
societal level. Examples of Social movements which focused on affecting individuals are the
religious movements. Such types of movements hardly transform into political parties. And
movements which are group focus usually affect groups in particular or society in general.
Most often they later joined a political gathering.

Dynamic of Social Movements

Social movements developed more in the 19th century with the rise of ideas like freedom of
speech, civil disobedience and individual rights.

Social orders and culture which permits articulation of thoughts by people like the greater
part of the Western society make it possible for social movement to develop. This reason also
clarifies the reasons why the vast majority of the social movements exist in the United States
of America and Europian countries, and less in more tyrannical and despotic countries like
China or Russia. Such amicable setting and environment encouraged the development of the
social movement.

Contemporary social movements are achievable through spread of education like the wider
dissemination extensive literature, urbanization and expanded versatility of employment.
Such advancement was for the most part because of the growth of industrialisation in the
societies of nineteenth century. The freedom of education, expression, and relative economic
freedom are required for planned social structures like well-accepted political societies and
social movements.
7
Social Movement Organisations

A movement may possibly be start from a stage of mass mobilisation and collective protest to
become more institutionalised. This life cycle of social movements towards a more
institutionalized form has been term as social movement organization by various social
researchers who have studied social movements extensively. A social movement organization
is the formal or complex association which organizes or distinguishes its objectives with the
inclination of a social movement and tries to accomplish these objectives. These
organizations are the apparatus power by which the abundance vitality in the public arena is
associated, activated, coordinated and diverted to produce greater results. The organization
gets its strength from being a part of the general public in which it functions. Furthermore,
this strength helps social organizations which were shaped for addressing their issues. The
more finely the organisation is adjusted to fulfil underlying social goals and aspirations, the
greater the energy will flow through it.

Society changes after some time and objectives are being substituted with new ones.
Organizations that alter to the new changes would persist to survive and those which do not
adapt would become ineffective and vanish after some time.

Organization Structure and Leadership

Organization framework is required in order to make the distinction clear between the leaders
and the followers, to encourage the people to join them or support it and to use different types
of techniques to accomplish the targets of the movements. McCarthy and Zald
(1973)10contend that the more ordinary contemporary social movement organizations is
formally organized, with concentrated, various hierarchical structures and a justifiable
dissemination of roles and works and that generally the advancement of social movement
organization is more toward better professionalization of structures and leadership. ‘Classical
social movement organizations,’ they explained, had part time, volunteer indigenous
leadership and membership. In contrast, present-day social movement organizations are
‘professional social movement organization’ because they rely on a small group of full-time
leaders, ‘social movement activists,’ who generally were not a part of the distressed group.
8
The leaders are proficient people from the new working class. They have the important skills
to guide and lead social movements in contemporary' organizational societies and know how
to manage the state. These leaders likewise can build images and manage the
communications media. They played a vital role in mobilizing groups and masses.

The task of the movement leadership in mobilizing and sustaining protest is very important.
The leader is the representative of the group, the co-ordinator and the central participator in
making decisions which are related to the goals and methods of goal-achievement

Individual, charismatic leaders who have shown commitment to their cause, despite threats in
their lives, can pull in movement members, like the case of the Kenyan Green Belt
movement. An absence of a clear leadership was the principle highlight of the most recent
professional popular government development in Egypt which fudged the powers by not
displaying specific people as key figures in the challenge, despite the fact that leaders later
started to emerge. It can maybe be said that the utilization of media like social networking
encouraged the development of social movement that rose without capable leadership.

Origin of the Social Movement

The earlier development of social movements was linked to the expansive political and
economic transformations including parliamentarization, market capitalization, and
proletarianization11.

The first documented social movements were those political movement of the late eighteenth
century that took place in association with the French revolution and Constitution of Polish in
May3rd , 179112.

Britain experienced a period of social mayhem from 1815 onwards, immediately after the
triumph of Napoleonic war. This was due to the progress of social movements and specific
target associations. Chartism has been taken as the first mass collective action organized by
the working class in the world. With the utilization of the manifesto People’s Charter of
1838, the movement wanted to implement universal suffrage and the secret ballot. Such kind
of movements were witnessed in other nations for reform like in Russia for Russian

9
Revolution of 1905 and 1917, resulting in the collapse of the Russian State around the end of
the 1st World War.13

In 1945, Britain once more entered a period of radical change after the triumph of Second
World War. The 1970s saw the emergence of New Social Movements like peace
development, Civil rights, women activities rights and environment movement. .In this way,
Green Parties and other organization were formed, influenced by the new left. In the end of
the Nineteenth Nineties, the rise of a new global social movement, such as the anti
globalization could be seen.

Reason behind the History of Social Movements

Modernization and urbanization played an important role in bridging communication gaps

between different individuals from one region to another. It resulted in creation of huge urban
areas, where individuals of same objectives could meet each other and assemble round on
some common issues .Like this way, the process of industrialisation led to the gathering of
large masses of workers in the same region, and was responsible for those early social
movements that addressed matters imperative to that social class.

With the advancement in the communication technologies, social movements’ activities

became easier - from printed papers and pamphlets, to newspaper and Internet. All these
means and methods became major factors in the development and growth of the social
movements. Finally, the expansion of democracy and important rights like the freedom of
speech made the formation and carrying out of social movements much easier.

Different Types of Social Movements

Several types of social movements which have different ideology have been developed over
the years. Some of the major types are briefly discussed below:

Alternative Social movements

Alternative social movements are concerned with a selective part of the population, and
because of it the amount of change is restricted. An example of this is Planned Parenthood
since it is directed towards the category of female childbearing age so as to teach about the
10
health impact of the mother.

Redemptive Social Movements

Redemptive social movements centred around on some particular part of the general
population, and they look for a fundamental and radical change. A few religious cults fit here,
like those which are hiring members to be ‘reborn’.

Reform Movements

This type of movement tried to reorganize the existing socio-political frameworks through
relentless, incremental strides. They wanted to bring modification in some definite regions.
They made efforts to alter parts of the framework in the general public for better. Examples
are Right to information movement, Women's Liberation Movement, Civil Rights Movement,
Brahmo Samaj Movement etc.

Revolutionary Movements

Revolutionary Social Movements are deeply disturbed and unhappy with the social
arrangements and attempted for far-reaching change. The main objective of this movement is
to rearrange and restructure the whole social order as per their own particular ideological
proposition. As they advance their movement, they become more aggressive. Examples are
the Communist Revolution of China and the Protestant Movement.

Resistance Movements

These types of movements are opposed to any kind of changes taking place in the society.
The changes can be either social or cultural in nature. Example is the D. M. K. movement
against the language of Hindi.

Utopian Social Movements

Utopian Movements is mainly concern about bringing the nation into a state of complete
perfection. These are collective actions which are loosely structured and visualized of a
radically changed and peaceful state. The ideology of the utopian movements and the
11
methods they used are quite often ambiguous. Hare Krishna Movements is an example of this
movement.

Migratory Social Movements

In this kind of movements, people leave their nation in large numbers and settle at
somewhere else. The reason for this mass movement might be disappointment with current
conditions or the fascination of a splendid future.

Migratory social- movement takes place only when there is a common focus of
dissatisfaction, a shared purpose for the future and a generally shared decision to move to a
new area/location. The movement of Jews to Israel and Zionist movement were migratory
social movement.

Theories of Social Movements

Several theories tried to explicate the occurrences of social movements. But none of the
approaches has been able to explain or clarify everything. Some popular theories have been
presented below.

Collective behaviour Theory

This theory is considered as the most well-known among the approaches of social movement
studies. This approached has been perceived as partially logical reactions to unusual situation
of destruction between the major societal establishments. Also, these destruction causes
breaking down of the entire social framework. Normally, social movements are the indication
of a bad and unhealthy society. This theory supports the fact that a healthy society hardly has
social movements. But it does have a conditional form of social and political participation.

Resource mobilisation theory (RMT)

This theory which was developed in 1960s has been considered as the dominant approach
among sociologists. The supporters of this theory indicate that social movement are sensible
and novel reactions to current situation and open new doors in the public eye. They are not

12
perceived as a symptomatic for a collapsing democratic society. In fact, they turn out as a
critical component of the political procedure.

RM theory explains the fact how these movements are formed and work within the
limitations fixed by the available resources to the group and the organisational skills of
movement leaders in utilising those resources which might be categorized as material or non-
material14.

Mobilization is the manner of how a group organizes its resources and places them under
collective control for the explicit purpose of pursuing the group’s interests through collective
action. Mobilization doest not only indicate resource accumulation. For a mobilization to take
place, these resources must be put under collective control and should be employed for the
purpose of pursuing group goals. The emphasis on resources offers an explanation why some
deprived individuals are able to organise while other are not. Melucci15brings up that this
theory is useful in clarifying the social movements like how decisions, means and resources
are pooled to decide the rise of Social Movements.

Relative Deprivation Theory

Stouffer (1949) developed this theory. This theory points that conflicts happen when there is
a deprivation between one’s desires and realizations. This group of people felt that their
situation is worst and not as expected. These kinds of feelings are liable for any fruitful
collective agitation. Relative Deprivation theory gives importance to psychological factors
like antipathy and anger in rousing social movements.

Relative Deprivation is progressively more in most of the underdeveloped countries. There as

an increase in desires and people longed for many luxuries things, better living conditions,
without knowing the complicatedness involved in producing them and in providing them to
all the people. Independent governments of developing countries have no hopes of keeping
up with their people‘s demands and expectations. So the organization of mass movements
and revolutions seemed to be common and widespread in these countries. This theory needed
to be proved beyond doubt in order to make it more acceptable. Feelings of deprivation are
easy to infer but difficult to measure.

13
New Social Movement Theory

The new approach of social movement recommended that the collective actions were
sensible, very much incorporated people or groups creating different strategies in pursuit of
their wellbeing and interests. It is rather in contrast to old theory which viewed the
participants and their activity as non-institutional, impractical response by those influenced
by changes brought in the society. New social movements are created by new disagreement
of society especially between the individual and the state.

Old Social Movements and New Social Movements

Most of the 20thcentury social movements were either class-oriented or based on national
freedom struggles. It was the worker’s movement of the Europe that led to the communist
movement internationally. The movements also led to the formation of communists and
socialist countries like China, Soviet Union and Cuba. The formation of capitalism around
the world was helped by these movements. The movement against capitalism and colonialism
were dominant during those periods. Social movements’ have concurrently targeted
exploitation caused by capitalism and colonialism.

It indicates that those nationalist movements were against the domination of foreign capital
and rule of foreign authority. In the western capitalist society, working class movements were
fighting for better living conditions, free schoolings, better wages, social security and health
security from the state. It also coincided with the period when socialist movements were
creating new types of states and societies. In fact, the old social movement’s main goal was
the reorganisation of power relations.

A decade later, following the 2nd World War saw the development of new states in numerous
countries as an outcome of nationalist movements in Indonesia, India and Egypt. In the 1960s
and early 1970s, a new wave of social movements started in many parts of the world. Paris
became the centre point of the agitations organized by the students which joined the workers
protests in a progression of strikes challenging the war. United States was witnessing a surge
of social protest. Martin Luther King’s civil rights movement had been followed by Malcolm
X’s Black Power movement. The anti war movements were supported by thousands of
14
students and were against the government policy of going compulsory to Vietnam for war. At
the same time, women’s movement and the environmental movement also gained power
during this time of social turmoil.

The ‘New’Social movements focussed on issues which will increase the quality of life like
clean environment. It no longer focussed on changing the distribution of power and economy
in society.

Many of the issues covered by the new social movements like environmental and health risks,
fears of nuclear conflict are global in nature and its scope. The new social movements have
been successful in uniting the different members crosswise the class boundaries. For instance,
the women’s activist movement comprises of middle class, urban women's activist and poor
women.

Concept of Civil Society

It was first discovered long back in the western countries in the 5th century BC. According to
the Romans translation, this concept formed the main basis for forming a civil society in the
modern days. Policymakers and many researchers and policymaker’s have increasingly
identified as a crucial counter balancing the authority of the government and a means of
expression for the common citizen 16.

Political scholars like Thomas Paine and George Hegel built up the idea of civil society. The
growth of civil society increased in 1960s, with the democracy providing space for the
development of civil society .17

The world history especially after the Second World War, governments in several Countries
started taking up a wider range of responsibility in growing welfare nation states.
Nevertheless, the growing dissatisfaction of ordinary people with the institutions of the state
in the last three decade has resulted in the resurgence of Civil Society.

15
Meaning of Civil Society Organization

The terminology civil society organizations (CSOs) refers to non-state, not-for-profit,

voluntary organizations formed by people in that social sphere. It is used to illustrate a broad
range of organizations, groups, networks and movements that work independently from
government and that sometimes come together to advance their common interests through
collective action 18.

As per World Health Organization, Civil society contains those organizations which have
formed an imperative societal space between the family and the state, aside from political
parties and firms. It covers all civil organizations which that are not connected with the
government. 19

The World Bank define civil society as those ranges of non-governmental and non profit
organizations which have made an important part in public life, conveying the values and
interests of their members or others, which is based on some ideological thought. Examples
are groups of community, non-governmental organizations, charitable organizations, labour
unions, religious or faith based organizations and professional groups20.

People work jointly in a society in a public area to exchange their ideas, interests and goals.
Civil society groups like women’s organizations, ex–armies associations and community-
based organizations have not set limitations as they represent the need of people.21

Civil society organizations take action to effect changes that are generally informed by
strategic thought. Social activists make effort to solve the problems of a society by
identifying the nature and causes of social problems and choose specific targets. Democratic
freedoms like right to express, speak and organise has helped the formation of collective
action by nongovernmental organizations to raise their voice and dissents in the form of
demonstrations, gathering and strikes(Tilly, 1978: 151–71)22 .

Important Roles of Civil Society Organizations in a Society

Civil society organizations play a variety of vital roles in strengthening democracy and
promoting welfare of the state. Some of the important functions are listed below:

16
  The most vital part of civil society is to set restriction and have control over the state.
Civil society actors have to keep an eye on the state officials so that they don’t abuse
power. Corrupted officials should be exposed and promote good governance.
 Civil Society has a task of facilitating the deprived and unorganized community’s
interests to be represented. Civil society has a purpose to empower local people and
communities.
 Common society can provide platform for expressing the diverse interest of the
members and also lobby their needs. For this, they should also start a dialogue with
appropriate government agencies.

 Civil society organizations are capable of playing a significant role in resolving

conflict by mediation.

 Civil society can assist the public in informing about important public issues. It can
also arrange debates on public policies and expose information about issues that
influence the interests of various groups, or of society at large.

 Civil society also has the ability to strengthen democracy by providing new type of
interest and harmony that does not distinguish people on their ethnicity, religion and
linguistic.

Civil society is just not a monitor of the state, but also a very important partner in the pursuit
of establishing positive bond between a democratic state and its citizens. It makes the state
more accountable, approachable, comprehensive, and efficient. An effective democratic state
needs the support and respect of its people in order to stay stable 23.

Civil Society in India

Civil society has a long history in India since British rule. Social activists like Swami
Vivekananda, Raja Ram Mohan Ray, Swami Dayananda, Jyotiba Phule, Iswar Chandar
Vidyasagar were few noteworthy Civil society activists of that period. We cannot undermine
the great works of noted civil society leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose,
Sardar Patal etc. Since then, civil society has progressed and become empowered world over.
At present, the Civil Society has started playing an influential role in international studies and

17
deals with a variety of socio- political and human rights issue which earlier were
government’s dominance. International Organisations like Red Cross, like Amnesty
International, and Greenpeace etc are powerful bodies in themselves. At the moment, one can
observe the Civil Society transforming from an advisory body to powerful bodies.

After independence, India experienced a steady increase of various social movements which
involves Civil Society. Like Narmada Bachao Andolan led by Medha Patekar , “Chipko
Movement” by Sunder Lal Bahuguna and Arvind Kejariwal’s Right to Information
movement. Environment Movement is very strong currently and has been instrumental in
cancellation of several projects in after the agitation organized by Civil groups in India. In the
same way, on political front, Jayprakash Narayan’s total revolution to current movements for
RTI Act and NREGA by diverse Civil Society activists like Aruna Roy and Jean Dreze have
reinforced Indian democracy. The most recent movement initiated by social activists Anna
Hazare and others for India against corruption “introduction of Lokpal Bill in India is one of
the distinguished chapters in the history of India’s social movements 24. The Social movement
is one of the high points in the India's constitutional history that drove the administration to
acknowledge the interest of common people with the introduction of strict law that curb
corruption in the country25.

The most striking component of that movement was the inclusion of more urban middle class
category of people. So, for the first time the Indian educated middle class came out from their
comfort zones and fought against social evils like corruption and thus make its achievement
even more praiseworthy.

Women Civil Society Organizations

Women’s civil society organizations have increased their numbers very fast recently. Many
of these organizations are voluntary or non-governmental organizations and work for the well
being and interest of society. These women organizations are providing important welfare
services in the society and some of them even provide income generation programmes.
Nowadays in many developing countries, they have started questioning their status quo in the
society 26.

18
Nowadays women Civil Society organizations across the globe focus in building peace and
equality in communities. They make an effort to implement the words and resolutions to
move from conflict and violence to peace. They work hard to make inclusive decision-
making; they document, react, manage and make a difference in the lives of those individuals
and groups affected by conflict or any undesirable repressive measure of the state. Examples
are Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Nagaland s Naga’s Mother
Association, Manipur s Meira Paibis etc.

Since, the vital role of women’s civil society organizations is so important there remains a
necessity of supporting women’s organizations in a continuum of work related to Women,
Peace, Security and development of the state. Support can be in the form of political,
technical and financial. It consist of lending support and ensuring that these women civil
group’s involvement in the processes of peace and development covering all major aspects of
the reconstruction of security, political institutions, judiciary and in constitution drafting .

Women’s organizations are frequently subject to specific security threats. Even when
participating in peace processes or any social movements, women civil society leaders and
activists can be subject to harassment and intimidation, mostly in societies where these
women are playing the roles of non-traditional actors. Intensive attention must be paid to the
protection of women’s groups to ensure that threats to their security do not hamper their
involvement in social and peace movements or any other political processes.

Social Movements by Civil Society Across the Globe

The US Civil Rights Movement

Martin Luther King was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the United State of
America. It was a racial movement by the black Americans to achieve equality and attain full
citizenship rights. Groups of Individuals and organisations confronted the inequality with
various forms of protests and refuse to abide the segregation laws formed for them. The
movement possibly started with a bus boycott in a place called Montgomery in 1955 and
came to an end when the Voting Rights Act was passed in1965. Non-violent agitation was a
noteworthy feature of his movement from 1957 to 1968. His series of lectures on equality and
comments stirred the concern and ignite the principles of a generation. Martin Luther brought
a major change in American life with his movement. His famous and powerful speech 'I Have
19
a Dream' of 1963 talks about peace and racial equity. The focus of the civil rights movement
began to change after 1985. It started focusing on racial discrimination and poverty.

The Anti-Nuclear Movements

The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that are against the utilization and
construction of different nuclear powers. A large number of citizen’s association were formed
to confront the issues of nuclear power, sufficient safety arrangements and impacts of low-
level radiation in future. It began in 1960s by group of environmentalist who were concern
about nuclear waste storage and vesting of both promotion and control function in the atomic
energy commission. Other issues related to nuclear power came into force as theses protest
gain popularity in the mid 1970s. This campaign was organized so as to put a halt on nuclear
power by influential individuals and professionals27. Even though the campaign did not have
a single planning organization or any uniform objectives, still the movement's endeavour
draw a lot of interest. Many countries like Australia, Austria, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal
and Israel are against the use of nuclear weapons28.The antinuclear movement was almost
fruitful in putting a halt to the development of nuclear arms in most of the countries and
many partially developed plants were disposed of without completing 29.

Feminist Movement

The feminist movement generally refers to a series of advocacy and campaigns for bringing
change on various diverse issues of women like equal education, equal employment, equal
pay, right to vote, sexual harassment, maternity etc.

The ideology of Feminism encompasses political and sociological theories which are
concerned gender difference, issues. The movement also advocates equal opportunity for
women and fight for women's interests and rights.

Modern western feminist movements can be studied into three "waves". Each one of the
wave dealt with diverse features of the similar feminist issues. The first wave of women's
liberation comprise of the women’s movement of the Nineteenth century and mid Twentieth
century which encourage the right to vote for women.

The 2nd wave of the movement was concerned with the social and legal equality for the
women. It is associated with the ideologies and activities of the 1960s women liberation

20
movement. And the last wave, which begins in 1990s, was a reaction and continuation of the
second wave feminism which was considered as not so successful.

Different methods were used by the women's movement to bring equality for women.
Broadcasting domestic violence and rape issues with the help of the media, lobbying the
government to bring change in the laws and reaching out to get support of the ordinary
women so as to broaden the movement and increase their awareness about feminism and how
it could help out them30.

Feminist movements are by and large considered as one of the key forces in bringing a major
change especially for women rights in the western countries. They have been successful in
achieving women s right to vote, gender neutrality, right to property and even reproductive
rights.

Most of the leaders of the feminist movements were largely middle-class white women who
belonged to North America and Western Europe. Since then, women of other countries have
begun other forms of feminisms. Such progress speedily began to widespread in the
nineteenth sixties with the US’s Civil Rights movement and with the disintegrating of
European imperialism in Africa and numerous parts of Latin America and Southeast Asia.
Since then, women from nations of the Third World and previous European settlements have
anticipated Third World feminisms and Post-colonial movements 31.

The Suffragettes Movements

The suffrage movement was not an integrated movement. It was a combination of different
groups and individuals that worked together for a few intense years around the common goal
of votes for women32. In the UK, Millicent Fawcett formed the women organization in 1987
for women’s right to vote or Suffrage. These women groups wanted their protest to be
peaceful. They began the challenge as they need the women in the UK to have the privilege
to vote and they were not set up to hold up. The association framed by these women came to
known as the Suffragettes. Members of the Suffragettes were ready to use violence to get
what they wanted.

Actually, Suffragettes started their movements fairly peacefully. The organization started to
use violence only in 1905 when their grievance and demands were not fulfilled. The churches
21
were burnt down by the Suffragettes and the famous Oxford Street was damage, window
panes were broken. Houses were burnt down and local politicians were attacked. Suffragettes
went on hunger strike and were ready to go for jail. The government was extremely worried
that these women might die in the jail which in turn will make the movement martyrs. The
Suffragettes were forced fed by the prison authorities but the public were not happy as forced
feeding was conventionally meant for feeding lunatics and not for educated women.

As a consequence the Suffragettes became more excessive in their actions and became more
violent. On the other hand, during that period the Europe and the Britain were involved in
Second World War in 1914. To show patriotism, the leader of the Suffragettes instructed the
members to stop their protest and support the government in its war exertion.

The efforts made by the UK’s women in the First World War were to be critical for Britain's
war effort. The Representation of the People Act was passed by Parliament in 1918. Such
kinds of movements were also seen to be being carried out in Australia, USA and New
Zealand.

Gay Rights Movement

Gay rights movement is a recent social movement which has political ideology and advocate
for the complete recognition of gay people in society. This movement is very popular and
active all over the world even though there is not a main or any central organization that
stand for all gay people. The initial organization which was created in support of gay rights
was in 1924.

Often, these gay movements have deployed the idea of fixed sexual identity – providing a
base for disagreeing that the gay minority have to be accorded the same rights as those
enjoyed by the straight majority. These movements organized an extensive range of political
and cultural activism like street march, lobbying, media and art.

These movements have made immense marches over the last few decades. Even though, gay
and lesbian legal equal opportunity has vastly improved——inequity at working place on the
basis of sexual orientation is still widespread33.

22
Netherland gave the permission for gay marriage for the first time in 2001. Other countries
which recognised gay marriage are Argentina, Sweden, Mexico, New Zealand, France,
Columbia, United States, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and Uruguay34.

The first country to legalize same sex marriage is Iceland on 11th June, 201035. The
seventeenth country to legalize and accept same sex marriage is America36.

Different kinds of Social Movements in India

India has witnessed many popular social movements like tribal’s movements, peasant’s
movement, Dalit’s movements, women’s movements, student’s movements, middle class,
backward castes, human rights’ movements, environmental group’s movements and so on
over the centuries. Here, some of the major social movements in India are analysed.

Peasant Movement

Peasant movements started from pre-British days when repressive economic policies, the
colonial administrative and judicial system, the modified land revenue system and the
deterioration of the handicrafts which led to the land transformation of the agrarian structure
and eventually devastated the lower peasant class. The peasant movements which took places
between 1858 and 1914 tended to remain restricted disorganized and limited to particular
grievances. The Bengal revolt which took place in the years 1859 to 62 against the indigo
plantation system was well known. Another famous peasant happened in 1987 i.e the Deccan
Riots. Deccan riots happened in protest against the moneylenders.

The Zamindari system made the peasants under the repressive control of the Zamindars and
these Zamindars exploited them taking away their lands and thus making them helpless. They
were reduced to the status of tenants at free service and landless workers while their property
into the hands to landowners and dealer moneylenders. So when these exploited peasants
could no longer tolerate it, they organize and started the peasant’s movement. Peasants
Movements possess an important part in the historical backdrop of social turbulence in India
however the points and destinations of these movements contrast in nature and degree from
district to area.

23
Women's Movement

India has witnessed rich and energetic women’s movement taking various forms in all parts
of India. It has been widely accepted that the Indian women took active participation in the
freedom struggle of India. When M.K Gandhi started his famous salt march against the
monopoly of the British government, no women was included in his march. However a large
number of nationalist women protested his decision and made him to take them as a part of
his campaign. Sarojini Naidu was the first women to join the march. Gradually, drawing
inspiration from her, hundreds of women started joining the salt campaign. These women
made salt, sold salt openly in the market and also purchased it. At the later stages of the 20th
century, women started organizing in groups and started taking up several issues like
education, condition of women’ workplace etc.

Backward Caste Movement

The Backward castes people belonged to the underprivileged section of the Indian society.
They have been deprived of various social financial, religious and political benefits. They do
manual work and considered as the untouchables in the general public. They were subjected
to extreme form of abuse. The atrocities meted out against these lower castes made them
stronger and became united against the upper class sections. Some popular movements were
Satyashodak Samaj, Nadar Movement and E.V Ramaswamy's Self admiration development
against the Brahmins of South India. The SNDP development in Kerala was likewise an
acclaimed such development. Thus, Backward Class commission was set up for looking into
their matters.

Dalit Movement

The word Dalit is for the most part utilized as a part of various Indian dialects, which means
poor people and abused people. It was used for the first time in the new context in Marathi by
the followers of Babasaheb Ambedkar called as neo-Buddhist activists in the early 1970s.
Dalits are the most oppressed people occupying the bottom position in the cast-based
hierarchy. They are usually attacked by the upper caste people due to their inferior profession
and caste position in the society. The dalit movement started against the practice of
untouchability and segregation. All India Harijan Sevak Sangh was started by Mahatma
Gandhi in 1923 for imparting education to the dalits. Dr.Ambedkar is one of the famous dalit
24
right activists who attempted to secure the fundamental human dignity of the dalits. In the
contemporary period the Dalit movement has indisputably made a place in the society and
should be taken seriously.

Chipko Movement

The Chipko movement is a social movement started by group of women in 1970s to protect
the trees of the forest. They were against the decisions of the government to cut down the
trees. They revolted against the decision by embracing the trees when the government
officials came to cut the trees. The forest trees were their source of livelihood.

The Chipko Movement, which has now spread from one end of the Himalayas in Kashmir to
the other in Arunachal Pradesh, is making an effort to revise the Government's forest policy
by persisting for the upholding of the traditional status quo in the Himalayan region and other
forest regions of India. This indicates that people are against change and to an opening up of
a zone for any innovative improvement.

The Anti-Corruption Movement

Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption was a new ground-breaking social movement.
In India, it was a very different movement since pro-liberalization period. In fact, such
movement which aims in bringing reform or change in the society was rare and hardly seen
in India. It was a mass movement with great magnitude like the ones similar to pre-
emergency movement carried out by Jai Prakash Narayan. People came out in great numbers
to support Anna not only in India but across USA and UK, where there is a sizeable
population of immigrant Indians. The movement was very successful as it was supported by
the middle class. The Anna –Hazare anti-corruption movement wanted to bring about
accountability and transparency in the government machinery which would help India to be
a corrupt free nation. Many scholars would not consider it as a movement as it lacked in
ideology 37.

Involvement of Women in Social Movements

Many of the women organizations were set up in the early twentieth century and these
women were later found to involve in the freedom struggle of the country. Independence of

25
India brought several promises. It also envisages many dreams for the women like that of an
equal society, where both men and women can voice their opinion. But the truth was opposite
to what it was expected. The reality was that only little progress was made for the women.
So, by 1960s, these women began to realise that their dreams and promises were still not
fulfilled.

A series of social movements came up in the 1960s and 1970s and women played a
significant part like on various issues like movements for land rights, peasant movements,
human rights, rising prices, etc.

Women were seen to be participating in huge numbers in different movements that were
happening in the country. In all places, their involvement brought a transformation in the
movements from inside. Violence against women, especially rape and dowry deaths were
considered as one of the principal real issues to get across the nation wide attention from
women' groups. Women were able to mobilize successfully and the protests were directed
mostly against the state and the state also accordingly started making changes and
modification of certain laws related to violence against women.

These groups of women began to realise that targeting the State would not solved all their
problems as they needed support for the victims also. So, they started creating awareness on
women’s’ issues like violence against women and focussed on preventive measures in order
to avoid unwanted situation in a women’s life. Counselling centres were set up and legal aid
services were made available. It also made attempts in opening shelter homes and focus on
increasing the knowledge of the women. Most of the activities at that time were aimed in
bringing improvement in the situation of women’s lives. The early movements of the 1980s
were symbolized by road agitations and crusades which are organized at countrywide level.
Later, it was substituted by a more organized and complex reaction to specific issues.

It was not only the middle class or the urbane women who took important part in the
movement, but the role of the lower class women is also undeniable. The agitation against the
use of liquor in Andhra Pradesh were begun and managed by poor women, regularly low
rank. The environment protection movement was also started by poor women of the northern
hill regions of India, and from there it spread to other regions of the country.

26
In a country like India considering the sorts of issues the women movements are
concentrating, there is a possibility of facing repercussion in every of the step they take in
their movements.

One of the highlight of women’s public protest is seeing how their exceptionally inclusion in
movements have gotten to change their observation about themselves and their critical part in
their groups, not withstanding when their challenge is in protection of traditional values,
ethics and qualities. The lives of the women and their social space in the society are remade
by protest action, which sometimes cost personal loss also. 38

Conclusion

Social movements play a fundamental role in building a democratic country. They organised
the citizen and motivated them to mobilise behind and help in carrying out a sustained
campaign in protection of their rights and interests. They check a country's practical ability to
ensure the constitutional privileges of its entire people (Eyben and Ladbury, 2006)39 and are
thus influential to the decisions and plans of the government. Social movements in the
developing world are seen as empowering the less empowered and make positive socio-
economic and political transformation through citizen action. Civil society organization’s role
could not be undermined in the current day social movements, because civil society in
different forms perform the creative, collective and value driven core of the citizens bringing
out the best in them to respond in kind of situation to create a society that are just and fair.
Women civil society organizations have been instrumental in ending of violence in many
parts of India and in bringing peace.

Women’s involvement in social movements has been extensive, addressing many diverse
issues of social injustice. Their role in social movement can be traced back 50 years ago in
India’s freedom struggle when they actively participated. Women’s movement after
independence continued to work for the improvement of women’s condition affected by the
partition. At present, these women organizations raised different issues like peace, violation
of human rights minority’s rights etc and not necessarily restricted to women’s issues only.

The role of women’s organizations in organization and mobilization of social movements is a

big challenge because of the diversity in India. Social movements by women have created a
great deal of the events and attitudes that have defined contemporary life and outlook towards
27
women. Nowadays, these women’s movement presences can be seen in a highly
decentralized form throughout the country in both rural and urban areas.

References :

1. Shah, Ghanshyam (1990): Social Movements In India: A Review Of Literature, Sage

Publication, pp 1-20

2. Wilson, John (1973) : Introduction To Social Movements, Basic Books, New York

3. Zald, M and J. McCarthy (1977) : Resource Mobilization and Social Movements : A

Partial Theory, The American Journal Of Sociology, Vol. 82, No. 6

4. Haberle, (1951) : Social Movements, Appleton Century – Crofts, New York

5. Whittier, Nancy (2002) : ‘Meaning and structure in social movements’, in David S.

Meyer, NancyWhittier, and Belinda Robnett (eds.) Social Movements: Identity,

Culture and the State, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

6. Tilly, Charles (2004) : Social movements, 1768-2004. Boulder, Paradigm, pp. 1-10

7. Diani, Mario (2008) : ‘Social movement theory and grassroots coalitions in the

Middle East’. Paper for the 2008 ASA Annual Meeting, Boston, August 1-4.

8. Webster, N. (2004) : “Understanding the Evolving Diversities and Originalities in

Rural Social Movements in the Age of Globalization”, UNRISD Civil Society and

Social Movements Programme Paper Number 7, UNRISD , New York.

9. Fernando, Priyanthi (2012) : Working With Social Movements, Centre For Poverty

Analysis, Promoting Pro-Poor Growth: The Role Of Empowerment – Sri Lanka, pp.

11-16

10. McCarthy, J.D and M.N Zaid (1973) : Trends Of Social Movements in America:

Professionalization And Resource Mobilisation, Morristown, N. J, General Learning

Press, pp.23-35

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11. Tilly, Charles (1978a) : From Mobilization To Revolution, Addison- Wesley,

Reading, Massachusetts, pp. 12-17

12. Tilly, Charles (1978b) : From Mobilization To Revolution, Addison- Wesley,

Reading, Massachusetts, 15-20

13. Social Movements retrieved from http://www.newworldencyclopedia org on July,

2016

14. Jenkins (1981) : Socio-political Movements Handbook, Political Behaviour, Vol. IV,

81-173

15. Melluci, Alberto, 1980 : The New Social Movements: A Theoretical Approach, Social

Science Information, Vol 19, pp. 23-26

16. Baker, Veronica (2015) : The Role of Civil Society in the Tunisian Democratic

Transition, Published thesis, The University of Colorado at Boulder, pp. 10-13

17. Ghaus- Pasha, Aisha (2005) : Role Of Civil Society Organizations In Governance ,

paper presented at Dr. 6th Global Forum On Reinventing Government Towards

Participatory And Transparent Governance 24 – 27 May, Seoul, Republic Of Korea,

pp 2

18. Westd, David (2004) : New Social Movements, Handbook of Political Theory, 32-43

19. United Nations (2004) : “Glossary” in “We the Peoples: Civil Society, the United

Nations and Global Governance. Report of the Panel of Eminent Persons on United

Nations–Civil Society Relations. A/58/817”, United Nations General Assembly, 58th

session, Agenda item 59, Strengthening of the United Nations System, 11 June,

United Nations, New York.

20. The World Bank. Defining Civil Society, August 2010, http://go.worldbank.org/

Accessed November 10, 2015.

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21. Osman Amira, (2009) : Sudanese Women In Civil Society And Their Roles In Post-

Conflict Reconstruction, Diiper & Department Of History, International And Social

Studies Publication, Diiper Research Series Working Paper No. 14, ISSN: 1902-8679

Aalborg University

22. Tilly, Charles (1978c) : From Mobilization To Revolution, Addison- Wesley,

Reading, Massachusetts, 151-71

23. What Civil Society Can Do to Develop Democracy, 2004, Presentation to NGO

Leaders, February 10, Convention Centre, Baghdad retrieved from

https://web.stanford.edu/~ ldiamond/iraq/DevelopDemocracy021002.htm

24. Suar, Lokanath (2011) : Our Civil Society as an Instrument of Social Change, Orissa

Review pp.63- 64.

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India: Emerging Roles, Relationships and Strategies Pria Publication, New Delhi, pp

4-5.

26. Civil Society Organizations – Overview. Retrieved from

http://www.peacewomen.org/civil-society on 22nd July, 2016.

27. Victorial, L Daubert and Sue Ellen Moran (1985) : Origins, Goals And Tactics Of

U.S, Anti Nuclear Protest Movement, Rand Corporation Publication, Santa Monica,

P- 5

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http://deregulatetheatom.com/reference/history-of-the-antinuclear-movement-part-1/

on 3rd Feb. 2015.

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nuclear power. Might it reverse it? Mar 24th 2011 , The Economist, London, New

York And Tokyo , Print Edition

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30. Krolokke, Charlotte; Sorensen, Anne Scott (2005). "Three Waves of Feminism: From

Suffragettes to Girls". Gender Communication Theories and Analyses: From Silence

to Performance. Sage. p. 24. ISBN 0-7619-2918-5

31. History and Theory Of Feminism. Retrieved from Http://Www.Gender.Cawater-

Info.Net/Knowledge_Base/Rubricator/Feminism.

32. Freeman. Jo (1995) : From Suffrage To Women's Liberation: Feminism In Twentieth

Century America Published In Women: A Feminist Perspective, Mountain View,

Calif: Mayfield, 5th Edition, Pp. 509-28.

33. Crompton. Tom (2011) : Trade-Offs In The Gay Rights Movement June 28,

Common Course.

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American conservative.

35. "Empowering Spirits Foundation Applauds Passage of NH Marriage Equality Bill"

(PDF). Empowering Spirits Foundation Press Release. 2009-06-03. Retrieved 2015-

06-04.

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June 2015.

37. Rani, Padma ______: Role Of Communication And Culture In Social Movement: A

Case Study Of The Anna Hazare’ Anti-Corruption Movement, RC-14, Culture And

Communication Manipal Institute Of Communication, Press Corner, Manipal

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38. Benita Roth _____ : What Are Social Movements and What Is Gendered About

Women's Participation in Social Movements? A Sociological Perspective, pp.35-48

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Perspective, Development Research Centre, IDS , Brighton.

32
 Chapter - 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
 Chapter - 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

___________________________________________________________

In this chapter, an attempt is made here to put together some of the closely related research
findings in the area by reviewing the literatures available in India and abroad. The research
gaps have been identified and the justification for the present study has been presented.

Yusuf Hauwa’u Evelyn and Yusufu Adefarakan Adedayo (2014)1 in their study
highlighted that the Nigerian social movements come actively alive in 1929 when the women
participated in anti-colonial resistance and in the wave of nationalist liberation movement.
The authors opined that women dup deep into the traditional institution of “setting on a man”
to humiliate and teach the men who violated women’s right. They used it is a collective
political tool against the British colonial authorities. This social movement was a direct
response of women to the colonial introduction of Taxes in 1927 and 1927 and 1928 in some
Southern provinces of Eastern Nigeria. The study further stated that in the post-colonial era,
the market women exploited their relatively acquired position in the informal sector as traders
to form different types of social movements at different stages of development of the society.

Gull, Raashida and Shafi, Aneesa (2014)2 in their paper made an effort to know the various
aspects of the women’s movement in India. The author points out that woman could not full
enjoy their privileged even after getting constitutional rights. New debates and issues are
emerging in the course of evolution of the feminist movement. Such situation gave a new
momentum in the movement of the women..The new movement is began to shape itself in the
form of new organizations and groups which are promising, new forms of protests and
agitations in order to fulfil their dreams of getting freedom. The authors also observe that the
participants of the movements belonged to different background and communities. The
movements were also showed the involvement of various with people and groups from
diverse fields who have different ideologies making the movement highly heterogeneous.

Yenning3 in his article expressed that immense faith has been entrusted upon the leadership
of Meira Paibis on such a scale that it offers opportunities for manipulation which, even if not

33
exploited, offers no guarantee that the trust will not be .breached. And the ever increasing
number of organizations in the name of women, and mostly funded NGOs, seemed to have
stolen away from them not only the sanctity but also the very human resources from the
Meira Paibis. Money has been inadvertently used by the mushrooming NGOs to lure away
the women-folk, in most cases through the promise of capacity building and teaching them
alternative means of livelihood, such as soap making, manure making and others. The author
strongly opined that the tradition of Meira Paibis needs to be respected or otherwise
safeguarded from the mushrooming NGOs in Manipur. Ultimately, they need to realize that
women are beyond projects. Their contributions for the welfare of Manipur are nevertheless
acknowledged. But at the same time, through the lure of money and others, they should not
hijack the political responsibility shouldered by the Meira Paibis.

Miller, Katty (2013)4 in her work entitled, “The Gulabi Gang as a social Movement : An
Analysis of Strategic Choice”, discusses a group of women called Gulabi Gang in the
northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Sampat Pal Devi started the group in 2006. The author
studied about these groups of women who work for the empowerment of the women,
promoting education and stopping child marriages. The author further elaborated that these
groups of women consist mainly of dalits and deliberately made effort to end domestic
violence and corruption in the state. The author concluded that Gulabi Gang has risen from a
small collective of women into a social movement with political influence, and the support of
the people, in a relatively short period.

Hazarika, L. (2013)5 in her paper entitled, “Women in Conflict Situations in Northeast

India,” looks at how women through their participation in peace negotiation convey their
feelings and representing the violent event as a source that can reveal how the state policy
and government are acting as active agents in promoting these violence and the indigenous
people has to go through a traumatic experience because of such state interventions. The
author pointed out that that in order to understand violence especially in Northeast India, it is
important to look at the role and intervention of women in this conflict and violence situation.
Though there is no positive response from both the sides- insurgent agencies and state. The
whole conflict situation is severely affecting the womenfolk. The author opined that whether
a woman plays an active role or passive she has work inside the periphery of patriarchal
constructions.

34
Thokchom, Seema (2012)6 conducted a study on “Women’s Movement in Manipur”. The
study revealed that Manipuri women played a vital part in the socio-economic sphere of the
society. The author further observed that the roles of the women in the state are multifarious
and their movements are well organized. The women’s movement started in the early part of
the 20th century and had a clear ideology. The movement wanted to bring reformation in the
society. The study also found that most of the social movements started in the State as a
reaction to the restlessness and frustration experienced by the people in the society.

V.Meneno (2012)7 in her article, “Narratives of Peace: Naga Women in the Self
Determination Struggle” discusses the contemporary Naga women who were active
peacemakers in a geographically and politically divided Nagaland. The article also
highlighted that Naga women have managed to engage themselves effectively within their
traditional space and have significantly impacted their society. The article also established
Naga women’s mostly voluntary, peacemaking contributions in a deeply divided Nagaland.
However, in a situation where their primary goal of self determination has been
overshadowed by far lesser goals through internal warfare, Naga women’s understanding and
wisdom of the intricacies of conciliatory procedures should be appreciated and employed on
a wider scale. The author further opined that if given the opportunity, Naga women have the
potential to insightfully and meaningfully transform the Naga peace process, as their
approach has always been inclusive.

Frese Heiko (2012)8 gave an account on the role of women’s groups in fighting alcoholism
in his work entitled “Women‘s Power: The Anti-Arrack Movement in Andhra Pradesh”. This
social movement was started by a number of low caste women in a remote village in Andhra
Pradesh to ban liquor in their society. Picketing liquor shops, throwing out liquor packets
stored in the shops or setting the alcohol on fire were among the more harmless punishments,
while shaving the moustaches or the heads of intractable men, or even parading them through
the village on donkeys, were among the less harmless measures employed by these women.
The author concluded that the women who joined these anti arrack social movement became
not only a political factor, but also a symbol of the weak fighting the strong, of good winning
against evil.

35
Sen, A (2012)9 in her work on Women's Vigilantism in India: A Case Study of the Pink Sari
Gang analyses the activities of the gang and their social philosophy for taking up the action.
The studies shows how the secluded and poor women who tried using violence in order to get
justice in their society. The study found that these women groups often found themselves
embroiled in situation where they have to make a choice between right and wrong. The
author also observed that though the Gulabi women did not kill their victims, it was important
for the gang to partially distance itself from violence, use the secular language of human
rights, and to accept the support of rural men in order to lend ethical legitimacy to their
collective actions.

Borah, Narayan (2012)10 in his study found that in the movements for women’s rights in
Assam, women are still facing a sense of discrimination and unequal status in the society and
violation of their rights have been increasing day-by-day. The author gave some suggestions
to strengthen women‘s movement.
 Strengthening of women’s initiative can change the status of women through political
participation, upgrading skills in economic activities, incorporating women’s rights
based agendas in political process etc.
 Information dissemination on legal safeguards, rights, support, services, health and
accommodation.
 Women’s groups should also inform other women about the available support
services in the area and towns.
 Education of the youth is very important to develop healthy and respectful
relationships.
 Schools can work with local communication to deliver anti-violence education which
can upgrade the status of women in the near future.

Andrea A.Kaufmann (2011)11 conducted an empirical study entitled, “Mobilizing for

Improvement. An Empirical Study of a Women’s Organization in West Point, Liberia”, which
aimed at giving insight into the dynamics of a women’s organization in Liberia. The author
has highlighted their special way of pursuing community‐based interests through formalized
organization. This study found that the origin of social movements had a long history in the
country. For every political and social issues, the movements demand state action. They had

36
an impact on the political landscape by setting the stage for women as political participants
and leaders. If necessary, they have the mobilizing power to assemble not just a large group
of women, but also men and children in West Point, to march to the Capitol Hill, ‘make
things happen’, and thus initiating social movement. These women’s movements play a vital
role on the political landscape and have an important impact on social change beyond
community level.

Earle, Lucy (2011)12 in her paper states that social movements are considered to be
membership organizations that can draw on a critical mass of supporters who are willing to
make public displays of support for the movement’s aims. More than ad hoc, uncoordinated
protest, social movements display a degree of politicization and seek to change or defend the
status quo. They have generally emerged organically, without financial or other support from
external donors, relying instead on small contributions from members. The author further
argues that while social movements can generate instability, it should be stressed that their
emergence does not represent a failure of democracy, but is an essential part of it. In
situations where formal channels for people to voice their demands do not function, these
may be expressed through street protest or by involvement in local associations.

N, Valerie (2011)13 brings a report on the important roles women play as leaders, especially
in helping end conflict, developing post conflict reintegration efforts and economic life, and
even in leading the organization of camps for internally displaced persons. The report
summarizes that building lasting peace and security requires women’s participation. The
report also states that best practices for increasing women’s participation include deployment
of gender-balanced peacekeeping units, a whole-of-government approach to security sector
and judicial reform, and more intentional solicitation of the input of women at the community
level on priorities for national budgets and international programs.

14
DeSouza, S analyses the areas and issues which independent women’s movement have
been working from past to present day society. The author made an effort to trace the origin
of the movements and the changes which have taken place in course of time. The author
found that the movement organized by the movement have expanded its size and scope of its
work recently. According to the author, women’s groups have been focusing on certain issues
such as violence against women health employment conditions including wages, legal rights
37
and law reform. The issues today are sexual harassment at the work place, the violence of
caste and communal violence, lobbying for increased political participation f women in the
highest levels of decision-making, etc.

Goswami & Bandyopadhyay15 in their work, “The Anti-Corruption Movement,” in India

focuses on one of the most recent social movements witnessed in India i.e. campaign on
'India against Corruption', spearheaded by a group of social activists led by an octogenarian
Gandhian – Anna Hazare. Anna Hazare, a follower of Gandhian principles, opted for fasting
unto death and demanded the enactment of the long pending Jan Lokpal 2 Bill (Anti-
Corruption Law). The study also mentioned that the movement successfully galvanised mass
support from the public and media as well. The authors concluded that such movement was
earlier dominated by presence of rural people but now the presence of urbane masses can be
seen in the movement. The studies also pointed out that educated citizen are now demanding
accountability of the government affairs.

Castillejo (2009)16 notes that in any social movements, women face less resistance from men
when they limit their activism to the sphere of civil society – greater hostility is experienced
when women activists attempt to engage in formal political processes. She argues that as
women generally access rights and participate in governance within the domestic and
community spheres, conceptions of citizenship should be extended beyond the narrow focus
on the relationship between the individual and the state. This would help to understand ‘how
women operate as citizens within the social groups of which they are members’.
Nevertheless, there is a danger of confining women’s activism to these localized spheres – a
point that she does acknowledge.

Narayanan, Sweta (2008)17 conducted a study of 20 women’s organization in Chennai.

These women organizations provided a range of services for the welfare of the women. The
main objective of the study is to analyses the kind of services and programmes provided by
the organizations and its impact. The findings of the study revealed that a large number of the
organizations aimed in empowering the women through vocational training and other skill
training programmes. The study revealed that these organizations faced lack of support and
financial shortage to run their organization. The author suggested that these organizations
need to make their work more visible and should not confine to their closed communities.
38
Narula, Smita18 in her study focussed one of the most popular social movements led by the
legendary activist Medha Patkar in the late 1980s. the NBA employed creative means of
resistance to mobilize opposition to the Sardar Sarovar Project. The study also revealed that
on the national front, the NBA opposed the dam and proposed various development
alternatives, including decentralized methods of water harvesting. Internationally, the NBA
led the charge to demand World Bank accountability for its involvement in a project that
threatened to harm millions. The Narmada campaign was a triumphant symbol of the power
of mass mobilization. The author also highlighted the works of Medha Patkar who has led the
Narmada movement for over two decades. Her uncompromising stance against government
apathy toward the human and social costs of dam construction and her ongoing efforts to
ensure that transparency and accountability remain hallmark features of development projects
According to the author, the campaign against the construction of dams on the Narmada
River is ‘‘symbolic of a global struggle for social and environmental justice.

Verma, R (2008)19 in his article entitled, “Women’s movements in Northeast”, highlighted

North East Women’s active participation in the social, economic, cultural and political life of
the state. Unlike women in other parts of India, they were found to be independent,
courageous, and assertive and react effectively against any wrong doings of the ruling
authority. The author states that north east women’s interventions in various issues of the
states have not only redefined gender stereotypes but have transformed definitions of
democracy, nationalism and peace. Therefore, any comprehensive efforts at conflict
resolution in the Northeast cannot ignore the role played by women.

Moase (2008)20 in his work cites that it was around the 1970’s that the contemporary
women’s movement began to be more radical and active, especially against the Indian state
who for a time declared a state of emergency which led to the repression of all political and
progressive groups, not just women’s. And that repression led to a fight back by women’s
organizations which greatly increased their scope and power. Today issues are fought over a
large spectrum of issues including; union rights, abusive partners, the rights of ‘dalit’ women
(the lowest caste in the Hindu religion), worker’s rights, sexual assault and much. The author
concluded that whilst the Women’s movement in India is an energetic and modern
movement, influencing over social movements both nationally and internationally, there are

39
still many problems to confront, particularly the inversion of feminist values by right-wing
groups and the problem of defining what exactly women’s rights should constitute.

Das, S. Kumar’s (2007)21 monograph examines the role of civil society groups in peace
building in three conflict regions in India's Northeast—Assam, Naga Hills/Nagaland, and
Mizo Hills/Mizoram. These political conflicts are complex with each conflict representing a
cacophony of competing, often zero-sum demands. In investigating the role of civil society
groups, the study distinguishes between "official" (between the Government of India and
certain insurgent organizations) and "unofficial" peace processes at the local level that makes
coexistence of diverse communities possible despite the continuing violence. In the official
peace process, the role of civil society groups is to bring warring parties to the negotiating
table, set forth potentially agreeable ceasefire terms, and suggest possible settlements. In
contrast the role of civil society groups in the unofficial processes is to constantly negotiate
across ethnic boundaries and make it possible for rival communities to live together in the
same village, locality, or neighbourhood. According to the author, the official and unofficial
peace processes often proceed on parallel tracks with minimum impact on each other. It is
important for the two processes to be connected. The author suggested that for civil society
groups to be more effective in peace building, they must be socially integrated and develop
synergy with other constituents and stakeholders.

Ann, Banaszak,22 in her work analyse the growth of women’s movement in America and
their influence in American’s politics and social order. The study found the women’s
movement to be a major contributor in the formation of interest group politics in present
society. The author also observed that the women’s organization played an important role in
lobbying around the government to get work done and also mobilized public. They helped in
bringing e new era of politics in U.S. The study also found that the progress of American
women’s movements has been the rising focus on the gendered nature of culture and
institutions which compose the context for American’s women’s movements, and of the
organizations and groups that comprise the movements.

According to Biswas and Thomas (2006)23, the women of north east India have been playing
an important role, that of a peace maker in their conflict region areas. They have been allow
to play such a role itself was given great importance. It was peacemaking not between
families or clans or tribes but underground insurgents and Government of India. It was not
40
only unique but also unparallel in entire south East Asia. The authors identified Naga
Mothers Association of Nagaland, Meira Paibis of Manipur, Naga women’ s Union of
Manipur and Mother’s Union, Tura as prominent organization working for bringing peace in
their societies.

Manchanda, Rita (2005)24 in her study entitled, “Naga women making a difference: peace
building in Northeastern India”, highlighted the some of the activities of prominent Naga
women’s groups in the state in bringing social consciousness and peace to the society. The
researcher found that these women’s group played the role of interlocutors, mediators and
facilitators in the state when it comes to peace process in the state. The researcher suggested
that these women’s group should be provided with financial and technical resources to
maximize the impact of their initiatives and their access to all major actors.

Basu, A. (2005)25 in her paper, contributes to the discussion of governance, democracy and
civil society by exploring two sets of relationships that have until now received relatively
little scholarly attention: between women and political parties, and between political parties
and social movements that organize women. The author focuses on South Asia, with case
studies of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and particularly India. According to the author, all
four countries have relatively strong women’s movements that emerged in the late 1970s and
early 1980s as part of a broader civil society response to authoritarian state practices. The
paper highlighted that women’s movements have grown in response to particular domestic
challenges, above all the attempts by states to undermine democratic rights and practices, and
regional and international influences. The paper found that the women’s movement in all the
countries covered under the studies have been instrumental in bringing the women at the
forefront of the political agenda. The major differences among South Asian countries concern
the characteristics of their political systems, which offer very different opportunities for
women’s political engagement. The paper concluded that in general, the stronger democratic
institutions and practices are, the greater the opportunities this affords women to achieve
representation through the party system.

Martin, Kirsty (2004)26 has conducted an ethnographic study of five women’s organizations
in Malang, Indonesia. In her study, the contemporary significance of local women’s
organizations in the lives of kampung women in Indonesia is revealed through an

41
investigation of the relationship between the Indonesian state, local communities and women.
The study found that the socio-political meaning of organizations is determined by the way
organizations are connected to politics, religion, social morality, and tradition. Women’s
organizations exist primarily because local women attend the organizations and participate in
their activities. The study also revealed that the space local women’s organizations occupy is
influenced by their relationship with other social and political elements. The study concluded
by indicting that changing women’s organizations is a challenging task as they are embedded
with political, religious, social, and moral meanings.

Hassim, Shireen (2012)27 studied the women’s social movement in South Africa and also
analysed the strategies they used in their movements for negotiating with their government
and the results of their activism. The author found out that the movements led by the women
groups are made of diverse organizations and cannot be view as a single organization. The
author opined that the women movements had all the major components of a strong social
movement. The author further states that a strong social movement should be able to
distinguish the needs and interests of its people and should aim in achieving this target by
developing independent strategy. The author also opined that a strong social movement
requires a degree of political autonomy in order to retain its relative power within any
alliance.

28
Nadje S. Al-Ali (2002) analyses of the women’s movements in Egypt and Turkey entail a
brief exploration of the historical context, that is, the emergence and development of
women’s organizations and feminists thought. According to the author, the Egyptian
women’s movement was particularly influenced by the state’s ambiguous role toward
women’s organizations; the growth of civil society and the severe restrictions on it (Law 32);
international pressures and expectations, particularly on the part of donor organizations; and
the increasing influence of Islamist constituencies. In the Turkish case, the women’s
movement seems to have been particularly influenced by the polarization between Islamist
and secular constituencies, the struggles for democratization and for the institutionalization of
feminist activities. On the basis of examples from Egypt and Turkey, the author concluded
that women’s movements in the Middle East are challenged to work with or through state
structures, which at times are conducive to and at other times impede women’s activism.
Women’s movements fluctuate between adherence to and opposition to existing structures,
42
occasionally trying to manoeuvre and expand political spaces but rarely rejecting the system
in its totality.

Cockburn, C., Stakic-Domuz, R. and H, Meliha (2001)29 in their study, “Women

organizing for Change” studies seven women organization in Bosnia-Herzegovina to know
how the organizations function, their objectives and activities, the problems they face, and
their strengths and weaknesses. The study found that the women and their organizations were
inspired by a dual desire: first, to see their towns recovered from war as integrated societies
where people of all ethno-national identities were fully included; and second, to end the
disadvantage of women and the marginalization of women's issues in Bosnian society. The
study revealed that these organizations have serious weaknesses of decision-making structure
and process. There were also problems concerning leadership, accountability, responsibility,
role and skill sharing, transparency of information and procedure, and lack of contact and co-
operation between groups. The authors suggested that international institutions, international
NGOs and foreign governments co-operate and support such organizations, and make widely
available training and development to strengthen their capabilities and improve
connectedness between them.

Bimola, Ksh (1998)30 explains that the emergence of social movements is a symptom of
discontent, dissatisfaction and contradiction within the existing order. She also points that the
role of women in the social movement can be traced back to the pre British period when
Manipur was under monarchial system. The author also mentioned that in all the major
women‘s movement in Manipur, women fought not for change but to revive the old peace
atmosphere in the society. The author also highlighted the need for proper leadership in order
to make the movement more successful.

Chakravarthy (1998)31 in her study entitled, “Role of Women as an Instrument of Social

Movement in Arunachal Pradesh”, observes that women are the strongest social force in the
region. Their roles both inside and outside are so intricately linked that a conscious effort is
bound to bring a change in the society. The author also mentions that over the ages women
have been able gearing their houses, and thus are more efficient to accept changes in an
adjustable manner. The author concluded that these women roles would be instrumental in
shaping the social movement in the region towards progress.
43
Lebon, N (1997)32 in her paper “Volunteer and professionalized activism in the Sao Paulo
women's movement”, focuses on the professionalization of the women’s movement in Sao
Paulo. The paper revealed those women’s movements were characterized by a high level of
organizational diversity. It range from informal networks to professionalized organizations
(NGOs). It is found that the professionalized organizations were having more power than the
non professionalized organizations as they have access to various information and resources.
The author concluded that those organizations which were more professionalized have an
impact on the organization’s activities and their strategies. The professionalization also had
the potential to influence their collective identity and gain mass support to get their demands
implemented in the legislation.

I.S. Helen (1990)33 in her studied the social movement by women in Latin America. The
study revealed that most of the participants were from poor economic background. Their
focus was mainly on securing human rights and basic necessities of life like cost of living and
better provisions. The study also found that these movements were started in defence of their
tradition roles in the society. The author concluded that such kind of collective action helped
the women in gaining greater legitimacy in the public forum and made them realised the
extent of gender subordination existing in the society.

Omvedt G (1989)34 in his study, “Women in popular movements: India and Thailand during
the Decade of Women”, presents the findings of a study carried out in India and Thailand
under the Popular Participation Project of the UN Research Institute for Social Development.
The project studies the organized activities of women s organization and aims to answer the
following 3 questions:
1) What was the nature and extend of the role of women in the social movements and
participatory organizations that had been studied,
2) How did the participation of women in such activities influence the outcome of the latter,
and
3) How women’s participation affected their own role in society at the local and national
levels.

44
The study highlights the importance of alliances between educated middle-class activists and
popular social movements. It also illustrates the difficulty with which such social movements
adopt and maintain a clear stand with government and other conventional groups. The study
found that in India, a vast majority of women are caught, one way or another with kinship
structures, in a situation with much fewer employment alternatives. In Thailand, traditional
kinship structures are in many ways more equalitarian than those of western societies, while
their subordination to the state is one that involves patriarchal relationships as well as
economic exploitation.

Hyde 35 in her work presented an overview of Feminist Social Movement Organizations, the
organizational building blocks of the contemporary women's movement in American society.
The paper consisted of an analysis of key internal characteristics of these organizations -
ideology, structures and processes, participants, and strategies and products. According to the
author, FSMO's structure, processes, and issues are flexible in order to insure participation by
working class, minority and poor women. The paper concluded that Strategies and products
of such organizations included some or all of the following traits: individual and group self-
help, emphasis on the culture and her story of women, a conception and articulation of
revolutionary ideology, critical consciousness raising, and the delivery of needed goods to
women. Strategies and products are used not only to achieve the goals of the organization,
but to educate and develop the participants, as well.

Jain, Shobhita (1984)36 conducted a case study on the Chipko Movement in Garhwal region.
It is a social movement organized by the women of that region to protect the forest. The study
also reveals that even though the women wanted to bring a change in their status yet they are
oppose to the change that is taking place in their region for the development of the area. The
study concluded that the participants of the Movement were not able to free from their
traditional domestic limitation. Gender equity is absent in the society and still there exist
many problems and tensions related to it.

Wilson, S 37 notes that contemporary women’s and feminist movements have been through a
variety of social transformations over recent decades – sometimes in response to changes in
context and specific historical moments, sometimes due to evolution in feminist thinking and
a new understanding of how to make systemic transformation happen. The author further

45
revealed that Women’s organising in the early part of the century was mostly focused at the
national or regional level, and then gathered force and momentum to become a global
phenomenon. The author further observed that while each geographical region may have used
different approaches and analyses to transform relations of power, their efforts have
nevertheless raised the profile of issues affecting women. The author opined that feminist
organisations have taken up highly complex struggles that have resulted in some of the most
significant societal changes over recent centuries.

A careful scrutiny of the existing literatures reveals that most of the studies have
concentrated on a very few heads and issues of social movements in general. The studies
have brought to light the forms and strategies employed in various movements by individuals
and organizations in India and abroad. The studies also highlighted the important roles
played by women organizations in bringing peace in the society and shown how most of the
women’s movements have begun as a reaction to their traditional domestic challenges in the
society. The majority of the studies were mainly on social movements organized by women
through gender perspective which do not exactly pertain to the universe that this study has
covered. The available literatures reveal an explicit dearth of studies on such women’s
organizations which are predominantly gender neutral and which focus on diverse social
issues and not particularly on a specific issue. And none of the studies have attempted to
cover the viewpoints of the people who have benefitted from such organizations. In fact, there
is a clear void of information about the people who have received substantial amount of
assistances from the organizations and the impact of the organizational services in their
lives. Thus, the present study made an attempt to focus on these aspects. It attempted to focus
on the issues covered by the women organization in their movement and their
approach/strategies in order to execute the same in the society. Further, the study tries to
check the effectiveness of such different strategies through the satisfaction of their
beneficiaries. In fact, this type of attempt is first in Manipur to study the women organization
(Meira Paibis) as well as their beneficiaries.

References:

1. Yusuf Hauwa’u Evelyn and Yusufu Adefarakan Adedayo (2014) : Entrenched

Patriarchy, Women Social Movement and Women Participation in Politics, American
International Journal of Contemporary Research

46
2. Gull, Raashida and Shafi, Aneesa (2014) : Indian Women’s Movement after
Independence, International Research Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 3(5), 46-54.
3. Yenning (2014) : Is the Meira Paibi Movement Facing Extinction? Sangai Express

4. Miller, Katty (2013) : The Gulabi Gang as a Social Movement, George Mason
Fairfax, VirginiaUniversity

5. Hazarika, L. (2013) : Women in Conflict Situations in Northeast India.

https://www.academia.edu/12395853/Women_in_Conflict_Situation_in_Northeast_In
dia

6. Thokchom Seema (2012) : Women’s Movement in Manipur, Retrieved 09, 2012, from
http://www.studymode.com
7. V.Meneno (2012) in her article, “Narratives of Peace: Naga Women in the Self
Determination Struggle” in Tensions Journal Copyright by York University (Toronto,
Canada) Issue 6 (Fall/Winter 2012) ISSN no. 1913-5874
8. Frese Heiko (2012): Women‘s Power: The Anti-Arrack Movement in Andhra Pradesh,
South Asia Chronicle vol. 2, pp. 219-234
9. Sen, Atreyee (2012) : Women's Vigilantism in India: A Case Study of the Pink Sari
Gang. Online Encyclopedia of Mass Violence
10. Borah, Narayan (2012) : Women’s Movement-Women Empowerment and Women’s
Rights in Assam, Ijcaes Special Issue On Basic, Applied & Social Sciences, Volume
II.
11. Andrea A. Kaufmann (2011) : Mobilizing for Improvement. An Empirical Study of a
Women’s Organization in West Point, Liberia, Stichproben Journal, Wiener
Zeitschrift für kritische Afrikastudien Nr. 20/2011, 11. Jg., 163‐188.
12. Earle, Lucy (2011) : Literature Review On The Dynamics Of Social Movements In
Fragile And Conflict-Affected States, Governance And Social Development Resource
Centre (GSDRC) International Development Department, College Of Social Sciences
University Of Birmingham, UK
13. Valerie Norville (2011) : The Role of Women in Global Security. Special
Report.United States Institute of Peace.
14. S Desouza (2011) : Mapping The Women's Movement In India - Shodhganga
Retrieved from Shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in

47
15. Debika Goswami & Kaustuv K Bandyopadhyay (2011) : The Anti-Corruption
Movement, Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), India

16. Castillejo, Clare (2009) : Women’s political participation and influence in Sierra
Leone. Madrid, FRIDE Working Paper 83.
17. Narayanan, Sweta (2008) : Women taking Action: A survey of Chennai women’s
organizations , The Prajnya Trust, Chennai.
18. Narula, Smita, (2008) : "The Story of Narmada Bachao Andolan: Human Rights in
the Global Economy and the Struggle Against the World Bank" New York University
Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers. Paper 106
19. Verma, Rajesh (2008) : Women’s movements in Northeast, The Other Side, Vol. 21,
No. 7, (pp. 32-34)
20. Moase, Daniel (2008) : Indian Women and Protest : An Historical Overview and
Modern Day Evaluation, CETRI
21. Das, Samir Kumar (2007) : Conflict and peace in India's northeast : The role of civil
society. Policy studies ; 42. Washington, D.C.: East-West Center Washington
Publication.
22. Ann, Banaszak, (2006) : Women’s Movements and Women in Movements:
Influencing American Democracy from the “Outside”. Department of Political
Science, The Pennsylvania State University
23. Prasenjit Biswas, and C. Joshua Thomas,(2006) : Peace in India's North-East:
Meaning, Metaphor, and Method : Essays of Concern and Commitment. Daya Books

24. Manchanda, Rita 2005 : Naga women making a difference: peace building in
northeastern India Hunts Alternatives
25. Basu, A. (2005) : Women, Political Parties and Social Movements in South Asia.
United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) Occasional
Paper
26. Martin, Kirsty (2004) : The State, Local Communities and Women; A Study of
Women’s Organizations in Malang, East Java, Phd Thesis, Faculty of Arts and Social
Science University of New South Wales
27. Shireen Hassim (2004) : Voices, Hierarchies and Spaces: Reconfiguring the Women’s
Movement in Democratic South Africa, A Joint Project between the Centre for Civil
Society and the School of Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal.
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28. Nadje S. Al-Ali (2002) : The Women.s Movement in Egypt, with Selected References
to Turkey , Civil society and social Movements Programme, UN Research Institute
for Socail Development.

29. Cockburn, C., Stakic-Domuz, R. and H, Meliha (2001) : Women organizing for
Change, Medica Women's Association Zenica Bosnia-Herzegovina

30. Bimola, Ksh (1998) : Women in Social Movement in Manipur, in Karna, M.N (ed),
Social Movement in North East India, Indus Publishing Company, FS-%, Tagore
Garden, New Delhi -27
31. Chakravarthy, Nalini (1998) : Role of Women as an Instrument of Social Movement
in Arunachal Pradesh, in Karna, M.N (ed), Social Movement in North East India,
Indus Publishing Company, FS-%, Tagore Garden, New Delhi -27, P 52
32. Lebon, N (1997) : Volunteer and professionalized activism In the sao paulo women's
movement, Paper presented at Latin American Studies Association, Continental Plaza
Hotel, Guadalajara, Mexico
33. I.S. Helen (1990): Women’s social movements in Latin America, Gender and Society,
Vol. 4 No. 3, Special Issue, Women and Development in the Third World
(September), pp. 354-369
34. Omvedt G (1989) : Women in popular movements: India and Thailand during the
Decade of Women. Geneva, Switzerland, United Nations Research Institute for Social
Development, Participation Programme, 1986. XIV, 65 p. (UNRISD Report No.
86.9.)
35. Cheryl a. Hyde (1987) : Feminist social movement organizations: The construction of
an Ideal Type. Paper presented at the 1987 ASA Annual Meeting, Sex and Gender
Session
36. Jain Shobita (1984): Standing up for Trees: Women's role in the Chipko Movement,
Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 19, No. 41 (Oct. 13, 1984), pp. 1788-1794.
37. Wilson, Shamilla_____: Feminist and Women’s Movement building in Southern
Africa. Open Debate. OSISA

49
 Chapter - 3
Profile of Manipur State –
The Study Region and
Profile of Women’s Organization
(Meira Paibis) in Manipur
 Chapter 3

PROFILE OF MANIPUR STATE - THE STUDY REGION AND

PROFILE OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATION (MEIRA PAIBIS) IN
MANIPUR
________________________________________________________

An attempt has been made in this chapter to present the study region and profile of the
Organization (Meira Paibis). The chapter has been divided into two parts. The first part of
the chapter showcases the important aspects of study region, such as historical background,
geographical conditions, demography, industries, educational institutions and tourism. The
chapter also further highlighted the conflict situation in Manipur and problems related to
AFSPA (Armed Forced Special Power Act, 1958). And in the second part of this chapter, an
effort is made to give a descriptive profile of the women organization (Meira Paibis)
including its origins and their work in the society. The chapter also gave a brief background
of the women in Manipur so as to understand the status and their role in various historical
social movements in the State.
PART - A

Introduction

Manipur, a state of exquisite natural beauty and splendor has been variously described as “A
flower on the lofty heights”, “A little paradise on earth” and “Switzerland of India”. To
crown it all, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru described it as “A jewel of India”. Manipur is also
known as Kangleipak or Sanaleibak1 and it is in the north-eastern state of India. It is
surrounded by Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in the south, Assam in the west and Burma in
the west.

It connects the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia and has witnessed many wars including
an important Part in World War II.2

50
Origin of Manipuri Name

All throughout the ages, Manipur has been given names such as Kangleipak or Meeteileipak.
Sanamahi Laikan has written that during the reign of Meidingu Pamheiba in the 18th century
adopted Manipur's new name. 3

The term Kanglei means "of Manipur/Kangleipak", has been used to refer to items related to
the state.

Map of Manipur

History

Manipur as a princely State used to involve in a number of battles with its

neighbouring countries. King Pamheiba also known as Garibniwaj, was one of the greatest
rulers of Manipur. Under his rule, the Manipuris had gained exceptionally significant power.
In the years 1725 to 1749, King Garibniwaj again and again invaded Burma also called

51
Myanmar, conquered Burmese Armies. Manipur was also invaded by the Burmese armies in
the year 1890 and came to be known as 7years devastation in the Manipur’s history.

In 1824, the British were sought to expel invaders from Myanmar. Political chaos continues
till the year 1891. The administrative was henceforth conducted under British supervision for
the next few years. Gradually, the British started intrusive in the administration of Manipur.
Because of it, the great battle of 1981 was fought in which many Manipuris heroes fought the
British force and also sacrificed their lives. Since the battle has been fought on Khomgjom,
so 23rd April has been observed every year by the Manipuris as “Khongjom Day“and it’s a
state holiday.

The historical fort “Kangla” was captured by the British force and consequently major
leaders like Tikendrajit along with General Thangal were executed at a public place, on 13th
August 1891. So, in Manipur 13th August is remembered as “The Patriots Day” in Manipur.
In this way, the British brought Manipur under its rule.

Another noteworthy event is that the hoisting of first free Indian tricolour flag on the Indian
soil at Moirang (45 k.m. from Imphal) in I.N.A on 14th April, 1944 led by Netaji Subash
Chandra Bose.

In 1947 on August 15, Manipur resumed her lost political position of a Sovereign
independent Kingdom. Manipur became a Union territory of India in 1949 became full-
fledged state of the India on 21 January 1972 and elected M. Koireng Singh as the first chief
Minister of Manipur.

Ever since 1964, several groups in Manipur led by United National Liberation Front have
been revolting for separate Manipur. Above this, tribal peoples have wanted a separate state
for themselves and due to the tension cause by it and political turmoil in the state; the region
has been declared as disturbed areas.

Their conflicts for the future have brought insurgency in the state and resulted to the death of
many people. The insurgents were responsible for the violent deaths of many civilians in the
state4.

52
Geographical Background

Manipur lies between longitude 93.050 degree E and 94.80 degree E and latitude 23.80 degree
N and 25.70 degree N. Manipur has an international border with Burma( Myanmar) to the
south East. On the North, South and west, it is bounded by Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam.
The elevation of the central valley is 790 m above the sea level, and that of the surrounding
hill ranges from 1500 m to 1800 m above the sea level approximately.

Geographically, the State comprised of the hilly and the valley region. The valley lies in the
central part of Manipur and the hills surrounded the valley. Two thirds of its total area is the
hills inhabited by one-third of its population while two third of its population is concentrated
on one-third of its total area-the Manipuri Valley. The valley is one of the mostly thickly
populated areas in the state with a density of 709 persons per sq.km. And the hills, one of the
most sparsely populated with a density of 107 persons per sq.km .

The hill region consist of five districts i.e. Tamenglong, Senapati, Churachandpur, Chandel
and Ukhrul and the valley region comprises of Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur and
Thoubal districts.

The state of Manipur has four river basin namely the Manipur River Basin in central
Manipur, the YU River Basis in the East, the Barak river basis to the west and Lanye river
basin in the north5.

Climate

Manipur enjoys a mild and pleasant climate. Summers are not very hot and winters are not
very cold. The temperature ranges from 0 degree C to 40 degree C. The average annual
rainfall is 1,467.5 mm. Manipur generally has an affable climate, but the winters in the State
are unpleasantly cold. Snow can be seen sometimes in the hilly areas due to western
disturbance

Flora and Fauna

Manipur is blessed with a startling range of flora and fauna. In fact 67% of the geographical
area of the state is hill tract covered forests. 500 varieties of orchids are found in Manipur and
472 of them have been identified. ‘Siroi Lily’ is very famous in the State and grown in
53
Ukhrul district. Nevertheless, the most distinctive is the Sangai, the dancing deer. Loktak
Lake has large floating masses of vegetation and on it this small herds of endemic deer
sustains but unfortunately has the uncertain distinction of being the most threatened Cervid
(known as Phumdi) in the World 6.

Languages of the State

Manipuri is the State Language. The Meitei is the major community speaking Manipuri
language in the valley. The languages spoken in Manipur are Hindi, Thado Vaiphei,
Liangmei, Kom, Kuki, Bangali, Maring, Kabui, Tangkhul, Paite, Gante and Simte.

Area and Demographical Background

Manipur covers an area of 22,327 sq.kms which constitutes 0.7% only of the total land
surface of India. The people of Manipur are predominately Mongoloid in racial character
including Meetei, Naga, Kuki and Pangal (Muslims).

Population

Manipur has a population of 28.56 Lakhs as per 2011 census. Of this total population, 58.9%
live in the valley and 41.1% in the hilly areas. The hills are populated by as many as 29
different colourful tribes who may broadly be classified into two: The Naga group and the
kuki-chin group speaking various tribal dialects. The valley is one of the mostly thickly
populated areas in the state with a density of 709 persons per sq.km. And the hills, one of the
most sparsely populated with a density of 107 persons per sq.km. The sex ratio of the State is
985 females per 1000 males.

The hills of Manipur are mainly inhabitated by Kuki, Zomi, Naga and other smaller tribal
communities. The valley is consists of mainly Meteis, Manipuri Brahmins and Manipuri
Muslims called as Pangals. Some population of Bisnupriya Manipuri and other tribes are
found in Valley region also.

The majority of the populations of Manipur state are Meiteis 7. This group comprises 53% of
the population of the State of Manipur. The Meitei group includes Meetei Sanamahi, Meetei

54
Brahmins and Meetei Hindus. Indigenous tribal population represents 30% of the Manipur
population. They are define by their cultures and dialects which are village based.8

The Nagas are the second largest population in the state. A small number of the naga
population live in the plain area.

Literacy

The literacy rate of the State is 76.94% as per the 2011 census. Male literacy rate is 83.58%
and female literacy rate is 70.26%.

Tribes

The Meitei is the majority in the state followed by the nagas. Nagas are subdivided into
subtribes as Tankhuls, Sumi, Ao, Angami, Chang, Konyak, Liangmai, Lotha, Pochury,
Romgmei,Maram, Puomai,Chakhlesang, Zeme and Mao9 .

Religion

i) Hinduism

Hinduism as the most widely professed religion in Manipur has declined from its peak share
of 61.7% of the population in 1971 to 41.4% in 2011 10.The second mostly followed religion
in the state is Christianity i.e 41.3% according to 2011 census. The great majority of the
population in the Hill districts are Christian.

A small number of people also folowed Sanamahism (traditional Meitei religion),

Christianity and Islam. When Vaisnavism became a dominant force in the state in the 18th
century, king Garibniwaj declared Hindu as the state religion.

ii) Christianity

Christianity is followed by 41% of the population. In the 20th century, schools based on
Christianity introduced Western-model education. Famous schools in Manipur are Don
Bosco High School, Little Flower School , Nirmalabas High School and St. Joseph's Convent
are all run by Catholic nuns and priests.

55
 iii) Meiteism and Sanamahi

Folk religions are practiced by about 8% of the state's people. They have a long history. Sun
is worshipped by the Sanamahis. Some of the traditional deities are Atiya Sidava, Pakhangba,
Koubru, Marjing, Leimarel, Oknarel and Wangbaren..11.

As per the 2011 population census, these religions accounted for 8.19% of the population. 12.

iv) Islam

Pangals known as Meitei Muslims constitute 8.3% of the Manipur Population as per 2011.
They belonged to the group of Bangladeshi Turani, Bengalis and Mughals among Manipuri
muslims13 .

Government

At present, Manipur has 9 administrative districts

District Area (km2) Population

Bishnupur 496 237,399

Imphal West 519 517,992

Imphal East 709 456,113

Senapati 3271 193,744

Churchandpur 4570 274,143

Tamenglong 4391 140,651

Ukhrul 4544 183,998

Thoubal 514 422,168

Chandel 3313 144,182

56
Agriculture

About 80% of state’s populations depend on agriculture for their livelihood. About 50% of
the state’s income is derived from agriculture and weaving. There are still no big industries in
Manipur. Some small scale industries are at the developing stage.

Manipur's soil and climate conditions are favorable for horticultural crops. Rare and exotic
medicinal and aromatic plants are grown. Several cash crops suited for Manipur include
walnuts, litchi, cashew nuts, lemon orange, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, peach, pear and
plum 14. The state is one of the India's largest contributors to its bamboo industry.

Economy

Manipur’s economy is basically based on agriculture, small trade and cottage industry and
forestry. 15

Transportation infrastructure

The only airport in Manipur, Tulihal Airport is now an international airport and connects with
Kolkota, Delhi, Guwahati and Agartala. National Highway NH-39 links the state with rest of
the country via railway station at Dimapur and National Highway 53 links with Assam State.

The Indian government had announced of considering an infrastructure network from

Manipur to Veitnam16. It will connect Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, if
constructed.

Education

Prominent institute of higher education are the Manipur University, Central University, both
located at Imphal. Instruction is mainly in English.

Art and Culture

Manipur people are creative and artistic by nature. This can be seen in their handloom and
handicraft products, which are well known in the world for their ingenuity, designs,

57
usefulness and colourfulness. Ras Lila, Nupa Pala, Pung Cholom, Maibi Dance and Khamba
Thoibi Dance are popular form of dance in the state of Manipur 17.

Festivals

Holi, Diwali, Ningol Chakouba, Christmas, Gan Ngai, Heikru hi Tongba are some of the
famous festivals observed in Manipur. Almost all the festivals celebrated in India are also
celebrated in Manipur.

Tourism

The tourist season starts from October month to February month, when it is often sunny
without being hot and humid. The culture of Manipur features martial arts, theatre, dance, and
sculpture. Polo, which is a royal game, originated from the state of Manipur.

Imphal city: - It has Tulihal Airport. The Khuman Lampak sports complex is famous for
being a venue for National Games in 1997. The city also has the famous Ima s market, the
market where the products are sold by women only.

Moirang: - Moirang is situated 45 kms away from Imphal city. The ancient temple of the pre-
Hindu deity, Lord Thangjing stands there. Every year, people of the state celebrate Lai
Haraoba in honour of the lord. Khamba Thoibi dance originated from this place. This place is
also significant for first hoisting the flag of the Indian National Army on IndiansoilonApril14,
1944. Many of the articles associated with it like photos, letters, badges of ranks etc are kept
in the museum.

Moreh: - it is very famous commercial hub for doing business. It has an international border
the Indo Myanmar road. It is 110kms away from the Imphal city. Many people go for trading
and also visited places like Mandalay through organized tours. The products available at
these market places are very cheap and they are mostly Chinese products.

Eco tourism

Keibul Lamjao is a national park situated 48 km from Imphal. It is home to the very rare deer
called Sangai or brow antlered deer. Its ecosystem has seventeenth species which is rare to
find.
58
Lakes

The Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in North East India. It is indeed a miniature
inland sea. It has a tourist bungalow at the top of the Sendra island. There are small floating
island made of weed and vibrant water plants.

Handloom and Handicraft

In Manipur, handloom industry is the largest cottage industry. This industry has been
blooming since time immemorial. One of the unique characteristics of the industry is that
women are the only weavers. Most of the weavers are well-known for their skill and intricate
designs and comes from Khongman, Kongba, Wangkhei, Utlou Bamon Kampu, etc. Tribal
shawls with striking designs and pattern are products of five hilly districts of the State. The
products are famous and in great demand including the international market.

Basket making is also famous in Manipur. Diverse shapes and sizes with different designs are
manufactured for domestic and ritualistic. Pottery culture is also very old in the state of
Manipur. The majorities of the pots are handmade and are variety of colours (dark, red and
black). Pottery flourishes in Sekmai, Andro, Chairen, Nungbi, Thongjao, and parts of
Senapati District.

Security and Insurgency

Manipur has a long history of problems related to insurgency and violence among the ethnic
groups. The first insurgent group was United National Liberation Front which was formed in
1964. They wanted sovereignty from India and a separate country for Manipur.

Ultimately, many underground force groups emerged with separate goals and ideologies in
the State. Examples are People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak in 1977, People
Liberation army in 1978 and the Kangleipak Communist Party in 1980.

The major ethnic violence in Manipur is between the Meiteis Nagas Kukis and other tribal
groups. Various other armed groups present in Manipur who are not in agreement are People
United liberation Front, Revolutionary Committee, Zomi Revolutionary Army, Hmar People
Convention, Kanglei Yawol Lup, Kuki Security Force, Kuki national army, NSCN-K NSCN-

59
IM, Chin kuki Revolutionary Front, Kuki Democratic Movement, Kuki National Front,
Revolutionary People s front and Zomi Reunification Army18 .

The Kuki insurgent groups wanted a separate state for the Kukis. In fact they wanted to form
a self government in the state. The Kuki insurgent faction operates under two major groups of
United Peoples Forum and Kuki National Organisation (KNO).

More than 20 tribes of Naga are present in Manipur particularly in Tamenglong, Ukhrul,
Senapati, and Chandel districts. Both factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland,
the Kaplang and Issac-Muivah factions are active in Manipur. The Naga armed groups
wanted independence of Naga inhabited areas.

The State government of Manipur, the Meiteis, and the Meitei armed opposition groups are
against the inclusion of the Naga inhabited areas into the so called Greater Nagaland. The
extension of the cease-fire agreement between the Government of India and the National
Socialist Council of Nagaland and into Manipur led to the state-wide protest and the burning
of the Manipur State assembly in June 2001. 19

77 civilians died in 2009 in the state of Manipur. More than 20 civilians have died due to
militants related violence from 2010 onwards. Nevertheless, there were 76 explosions in the
year of 2013, compared to 107 explosions in 201220. Various groups in the state have claimed
responsibility for the acts. Some claimed that they directing their attacks on insurgent groups,
while others would claim their targets as state and central government officials. 21

Conflict and Armed Force (Special Power) Act (AFSPA)

Manipur came under the Armed Force Special Power Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in 8th September,
1980 as the state government felt the need of security forces to assist the region in preventing
the violent deaths and in maintaining the law and order created by the insurgents groups in
the State22.

These Acts gives extraordinary powers to the non-commissioned officers of the armed forces
to arrest anyone without warrant, to demolish any structure that may be hiding absconders
without any authentication, to carry out search and seizure without warrant and to shoot even

60
to the causing of death. No legal proceeding against misuse of such arbitrary powers can be
initiated without the prior permission of the Central government.

After the application of AFSPA in Manipur, it became a great concerned about the Human
rights violation in the State. Torture, arbitrary killings, cruel, enforced disappearance
degrading and inhumane treatment by the military armies has been reported. Irom Chanu
Sharmila, a civil rights activist has been fasting for the last 15 years demanding the Indian
government to repeal AFSPA. The deployment of AFSPA in the region is also one of the
reasons for the rise of the most prominent women group in Manipur i.e. Meira Paibis.

PART - B

Role of Manipuri Women

The role of women has changed dramatically within the last century. The varying role has
made a vast influence in the actions of many women. The women of northeast India and
particularly of Manipur have been recognized as having a relatively high status in their
communities and have seen the influence of collective women’s power before and even in the
present day. The high status accorded to her womenfolk is one of the prides in Manipur. They
have a uniquely superior position and status with bigger responsibilities than women of other
societies

The society of Meitei (Manipuri) is patriarchal yet women play an essential role. Women in
Manipur continued to have a distinct guardianship within a largely male dominated society.
Meitei women enjoy a less subordinated role compare to women in other parts of India. There
is not much discrimination in Manipur based on genders. Their status and position is
astoundingly apparent in the myths, legends and old stories. Manipuri women from all
communities usually satisfy their socio and economic needs by forming groups and
associations based on consensus. The Meitei woman makes every effort to win in all their
endeavours. The traditional perception of labour division between men and women in the
indigenous society of the Meiteis was very obvious. They had an interdependence
relationship but not biased at any level23.

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The political participation of women is also an important sphere which needs to be
highlighted. Influential female bonding practices with the customary institutions of female
power and autonomy have shaped a unique milieu for collective political action. Manipuri
women’s political participation’s level is not up to the mark but still their involvement in
local self governance show positive indication for their future role in politics.

Socio-Economic Life of Manipuri Women

Manipur women played a vital part in the social-economic life of the State. The ancient
Manipur Empire used to involve in many wars and men used to be away for a long time. In
their absence women do all the works including trading and business.24 Manipuris women
have been engaged in a crucial part in the rural economy of Manipur. Manipuris women
played a vital role in the agricultural economy of Manipur, right from the participation in the
production to the selling and marketing of food grains. They earned money from their hard
work. They are known for keeping the family together and worked even harder than men in
the management of the many daily fish and vegetable markets across the state. They
supervise many of the internal trade of food and clothing and they hold a free standard of
living in the society. In fact, they do all the buying and selling of goods in the market.
Women rule the business sectors in majority of the main areas in Manipur. They were the
most important buyers and sellers in the market place Khwairamband Bazar– major central
bazaar in the heart of Imphal city which was founded in 1580AD by Khagemba Maharaja.
This market is also known as Ima Keithel meaning ‘Mother’s Market’ which is one of the
largest markets in India comprised of only female members. Also, this is the spot where the
prominent women’s war took place.

From earlier days, Manipuri society has an inbuilt plan of financial co-operation know as
Marup, for the most part started by women. This scheme exists even now and is continuing
successfully all through the state. Marup is a kind of co –operative movement which fulfil the
economic needs of the members. It is more of an income generating activity that supports the
member to start a fresh business for themselves. Manipur women have truly contributed
hugely in the social –economic advancement and upliftment of the society. 25

62
Role of Manipuri women in Social Movements

Manipur women have a long tradition of involvement in public life. Manipuris women are
found to be self-determining, courageous and self-confident and counter successfully against
any oppressive policy of the ruling authority.

It can account that the spirited and forceful characters of the women was due to the political
system during British periods26. Since the king and rulers of that time were involved in war
most of the time, the men of the families were taken away as a part of the military regime
training. So the women had to shoulder the responsibilities of running the house and thereby
developed the necessary skills and knowledge.

The women of Manipur from the starting took very active role at every social and political
issues of the state. Their participation could be seen from the big agitation which took place
in the history of Manipur. It was revolted by the women folk against the ruling king and the
colonial rules in the Manipur Kingdom. These women fearlessly took part in the two
27
memorable Nupi Lals (Women's War) occurred in1904 and in1939 . Those periods,
Manipur was under the British force and many limitations were imposed on the Manipur
King. The first women war broke out in 1904 due to the introduction of force labour. The war
was started to defy the decision of the British to send the local men to Kabow Valley for
gathering woods for building of the house of the Police Agent after it was destroyed by fire.
While the male members were collecting the materials necessary for the construction of the
house, the women groups suddenly appeared and snatched away the bamboo, thatches etc.
from the hand of the male members and threw it away to a nearby river. All the women
resorted to strike and market was completely stopped. The demonstration lasted for several
days and more than 5000 women took part in the agitation. Later, British leaders were
compelled to revoke the order28.

The 2nd women’s war or Nupi Lan was against the disorganized export of rice from Manipur
by native traders with the backing of British rulers. It brought about a starvation like
circumstance in Manipur despite the fact that it was harvest season. Introduction of free trade
especially rice, grains to outside markets led into hardship and starvation on people where the
women suffered the most in maintaining their families and children. Ultimately, the Manipuri
women came out together in grouped on the road to protest the shipping of rice. The
authorities retorted by sending police and military force to counter the situation. It was a

63
difficult situation for the British force to manage since the Manipuri women had been playing
a decisive role in the agrarian economy of the State. Steadily the demonstration by women
against the colonial British suppression and unfairness came into the limelight. The
demonstration spread in all parts of the kingdom. About thousand women’s gathering around
the Darbar office of the Maharaja on 11th December, 1939 was being reported. The women
shunned the Khwairamband bazaar i.e. main centre for trading and marketing in Imphal city.
Most of the participants were business women engaged in trade. The protest was an
impulsive objection against outside traders and shortage of rice in the state of Manipur. Here
the opinion of Oommen maybe cited which says, “Movements are neither mere accidents nor
entirely the resultant of manipulation of leaders and demagogues but the consequence of
conscious efforts of the men to change system” 29. The women fought heroically against the
British policies and some of them lost their lives in the protest. The struggle lasted for quite a
few months and finally after the frequent assurance of the ruler that the condition of the state
came back to normal.

Later, the Manipuri women organized themselves and started taking up the responsibility of
controlling the rising disorder in the society. Initially, the agitation was against the prise rice,
but later on it extended their demand in bringing transformation in the repressive
administrative policies of the British 30. The Women’s’ war brought a new Manipur. These
women were the ones who wanted to bring a change in the State and it also threw up the issue
of bringing major reforms in Manipur.

In spite of the fact that the battle for constitutional changes has been begun in 1938, it was the
Women's war that conveyed the matter to the centre which highlighted the inadequacy in
both the economic and state affairs arrangements of the Manipur State. Historians were of the
opinion that the Women War movement played a big role in the creation of a New Manipur.
It promulgated the call for political and economic transformation in Manipur.

In both the women’s war, the women of the state were against the repressive policies of the
British government. Long back ago, even when the Burmese armies made invasion to the
state, the women led the agitations to defend their State. Manipuri women’s roles are
unlimited beginning from the small financial activities to the dynamic commitment in country
building exercises31.

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Historical Movement of Women Civil Society Organization (Meira Paibis)

Meira Paibi, began as a mass movement in the year1970s to restraint public chaos made by
uncontrolled liquor abuses in Manipur state

Mid 1970’s has been a very significant period for Manipuri’s women. It was during this time
that women from both urban and rural areas started coming out from their home and initiated
a movement against the liquor consumption in the state. They were against the sell and the
use of liquor in the vicinity as they disturbed the calm atmosphere. Women in their localities
gathered their strength and asserted their capability in inspecting and controlling the persons
who were involved in the operation of liquor business. The organization formed by these
women came to be known Nisha bandh organizations. Eventually, Manipur became a dry
State.

The actual trouble came in the 1980s when the security force under Armed Forces (Special
Powers) Act, 1958 was deployed in the State in order to control the armed underground force
uprising in the state. This ACT gives full power and authority to the security forces to kill
anyone on mere suspicion with guaranteed immunity. In fact, it is reported that the central
forces created more problems with the coercive method they take up against the locals32.

But one incident changes the whole course of action for these Manipuris women. In the early
1980 in Manipur, a huge number of people were tortured and beaten mercilessly by security
forces under the Act. It happened because it was believed that an explosive was implanted in
a local residential are call Hairangoithong Maibam Leikai) in the city Imphal on December
29 of 1980. The security forces took away two innocent youths to their camp before handing
one to police. The president of women s organisation (All Manipur Women’s Social
Reformation and Development or Nupi Samaj) at that time and a few members started
keeping flaming torches alive the whole night safeguarding the men in their locality. These
women’s groups also went to the armies’ camp and fought with the army forces in a non-
violent manner to free the innocent youngster they took away. They were successful in
bringing back the youngster from the camp of the security forces. The same night a great
number of security personnel came to the vicinity where the bomb was planted thus creating
deep panic and anxiety among the civilians 33 .

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In spite of the terrifying situation, the local womenfolk and leaders of the Nupi Samaj came
out with torches in their hands and guarded the locality the whole night. So, it was a mass
movement which was started spontaneously by women’s group in order to defend the
innocent persons. After this incident, the activities of these women’s group were followed by
series of different forms of protests like public meetings, road blockage, demonstrations,
hunger strikes etc. Still now more than thousands of women have been involved in such kind
of protests and agitations.

These women came to be known as “Meira Paibis” or Torch bearers and their organization
are known as “Meira Paibi Organization”. In this way, the Women Torch Bearers or Meira
Paibis (Women Civil Society Organization) movement took birth in Manipur. Within a short
period, the movement spread very fast in every corner of the valley areas of the state as well
as in the hilly areas. The Meira Paibis stood against the oppression of the people of the state
by Indian security forces under the draconian law of AFSPA.

From this incident onwards, Meira Paibis have been fighting against all kinds of atrocities
and extremes carried out by the Indian security forces under the heinous Act, like involuntary
disappearance of detained youths, killing of innocent people, bogus encounters, rape and
murder of women. Their actions are not only limited here but they are also taking active
initiatives in all matters and challenges posed by the various insurgent groups of the State to
the common people in particular and society at large.

A few years later, substances/narcotics abuse increased and as a result public disorder and
crimes like theft/robbery, domestic violence, etc. also rise up in the state. Meira Paibis started
taking up these problems. These problems were considered by the Meira Paibis, as mostly
social evils, which needed restrain usually done by women. In fact, any agitation in Manipur
is incomplete without their presence.

What is Meira Paibis?

The name ‘Meira Paibis’ literally means Women Torch Bearers. Meira means the long torch
usually made of bamboo and Paibi is the holder of the torch. Meira Paibis use Meira
meaning torch as their main weapon and it is a sign of a just and fair war. The utilization of
34
fire which is a holy symbol adds sanctity to their movement . Almost all the women in
Meitei society becomes a Meira Paibi during any difficult situation.
66
‘Meira Paibis’ or the Women Torch Bearers in Manipur are the most important civil society
organization in the State. These civil society organization is comprised of groups of
women’s’ organizations who are functioning in the interest of the public but they operate
their activities outside the governmental zone. They are associations of like-minded women,
humanitarian in nature and they have no formal sources of funding. Their works speaks for
them and are influential in bringing about major social change in the society, through social
35
movements and social advocacy . These women organizations are not controlled by the
government and they assist people without charging any fees. Their area of operation is
infinite. They look after cases and tiny as household quarrels to big ones as issues of regional
security like ILP (Inner Line Permit), ceasefire etc.

It is the largest women's groups with the whole adult Meitei (Manipuri) female population as
its members in Manipur. Regardless of age or reproductive status whoever female go out for
the movement they are given the title as Imas meaning mothers, so now they are known as
“Ima Meira Paibis”. These women have come out to save their children. Earlier, the group
consisted only of mothers, but now even young woman, married and unmarried women have
also joined this movement.

Under the umbrella of the Meira Paibis, these womenfolk stand united to fight against like
Alcoholism, Drug Abuse etc. Their presences are felt in almost all the locality in Manipur.
After learning the account of their achievement stories, it started spreading all over the state.
These women began to form groups and protect their locality with an objective of controlling
the social evils and rising disorder in the society.

Meira Paibis and Indian Security Force under AFSPA

The Act was implemented in the Manipur state in the year1980 to restrain the insurgency
movement. It has been reported that the provisions of the Act has been using wrongly by the
army forces like arresting innocent people, torturing and faking fatal encounters. The
popularity of Meira Paibis gained momentum after this ACT was imposed in the State. They
became the protector of innocent civilians from the so called merciless hands of army
personnel. The Meira Paibis has been spearheading all protest against AFSPA which they
have branded as “black law” in the State of Manipur. From the beginning, they were the
67
loudest voice against the increasing violence in the society. Even though, the Imphal city was
declared out of the purview of AFSPA due to the efforts of Meira Paibis yet their protest
against AFSPA continues even today.

Ideology of the Organization

These women organizations are not typical/regular organizations with stylish goals and
objectives. Their ideology is clear and simple i.e to maintain peaceful atmosphere and to
protect the society from any untoward social evils. They did not fight to bring change but to
revive the old peaceful social atmosphere in the society. For decades, these women have been
organizing themselves as the watchdogs of society plagued with insurgency, unemployment,
poverty, border issues, army highhandedness and State apathy. The organization works for
the welfare of the society and not particularly for women. It is an organization who would not
remain quiet in the face of the atrocities committed on civilians either by the security forces,
outlawed organisation and other anti-social elements.

How Meira Paibis Functioned In the Society

As stated earlier, the women organization has neither formal source of funding nor
recruitment policy. The funds of the organization was managed through contribution by
members and sometimes through donation received from local politicians or philanthropic
people. As far as recruitment of members is concerned, the members came out automatically
from their houses if any activities of the government are affecting the interest of the people.
Most of them were voluntary and joined the organization by their own choice. However, the
members made mandatory for every household in the vicinity to send at least one female
member to join the organization during any crisis situation in the State.

These women members after becoming a part of the organization would stay till the midnight
in the shed. Every locality in the districts of the State has a shed which is usually given to
these women organization for their gathering. Sometimes these women would also use the
local vegetable market shed for their meetings. They would assemble in an agreed place and
sit informally, chatting among themselves, telling stories to each other and keeping an eye on
the surroundings. Usually they disperse for their homes before midnight. In short, Meira
Paibis shield their respective communities through comfortable and informal gatherings.

68
Even today, the streets are filled with their shouts and screams as they go for patrolling, be it
day or night.

Meira Paibis communicate their members in a special way in times of emergency. In case of
any danger, the women picked up a stone or any equipment and clang it against the nearest
lamppost like a bell. This is an emergency signal for all the women and men in the vicinity to
come out from their houses. The signal could be of issues related to drug/alcoholism abuse,
local theft or neighbourhood/family fights in their vicinity. In case of military combing
operation in the locality, all the women would safeguard their houses from the intrusion of
the armies.

Mechanism of Mediation

The organizations have assisted the victims of injustice and violence in the society. The
organizations have been using mediation as a means to resolve conflicts. In family mediation,
the Meira Paibis used to listen to the story of both parties involved in the conflict and makes
judgment to decide on the issues of compensation, punishment etc.

But if the case is related to Indian armies, the Meira Paibis, before intervention try to study
the case thoroughly to find out if the arrested person is innocent or not. If they found out that
the person is innocent, then they would directly go to the police or any officer in charge to
negotiate and demand the release of the innocents. If it did not work, then they would start
protesting demanding the release of the apprehended.

Strategies Employed in their Movements

The Meira Paibis has no fixed strategies for their activities. They have to select wisely the
kind of strategies they are going to use in their movement. Though most of the time they used
non violence still in difficult situations, they are embroiled with the kind of strategies they
adopt so as to yield fruitful results of their movements. However, the most conventional
strategy they used is that of simple dialogue. They also used all types of communication from
explanations to negotiation to try to settle a dispute. Quite often, the group also employs
informal conventional strategies like taking matters into their own hands before asking the
police to act. They would beat the offenders with shoes/sticks, tonsured their head or
blackened their face with wall paints or colours. And sometimes they would hand over the

69
culprit to the police. Demonstrations, dharnas and organizing rallies are also popular
movement activities employed by the groups.

The movement is alike to several other social movements since the organizations have to
make difficult strategic decisions in all their movements.

Organization Structure and Leadership

The structure of the Meira Paibis is flexible. The strong point of their structure is mainly due
to its voluntary character of membership and the way how decisions are made through
consensus methods and the procedure of selecting their leaders. 36. These organizations don’t
have a formal organizational structure or any fixed office like any other NGOs. It is one of
their demands to the Government of the State to allot some place for maintaining their office.
These women also do not meet every day to discuss issues. The members would met during
problematic situations only.

Every locality in the districts of the State has Meira Paibis groups. A formal body of Meira
Paibi usually comprised of a president, secretary, treasurer and advisor. The President of the
organization at state level is selected by bringing consensus among the members.

Earlier, the leaders were mostly women who were into selling and buying business in the
market. And they came from middle and lower middle class families. At present, apart from
market women, the leaders also came from different background. Leadership was usually in
the hands of those women who could present their views in a systematic, convincing and
lucid manner. Many of them can read and write but are not highly educated. Educated
working women indirectly support them by giving advice and sometimes take part in their
movements.

Nupi Samaj, Poirei Leimaro, Kanglamei founded by Ima Leirik and Meekhol founded by Ima
Janaki are some of the noted State level MeiraPaibi organisations in Manipur. Nupi Samaj is
considered as the oldest Meira Paibi Group and founder of the movement. The organization is
connected with all the other organizations which were founded after them. But there are
many Meira Paibi groups which not officially registered. At the moment, all the organizations
are strongly interweave simply at the lower level i.e the locality level. But at the higher level,

70
above the locality, the organization is loosely knit. Quite often there has been always a
communication gap between two organizations belonging to two different regions37.

Political Affiliation

It is reported that some of the prominent leaders of the organization have been approached by
major political parties in the State to join them but the members have declined their offers. At
present, the organization had tactically chosen to carry out their activities with no support
from any political parties. Ima (mother) Ramani, one of the founding leaders of the group
have expressed that they would prefer to disassociate themselves from politics and would
continue to work for good cause and the state should not take them for granted. Such kind of
decisions has brought many hurdles in their work since they work without protection from
any government agencies or political parties. Due to this, quite often, they have to face the
wrath of local police during their clashes.

Role of Meira Paibis in Contemporary Society

The Meira Paibis has become an important part of the society and has become the voice of
the needy people in the state. At present, they are playing crucial roles in mediating family
and neighbours disputes, control immoral relationship between men and women, check moral
and drug trafficking in the state, arrestment of drug dealers, solving problems related to
insurgency and military operations, elopement cases, theft, robbery etc. These women’s
groups come out in large numbers if they felt that the society is being threatened or if any
social issue is harming the interest of its citizen. They retorted to the situations by organizing
dharnas hunger strikes, rallies etc. as per the circumstances.

The contribution made by these women organization (Meira Paibis) to society is huge. They
supplement the police force from within. They have greatly reduced anti-social activities in
Manipur, thus solving off the burden from the law enforcers of the state to great extent. They
also discourage prospective criminals. A person would think twice before committing a crime
than to be ostracised by society. This woman groups act as a deterrent force in the State of
Manipur, which nobody would dare to invade.

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Achievements of the Women Organization

Women’s Organization has played an important role in stopping violence, maintaining social
order and bringing social harmony all through the Manipur’s history. Some of their notable
and successful endeavours have been discussed below:

Confronting the Indian Security Force (AFSPA)

In 1980 Manipur state came under Armed Forced Special Power Act to counter insurgency.
These women have been organizing protest demanding the revoke of the Act in the state.
They formed groups patrolling the night of their vicinity stopping the security forces to
conduct any combing operations.

There are numerous victorious stories of these organizations that directly intervene when the
armies intruded their areas. These women have been successful in confronting the armies and
rescuing many innocent young men from being torture in the hands of the security forces.
They act as a human shield between the security forces and the local people. These women
negotiated with the commanding officers to release innocent people and have been strongly
lobbying for the removal of army post near their vicinity, since the presence of armies creates
fear among the local people.

Mediating and Resolving Family issues in the society

The women’s organization usually intercedes to halt any violence or fighting related to
family/neighbourhood in the locality. As Meira Paibis became institutionalised in terms of
evolving as state wide organisation, the parties involved in family and social disputes go to
the Meira Paibis groups for mediation38.

These characteristics of the organization members as mediators come from their inherent
position as respected mothers in the community. They are bias in their judgement and are
successful in winning the trust of the people involved in disputes and bring solution to their
problems.

Reduced Anti Social Activities

In the north east India, they are one of the most successful women groups in bringing down
the incidence of anti social activities in the State. They were effective in campaigning against
alcohol, trafficking in drug and other such anti social activities like theft, gambling including
72
rape. They have guarded groups of families at night and sometime punished those offenders
by themselves.

Banned Of Foreign Liquor

The Origin of the Meira Paibis movement in Manipur during the 1980s may be attributed to
the widespread use of alcohol by the adults of the society. Women, who felt the sufferings in
the family when their husbands were addicted to alcohol, spontaneously came out to the
streets to serve as vigilance against sale and use of liquor. In the beginning, women Meira
Paibis groups (also called Nisha bandh) in each and every locality effectively banned the
liquor business in their localities. Acting even up to the dead of night, Meira Paibis caught
and punished alcoholics with their own ways of disciplining.

Civil society organisations like Meira Paibis spearheaded the strong anti-liquor campaigns to
curb sale and consumption of alcohol in the state. The main goals of the movement was to
ban the use of alcohol in the state as it gave to rise many problems like domestic violence,
theft etc. Their movement was successful when Manipur become a dry state with the passing
of the LiquorProhibitionActin1991 but it allowed indigenous tribes and castes to make their
liquor for customary use as a part of their tradition39.

June 18th, Uprising Day (Save Manipur Integrity)

In June 2001, as a repercussion of the agreement done between the Indian government and
National Socialist Council of Nagaland(I-M) regarding the extension of ceasefire "beyond
territorial limits", thousands of people, spearheaded by the women organizations turned up
shouting slogans, carrying banners and burning the effigies of the local leaders. They were
against the move of the government and wanted to protect the territorial integrity of the state.
They staged dharnas in front of Governor Bhavan, which was very near to the Chief
Minister’s bungalow. The NSCN (I-M) has been occasionally demanding a large section of
Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar. This was a major reason for creating
tension among different communities of the region40.

They were upset and protesting against the system, the issue, the governance and the
thoughtless and indifferent outlook of the leaders running the state of Manipur hurting the
sentiments of the people. Lots of properties were destroyed by the agitation but fortunately
the politicians were not harmed or injured. As a result, the Manipur Assembly made effort to

73
protect the territorial integrity of Manipur and the Centre paid heed to their demands and was
forced to reconsider their decision. Finally, it has decided not to extend the ceasefire beyond
Nagaland. Every year, that day has been observed as Great June Uprising Day.

Introducing Inner Line Permit in the State

The ILP is a particular permit that is necessary to enter the North eastern states of India like
Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram. British rulers had introduced it to protect the
local communities and their interest from intrusion of outsiders.

Prior to the 1891 Anglo-Manipur war, outsiders had to take consent from the ministers to go
into the province of the King. The ILP which was introduced by the British was into force till
1950. But later it was revoked when it became a state of India in 1972. The people of
Manipur demanded the restoration of ILP in the State again for the first time in 1980 through
the parliament41.

Recently in July 2015, the city of Imphal was thundered by agitations and protest which led
to the formation of Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System including students union
and member of Meira Paibis. They wanted the government to introduce an Inner Line Permit
(ILP) in the state. Later, the government withdrew the earlier Bill related to the migrant
workers and the chief Minister of the state ensured the people about a new bill soon.

Removal of Assam Riffle Force from Historic Place of Kangla

Kangla fort is a prominent historical site of Manipur. It was at Kangla that the kingdom of
Manipur was established. It is also a sacred and religious place. The local people were not
happy with the occupation of the Kangla fort by the Indian army force. Following the rape
and murder of Manorama Devi allegedly by jawans of Assam Rifles, the people of Manipur
with women organization leaders at the forefront have been in clashes against the presence of
the security forces. Protestors have been demanding the removal of Indian Security Force
(AFSPA) from Manipur that gives the Army sweeping powers.

The representatives of women organizations met the Prime Minister and after getting
assurance from him, the Indian Army was finally moved out of from the historic Kangla Fort
in 2004. The Kangla Fort was handed over by the Centre to the state government
from Army’s control. The Fort was occupied by the Assam Rifles in 1949.
74
In a series of measures by the Centre, Assam Rifles personnel were relocated from the Fort,
which is in the heart of Imphal.

Justice to Rape and Murdered Case of Thanjam Manorama Devi

One of the most difficult tasks and achievement of the women organization was in the
handling of the case of rape and murder of a Manipuri girl name Thangjam Manorama in
2004 by Indian armies under AFSPA. These women organized peaceful protests by carrying
torches in their hand demanding the revoke of AFSPA. Nupi Samaj, the prominent Meira
Paibi group—was at rage. All their agitations were of no use and the governments paid no
heed to it.

Twelve women organization members i.e the Imas (mothers), shocked the nation by standing
naked in public in front of Kangla Fort, an important religious place, where the security
forces were operating to show their dissentment in the murder and possible rape of the young
girl.

They raised slogans and shouted at the armies to rape them. The act of the women’s groups
was so powerful that none of the armies were able to look at the women directly. They dare
the armies if they have the guts to come out and infuriate their modesty42.

Twelve mothers were arrested and spent 3 months in jail but the agitation continued outside.
And the armies also were not able to carry out any of their operation due to the protest spread
everywhere in the state. Ultimately, these Assam Rifles troops were compelled to vacate the
historic Kangla Fort, which was used as their headquarters. Later, AFSPA was finally lifted
from Imphal valley, though it remained in the rest of Manipur. Recently, in 2014, the state
government has been directed by an apex court to pay Rs. 10 lakhs to Manorama's family as
compensation. It was more of a partial victory since the culprits could not be punished.

Recognition

Meira Paibis got the "Times of India ‘s Social Impact Awards for Lifetime contribution”. It
was received by its five leaders, the 83-year-old Thokchom Ramani, Purnimashi Leima, Ak
Janaki Leima, Y Leirik Leima, and L Memchoubi Devi. These women on that day hold up
the flaming torch as a mark of their movement which supports human rights and peace.43

75
Conclusion

It is thus seen that these women civil society organizations are group of women who are
engaged in informal law enforcement activities. They are active still today playing the role of
a protector of the people and trying to bring law and order in the society. These women
cannot remain unresponsive when the security and the human rights of their social members
get extremely endangered.

The name Meira Paibis bears a positive and constructive sense in the minds of the common
people in solving any conflicts and ultimately believed that justice will be delivered. They are
trusted with the most confidential and delicate matters, because they don’t come under the
preview of national laws. The flexibility in their organization structure and in their approach
has helped the organization in taking up diverse issues related to the society and also in
opening their doors to all the needy people irrespective of their gender. Meira Paibis are not
concerned about their rights. For them citizen’s rights and their welfare is more important.
They solely exist for the people of the State of Manipur and their existence in the society has
become inevitable as people have bestowed their trust upon them.

References:

1. Naorem Sanajaoba (1995) : Manipur: Treatise & Documents, Volume 1, ISBN 978-
8170993995, pp. 23-26.

2. Naorem Sanajaoba (1998) : Manipur, Past and Present: The Heritage and Ordeals of
a Civilization, Volume 4, Chapter 1, ISBN 978-8170998532, pp. 34-37.
3. Gangmumei Kabui (1991) : History of Manipur, National Publishing House, Delhi,
1991, pp. 22-27
4. State wise Indian fatalities, 1994-2013 Militancy and Terrorism Database, SATP,
New Delhi.
5. Haokip, Shri Ngamthang (2007) : "Basine Delineation Map of Manipur", Profile on
State of Environment Report of Manipur, 2006–07, Ministry of Environment and
Forests, Manipur, p. 4

6. Annual reports 2013-14, Manipur Tourism Policy, 2014

7. Khomdan Singh Lisam, Encyclopaedia Of Manipur, ISBN 978-8178358642, pp. 322–

347
76
8.
Population by religion community - 2011". Census of India, 2011. The Registrar
General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 25 August
2015.
9. S. R. Tohring (2010) :. Violence and identity in North-east India: Naga-Kuki conflict.
Mittal Publications. pp. xv–xvii. ISBN 978-81-8324-344-5.
10. Religious-Landscape-In-Manipur. Retrieved on 3rd August, 2015 from
http://www.hueiyenlanpao.com/ .

11. Nigombam, M, "A Brief history of the Meeteis of Manipur".

Themanipurpage.tripod.com. Retrieved 2010-07-16\.
12. Census of India : C-1 Population By Religious Community". censusindia.gov.in.
Retrieved 1 September 2015

13. "Evolution of clan system Manipuri Muslim". e-pao.net. Retrieved on 4th September
2015.
14. G. Hiamguanglung Gonmei, (2013) : "Hills Economy of Manipur: A Structural
Change", Journal of North East India Studies, Vol. 3, No. 1, January–June, pp. 61–73
15. State wise : Population, GSDP, Per Capita Income and Growth Rate Planning
Commission, Govt of India; See third table 2011-2012 fiscal year, 16th row

16. "Rail link from Manipur to Vietnam on cards: Tharoor – Times Of India". The Times
of India. Retrieved on 2nd May, 2016.

17. Annual Administrative Report, Art And Culture, 2013-14, retrieved from
http://manipur.gov.in

18. Background: Conflict in Manipur" Human Rights Watch (2008)

19. An analysis of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958
-- By The Asian Centre for Human Rights, PUCL Bulletin, March 2005
20. Manipur Assessment - Year 2014, SATP, New Delhi
21. Global Burden of Armed Violence (2011) : Chapter 2, Geneva Declaration,
Switzerland
22. Is AFSPA in Manipur eternal? Dhananjay Mahapatra , Times of India, Jan 15, 2016
23. Yenning (2014a) : Is the Meira Paibi Movement Facing Extinction?, 30th November,
The Sangai Express

77
24. Tingneichong G. Kipgen, (2010) : Women's Role in the 20th Century Manipur: A
Historical Study, Gyan Publishing House

25.Kumar, S. (2007) : Manipuri women , Bishnupriya Manipuri

26. Shreema Ningombam (2011) : Manipur: Women's Rights In A Traditional And

Militarized Society Ethics In Action , Vol. 5 No. 6 – pp 21-30

27. Seram Neken (2012a) : "The voiceless speaks" , Hueiyen Lanpao (English Edition)
September 20.
28. Lucy .T.V Zehol (1998) : Women S Movement In Manipur: Some Observation In
Social Movements In North East India, Edited By Mahendra Narain Karna, Indus
Publishing, 1998 – N.Delhi India, pp. 68-69

29. T.K Oommen (1977) : Charisma, Stability And Change : An Analysis Of Bhoodhan
Gramdan Movement In India, Thompson Press, New Delhi, pp. 35.
30. Mukherji, S (2010) : Meira Paibis: Women Torch-bearers on the March in Manipur,
Mainstream, Vol XLIX, No 1,
31. Seram Neken (2012b) : "The voiceless speaks" , Hueiyen Lanpao (English Edition)
September 20.
32. She Stoops To Conquer, 2004, The Archives, The Telegraph

33. Genesis Of Meira Paibi Movement Recalled, (2011), The Sangai Express
34. Yenning (2014b) : Is the Meira Paibi Movement Facing Extinction?, 30th November,
The Sangai Express

35. Lalzo.S, : (2013). Role of Meira Paibi in bringing about Social Change in the
Manipuri Society: an Analysis, Journal of Social Welfare and Mangement Volume 5,
pp 25
36. Thokchom,Nandini _____ : Women’s Movement in Meitei society, Seeds of Hope,
Lokayan

37. Bimola. M (1998) : Social Movement In Manipur, in Social Movements In North East
India, Edited By Mahendra Narain Karna, Indus Publishing, 1998 – N.Delhi India,
pp. 70

78
38. Chandra,R (2004) : Social Development In India, Volume 5, Gyan Publishing House,
pp 25
39. Richard, Kamei (2014) : Prohibition in Manipur, Deliberations over its 'Dry State'
Status ,Vol - XLIX No. 52, EPW publication
40. The Great June 18 Uprising And The 18 Great Souls, June, 2015, The Sangai Express
41. Roy, Esha (2015) The Indian Express Inner Line Permit: Why Manipur Is On The
Boil Again
42. 'Indian Army, Rape Us' Anubha Bhonsle, Outlook 10 Feb. 2016.
43. TOI Social Impact Awards: Lifetime contribution — Meira Paibi, (2013), Times of
India

79
 Chapter - 4
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
 Chapter - 4

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

____________________________________________________________

In this chapter an effort is made to explain the procedure of conducting the study. It is also
explained about the methodology adopted for the study.

Introduction

Women are generally considered as unqualified to lead or manage routine organizations of

any sizes, such as institutes, offices or other collective bodies. This belief has originates from
time immemorial, and has managed to remain alive for a long period, until this millennium
when things have started to improve. In modern society they have come out of the four walls
to participate in multifarious activities. Women started playing a very vital and active role in
various social movements.

One such movement of extreme importance is the Women Civil Society Organization or
Meira Paibis movement in Manipur. This social movement through these women
organizations has its roots in the history of Manipur. On numerous occasions, womenfolk of
Manipur stood against the strong forces for the sake of sons of the soil. Even the mighty
British Empire got defeated before Manipuri womenfolk. The contributions made by these
women organizations (Meira Paibis) through various social movements in the state of
Manipur are tremendous and is indeed magnificent.

Statement of the Problem

Manipuri women are known for their active participation in the social, economic, cultural and
political life of the state. They are always are in the forefront of various social movements.
The emergence of women civil society organization or Meira Paibis in Manipur is a
significant phenomenon.

‘Meira Paibis’ in Manipur are the leading civil society organization in the State. They are
also referred as “Imas” meaning Mothers in Manipuri language, as most of the participants
are women in the age category of 45 – 75 years. These women organizations started a mass
80
social movement in bringing a peaceful social order in the state of Manipur. They played an
important role in the productive process of the state and they are the guardians of the state,
always on the forefront protecting the society and rights of the people. They keep a constant
vigil day and night against any possible or actual violation of human conducts and rights of
their respective localities. This is one of the rarest organizations headed by women which
adopt a gender neutrality approach in all their activities. These women cannot tolerate any
kind of injustice and violence whether it is committed by the state authority or insurgents.
They also condemned and tackled local problems like family domestic violence, marital-
breakdown and all kinds of anti - social behaviours like drug abuse, theft etc. These women
are quick to point out that they are mothers, sisters and wives and they cannot remain
indifferent when the securities of their social members get seriously endangered.

The last few years there has been a sharp increased in the involvement of these women
organizations in various movements associated with social issues in the state. The social life
of Manipur was dominated by dharnas, sit and protest, demonstration etc organised by the
Meira Paibis in every hook and corner of the society. When situation compelled then women
came out as soldier and fight the enemies courageously. The crucial question is why these
organisations continue to exist and what motivates these women’s organisations (Meira
Paibis) to participate in social movements? It is also important to know the spirit of these
women that keeps them alive and ticking, and the social issues which they are fighting for.

The present study aims to trace the origins of these social movements by women’s
organizations (Meira Paibis) and explore the complex role that Meira Paibis have played in
Manipur society, the various strategies adopted by them in their movements and what
functions they may continue in the future. This study will also further investigate whether
these organisations still play an integral role in safeguarding the society from various
untoward incidents happening in the society or whether they are merely just an expression of
resistance to local politics. The crucial role played by these selfless women needs to be
highlighted to the world as an example of what women can do for the society. This
necessitates a detailed and systematic study of these organisations. The researcher being a
woman and an insider of the study region herself intends to provide a realistic insight into
the dynamic of social movements through women’s organizations (Meira Paibis) in the state

81
of Manipur. With this experience and background the present study was formulated and
hence it was felt necessary to undertake this study.

Operational Definitions

Civil society Organization: Here, it refers to the women organizations (Meira Paibis) that
are providing an important service to the society. These women organizations are not
controlled by the government and they assist people without charging any fees

Social Movement: Social movements have been defined as large-scale in formal groupings
of individuals or organisations, which are connected through their shared interests to focus on
specific political or social issues, in order to carry out a social change. Here, for the present
study, social movements means any goal-directed activity jointly pursued by women’s
organization (Meira Paibis)in order to bring or resist a change in the society.

Issues: Issue means an important topic or problem for debate or discussion. Here, for the purpose of
the study, it refers to any issue or area, the organization has been working in the society since its
inception. The particular issue can be social, political or economic in nature. The women civil society
organizations are often found to involve in solving such issues.

Armed Force: Here, it refers to the security or \military forces which come under the purview Armed
Forces (Special Powers) Acts (AFSPA). It is deployed in the state to suppress the disorder and to
restore and maintain the public order in region. This Acts have received criticism from several
sections for alleged concerns about human rights violations in the regions of its enforcement alleged
to have happened.

Beneficiaries: A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person who receives money
or other benefits from a benefactor. For the purpose of the study, beneficiary means an
individual who has received substantial help/assistance from the women’s’ organization.

82
Objectives of the Study

The study was guided by the following major objectives:

1. To reflect on the emergence of Women Civil Society Organizations (Meira Paibis) in

Manipur and to study the objectives, structure and functions of such organisations,
2. To study the socio-economic characteristics of the women members of these
organisations and to examine the level of support these women participants receive
from their own family and the society.
3. To explore the roles of these women organisations (Meira Paibis) and their
contributions to the society.
4. To highlight the issues/areas of intervention made by the Women Civil Society
Organizations (Meira Paibis) and find out the various methods and strategies adopted
by them in their movement.
5. To examine their current areas of activities with relevance to today’s society and to
know their future plans/strategies.
6. To know and understand the opinion of the beneficiaries as regards to the nature,
extent and quality of the services received from these organizations
7. To analyse the effectiveness of services made by these women organization and its
impact on the lives of the people concerned.
8. To investigate the various problems and difficulties faced by these women’s
organisations while addressing their issues and thereby to suggest suitable measures
to make their role more effective.
9. To find out the scope of social work intervention with regards to these women
organizations.

Significance of the Study

The role played by the Manipuri women in different walks of life is the greatest social fabric
in Manipur. As their roles widened, they are morally, intellectually and morally equipped to
tackle the problems of the state, terrorism, violence and conflicting problems between the
state and the insurgents. Women civil society organizations (Meira Paibis) movements have
always raised their voices for a free Manipur where there will be no such miseries and

83
sufferings of the people. Though its initial efforts were mainly against the injustice meted out
by the state authority, against accesses committed by the security personnel, against violation
of human rights etc., later they extended their services to others issues such as domestic
violence, drug abuse, alcoholism etc. They are playing significant role in defending and
upholding the rights of the people of Manipur.

The significance of the present study is that it highlights and studies these women
organisations that have undeniably changes people’s lives for the betterment. Various social
economic and political factors in Manipur are going to be examined to explain the emergence
of these women civil society or Meira Paibis social movement. The views and opinions of the
people who have benefitted from their services are going to be analysed. The study will also
be helpful in bringing the remarkable work done by these unknown women into the spotlight
and will also be a inspiration to many liked minded individuals and groups, especially women
in other societies who are fighting relentlessly against various social evils of the society. The
findings of the study will also shed light on the strength and weakness of such organizations.
The study will also be helpful in bridging the gaps between the efforts and various
endeavours of the state government and these women organisations in making a better
society. And lastly but not the least, the study will also be useful to the planners, policy
makers and those who want to work for the progress of the society and in the vital areas of
women development.

Scope of the Study

The geographical scope of the proposed study is confined to the geographical limits of the
state of Manipur. The subject wise and analytical scope of the study covered the fulfilment of
the specific objectives set out for the purpose of the proposed study i.e socio – economic
background of the respondents, organisational profile, major roles of these women
organisations in protecting the societies, their areas of interventions in their movements, level
of support from family and society, strategies employed in addressing their dissentment and
their contributions in the lives of the people. Further, the opinion of the beneficiaries on the
quality of services provided by the organizations and its effectiveness has also been covered
in the study. In addition, the study also focussed on the scope of the practice of professional
social workers with regards to these women organisations in the disturbed State of Manipur.

84
Research Design

Keeping in mind the objectives of the study the exploratory research design was adopted
here to gain insight and familiarity with the women organizations as much studies has not
been done on this topic. And hence the study tried to understand and explore the roles of
Women civil society organizations (Meira Paibis) in social movements in Manipur.

Methodology:

To satisfy and meet the objectives of the study, both qualitative as well as quantitative
methodologies were employed. The adopted scientific procedures are discussed below.

1 ) Universe of the Study

All the Women Civil Society organizations (Meira Paibis) in the state of Manipur comprised
the universe for the purpose of the study.

2 ) Sampling Frames

Based on the lists of the organizations available with the main head office of the Women
organization (Meira Paibi) under the aegis of All Manipur Women’s Social Reformation and
Development Samaj, it has come to the notice that approximately there are around 800
organizations which are registered and actively working. This list of organizations which
was collected from the head office was considered as the main sampling frame of the
organizations. Taking the time and money factors into consideration, a total of 160 (20%)
organizations was sampled out with the help of systematic random sampling.

Selection of the organizations

While selecting the organisations in each district, the following criteria were adopted.

i) Should have been in existence for at least 5 years.

ii) Willingness to participate in the study.

iii) Accessibility of the location by public transport facilities.

Secondly, the list of the key office bearers/functionaries (President, Secretary, Chairmen,
Treasurer Etc.) was collected from the sampled organizations and accordingly, the sampling

85
frame was prepared for the key office bearer/functionary of the organizations. And two
executive members of the organizations were sampled out with the help of systematic random
sampling.

3 ) Sampling Procedure

The systematic random sampling method was used to sample out the organizations and office
bearers from the sampling frames which was prepared separately for the purpose. Adequate
care will be taken for proportionate representation from each district.

As far as the selection of the beneficiaries is concerned, one beneficiary from each sampled
out organization was selected using Non-Probability Purposive sampling method. Those
beneficiaries who are willing to participate and give information and share their stories will
be selected. Adequate care was taken to select the respondents without any bias. Thus, the
final sample consisted of 160 organizations, 320 main executive members of the organization
and 160 beneficiaries.

4 ) Units of Observation and Sample Size

The main office bearers of the organizations, beneficiaries and their family members, NGOs
/Voluntary organization workers, activists, and related persons, were the units of observation.
The sample size of the organization was 160. And the sample sizes of the respondents were
480 .i.e. 320 executive members of the organization and 160 beneficiaries.

Sources of Data Collection

Both primary and secondary source of data was obtained from various sources. They
are as follows:

(i) Primary Data

Primary data was collected directly from the concerned respondents with the help of
structured interview schedule that was specially designed for its purpose through face to face.

(ii) Secondary Data

Secondary data was obtained from the related documents/pamphlets from the women
organization (Meira Paibis), books, social welfare magazines, journals, periodicals,

86
newspapers, libraries, educational institutions, government offices, websites and NGOs
according to the need of the study.

Tools of Data Collection

Followings will be the tools that were used for the data collection:

(i) Interview Schedule

Keeping in mind the aims and objectives of the study, a Structured Interview
Schedule was prepared as the formal tool of data collection. Study was conducted by
preparing separate structured interview schedules for the different categories of respondents
i.e (a) Executive Members of the Organizations and (b) Beneficiaries of the organization..
While preparing the interview schedule sufficient care was taken to cover all the aspects
covered in the objectives.

(ii) Interview Guide

A brief interview guide was prepared as a checklist for collecting the information
from government official, subject experts and persons from various others professional fields
like academicians, journalists, NGOs workers, social workers etc.

Methods of Data Collection

The methods of data collection included the personal interview, observation method
and focus group discussion method.

(i) Interview Method:

Interview method with the help of structured interview schedule was the main method
of primary data collection. The researcher also put some questions regarding several issues
which could not be included in the interview schedule. Sufficient care was taken to conduct
the interviews of the selected respondents. The professional relationship was established and
then the relevant data was collected through conducting interviews. Privacy was maintained
to make the respondents to speak out.

87
(ii) Observation method:

The researchers used both participant and Non-participant observation methods for
the primary data collection. Participant observation method was used specially for the
purpose of conducting informal discussions. And non-participating observation method was
used for recording the researcher’s impression about the organization/respondent’s
atmosphere.

To make this data reliable and qualitative the researchers also used interaction techniques and
interacted with their family members, relatives, friends and religious groups.

(iii) Focused Group Discussion method:

The researcher conducted focus group discussion with the respondents on various issues. This
method of discussion was held with people from diverse fields like journalists, educationists,
government officials etc. for getting their views on these women organisations (Meira Paibis)
and suggestions regarding the various aspects of social movements headed by these women
organizations in the State.

Pilot Study

In order to examine whether the questions set in the interview schedule were relevant
and appropriate and to know their validity, a pilot study was conduct before the
commencement of actual data collection work in the month of February, 2015. The structured
interview schedule was administered with a selected sample of 20 organization members and
10 beneficiaries. The data were processed and the results of the pilot study were drawn
accordingly. Required changes were made in the tools of the data collection designed for the
study. This has helped in standardizing the prepared tools with necessary modification i.e.,
deletions and additions.

Data Processing:

The data collected from the respondents of the study were subjected to verification,
quantification and coding by referring a coding key. The coded data was entered in computer
for data processing and analysis with the help of the statistical package for social sciences
(SPSS).

88
In order to satisfy the objectives of the study and get necessary analysis and interpretation of
the research study, statistical tests have been employed. Basically the study adopted
descriptive statistical analysis. However, it also adopted uni-variate and bi-variate statistical
analysis. Bi-variate analysis was done for the comparison of data. Further, the study applied
Chi- Square Statistic Test (x2) to seek associations and relationships between the variables.

Limitation of the Study:

The study was subjected to some limitations which were as follows:

 The investigators had to work under a number of constraints. Preparation of the list of
the organization was itself a big task and difficult due to the discrepancies in the
sources in terms of names, addresses and locations.
 The study could not cover much of the organizations located in hilly areas of the State

due to road blockage problems related to ILP (Inner Line Permit) issues happening at

the time of researcher’s data collection period.

 Many a times the concerned authorities of the organization did not permit disclose the
names of the beneficiaries of their organizations. Sometimes the investigators had to
re-visit the organization and the resident of the beneficiaries twice or thrice to
complete the interview process.
 The investigators had a hard time in convincing the respondents (both organization
members and beneficiaries) regarding the importance of the study.

However, in spite of these limitations the insights from the data gathered were enough

to draw inferences to fulfil the objectives of study.

Scheme of Chapters

Following is the scheme of the entire study undertaken.

Chapter - 1 Social Movements in India: A Conceptual Framework

Chapter - 2 Review of Literature
Chapter - 3 Profile of Manipur State - The Study Region and Profile of Women’s
Organization (Meira Paibis) in Manipur

89
Chapter - 4 Research Methodology
Chapter - 5 Data Analysis and Interpretation.
Chapter - 6 Findings, Conclusions and Suggestions.

90
 Chapter – 5

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

 CHAPTER – 5

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

________________________________________________________________________

An attempt has been made in this chapter to statistically analyse and interpret the primary
data collected through the interview schedules by adopting the interview method.

This has been presented and discussed in the following pages. The same has been divided
into two parts that are as follows:

I. Analysis and interpretation of the primary data related to the Organization members
of the Organization
II. Analysis and interpretation of the primary data related Beneficiaries

The first part of the chapter discusses the personal and socio-economic background of the
respondents, reasons for joining the organization and level of family support they get from
their family. This part also discusses the objectives, policies, financial aspects of the
organization, and the issues/areas of intervention made the Organizations (Meira Paibis) and
their various methods and strategies adopted by them in dealing with the issues and problems
of the society.

The second part deals with the profile of the beneficiaries, their problems and measures
adopted in dealing with their problems by the women organization. This part also deals with
the knowledge and opinion on the services of the organization, impact of the services in their
lives, importance of women organization in the society, on the basis of the primary data
collected from the people who have benefitted from the services of the organization.

91
 PART - I

Analysis and interpretation of the primary data related to the Organization

members of the Organization

Marital status of the Respondents by their Age

Age and marital status play an important part for the present study since women solely run
the organization. It is necessary to understand the kind of women who are actually involved
in the organization. The study also had an objective to know the demographical background
of the respondents. Hence, an attempt has been made to know the age and marital status of
the respondents. The table below shows the age of the respondents and their marital status.
Table No. 1
Marital Status of the Respondents by their Age

Age
Marital Upto 35 36 - 45 years 46 - 55 years 55 years Total
years and above
7 24 127 122 280
Married
(2.2) (7.5) (39.7) (38.1) (87.5)
Unmarried 7 2 5 3 17
(2.2) (0.6) (1.6) (0.9) (5.3)
Widow/Widower 0 0 0 8 8
(0) (0) (0) (2.5) (2.5)
Divorced 0 1 3 4 8
(0) (0.3) (0.9) (1.3) (2.5)
Separated 0 0 1 6 7
(0) (0) (0.3) (1.9) (2.2)
Total 14 27 136 143 320
(4.4) (8.4) (42.5) (44.7) (100.0)

The table describes the marital status of the respondents by their age.

It is seen from the table that 88 percent of the respondents were married, of which 40
percent respondents were in the age group of 46 - 55 years, 5 percent respondents were
unmarried and 2 percent respondents were separated from their respective spouses. And 3
percent respondents were widow/widower and another 3 percent respondents were divorcees.
It is also seen from the table that 45 percent respondents were more than 55 years old.

92
 As regards to the marital status of the respondents, it is found that nearly 90 percent of
the respondents were married. Very few percent respondents were found to be unmarried. A
large percent (87%) of the respondents were found to be more than 46 years old.
To conclude most of the respondents under study belonged to the age group of 46 years
to 55 years and above. This primary data reflects on the large concentration of married
women of late middle aged and older people in the organization.

Occupation of the Respondents by their Education

Education level plays a significant role in taking decisions with regards to participation
in the organization activities. The occupational background of the respondents is equally
important to know the kind of workforce they are into as their organizational activities are
very demanding. Following table depicts the data related to theses aspects.

Table No. 2
Occupation of the Respondents by their Education

Education
Occupation Post Total
Illiterate Primary Secondary Graduate
graduate
Government 0 4 14 26 8 52
employee (0) (1.3) (4.4) (8.1) (2.5) (16.3)
9 14 22 13 5 63
Business
(2.7) (4.4) (6.9) (4.1) (1.6) (19.7)
Professional private
0 0 5 15 5 25
Practice (lawyer,
(0) (0) (1.6) (1.6) (1.6) (7.8)
doctor, teacher etc.)
Shopkeeper/Vegetabl 11 18 23 5 0 57
es Vendor (3.4) (5.6) (7.2) (1.6) (0) (17.8)
10 41 19 4 0 74
Weaver/Embroidery
(3.1) (12.8) (5.9) (1.3) (0) (23.1)
12 13 19 3 2 49
Homemaker
(3.8) (4.1) (5.9) (0.9) (0.6) (15.3)
42 90 102 66 20 320
Total
(13.0) (28.2) (31.9) (20.6) (6.3) (100.)

The above table explains the occupation of the respondents by their education.

It is seen from the table that 16 percent of the respondents were government employees,
of which 8 percent of the respondents were graduate and 3 percent were post graduate

93
qualified. Twenty three percent of the respondents were into weaving and embroidery, of
which 13 percent respondents studied till primary level. About 20 percent of the respondents
were into business, 8 percent respondents were into professionals like law, medical etc., 18
percent respondents were either shopkeepers or vegetable vendors and 15 percent
respondents were homemaker. The table also reveals that 13 percent of the respondents were
illiterate, 28 percent respondents studied till primary level and 32 percent respondents had
education till secondary level. About 21 percent respondents were graduate level and 6
percent were post graduate qualified.

Regarding the occupation of the respondents, it is found that more than 80 percent of the
respondents were working and involved in one or the other activities. The respondents were
found to work as government employees (16%), shopkeeper, vegetable vendors (18%),
weavers (23%), medical/law practitioners (8%) etc. The study also further found that 13
percent of the respondents to be illiterate and did not have any formal education. The
education level has no relationship with their occupation as most of the respondents were
found to be working.

It is thus concluded that a majority of the respondents were working and were mostly literate
and studied till primary and secondary level. Even though these women were not highly
qualified, still it did not stop them from carrying out their activities. Their actions for the
welfare of the society speak for them. They have also represented their organization in the
International forum and meetings held abroad.

Income of the Respondents by their Native Place

Economic status of the respondents whether she is from urban or rural areas plays a
significant part in carrying out their organizational activities. And in a State like Manipur
where there is very little source of revenue return, it is very difficult to sustain financially. So,
here an attempt has been made to know the economic background of the respondents by their
native place. The following table explains these aspects of the study.

94
 Table No. 3
Income of the Respondents by their Native Place

Native
Income per Month Urban Semi Total
Rural
City Urban
4 2 30 36
Less than 20 thousand
(1.3) (0.6) (9.4) (11.3)
43 25 72 140
21- 30 thousand
(13.4) (7.8) (22.5) (43.7)
62 18 64 144
More than 40 thousand
(19.4) (5.6) (20.0) (45.0)
109 45 166 320
Total
(34.1) (14.0) (51.9) (100.0)

The above table explains the income of the respondents by their native place;

It is seen from the above table that 34 percent of the respondents were from urban areas of
which 19 percent respondents’ income were more than 40 thousand per month. About 14
percent of the respondents belonged to semi urban areas and 52 percent respondents were
from rural areas. It is also further seen from the table that 45 percent respondents had an
income of more than 40 thousand per month and 44 percent of the respondents’ incomes were
in the range of 21-30 thousand per month. And 11 percent of the respondents had income
below 20 thousand.

The study had also one of the objectives to know about the socio-economic background of
the respondents and hence, it is found that a large percent of the respondents’ incomes were
in the range of 21 - 30 thousand per month. Regarding the native place of the respondents, it
is found that more than 50 percent of the respondents belonged to rural areas. A significant
percent of the respondents also were from urban areas. There was not much variation in the
income level of the respondents when compared with their regional background. Majority of
the respondents had a good stable economic background irrespective of their regional
background.

It is thus concluded that a majority of the respondents were from rural and urban areas and
most of the respondents’ incomes were more than 20 thousand per month.

95
Establishment of the Organization by Designation of the Respondents

The main executive members of the organizations are responsible for implementing high
level strategies and making important decisions for running the organization. Their tasks are
challenging and not easy. Hence, an attempt was made to know the designation of the key
members of the organization by their establishment of organization.
Table No. 4
Establishment of the Organization by Designation of the Respondents

Establishment
Designation
of Total
Organization President Secretary Treasurer
9 32 9 50
Less than 10
(2.8) (10.0) (2.8) (15.6)
10 Years- 20 28 44 36 108
Years (8.8) (13.7) (11.3) (33.8)
21 Years - 30 23 36 26 85
Years (7.2) (11.2) (8.1) (26.5)
More than 30 8 52 17 77
Years (2.5) (16.3) (5.3) (24.1)
68 164 88 320
Total
(21.3) (51.2) (27.5) (100.0)

Chart No. 1

The above table explains the establishment of the organization by designation of the
respondents.

96
It is seen from the table that 34 percent of the respondents expressed that their organization
were 10 - 20 years old, of which 14 percent of the respondents were Secretary of the
organization. About 27 percent respondents replied that that their organization were 21 - 30
years old and 24 percent respondents’ organization were more than 30 years old. And 16
percent respondents’ organizations were less than 10 years old. Twenty one percent of the
respondents were President, 51 percent were Secretary and 28 percent respondents were
Treasurer of the organization.

As regards to the establishment of the organization, it is found that 34 percent of the

respondents expressed that their organization were established 10-20 years old back. About
27 percent respondents ’organizations were found to be established 21-30 years old back and
24 percent respondents’ organizations were more than 30 years old. And regarding the
designation of the respondents, more than 50 percent of the respondents were found to hold
the post of Secretary in the organization. It showed that the main tasks of executing
organization works were carried out by secretary of the organization.

It is concluded that a majority of the organization were more than 20 years old and had a
good experience. And most of the respondents under study were Secretary of their respective
organization.

Other Member of Meira Paibis by Designation of the Respondents

It is a known fact that women’s organization has become a household name in Manipur State.
Every woman in Manipur irrespective of their age has shown their support to the women
organization. Hence, the researcher try to explore whether there were other organization
members in the family besides the respondents covered under study. The table below explains
the data related to this part of the study.

97
 Table No. 5
Other Member of Meira Paibis by Designation of the Respondents
Other Designation of the Respondents
Member of
Total
Meira Paibis
in the Family President Secretary Treasurer
14 61 47 122
Mother
(4.4) (19.1) (14.7) (38.2)
13 40 6 59
Sister
(4.1) (12.4) (1.9) (18.4)
41 63 35 139
No One
(12.8) (19.7) (10.9) (43.4)
68 164 88 320
Total
(21.3) (51.2) (27.5) (100.0)

Chart No. 2

Presence of Other Organization Members in the Family by Designation

Other member of
Meira Paibis
Mother
60 Sister
No One

Count

40

20

0
President Secretary Treasurer

Designation

98
The above table explains the presence of other organization member in the family by
designation of the respondents.

It is observed from the above table that 21 percent of the respondents held the position of
President, of which 13 percent replied that there were no other organization members in the
family besides them. Fifty one percent respondents were Secretary of their respective
organization and 28 percent respondents were treasurer. It is also seen from the table that 38
percent of the respondents informed that their mothers were also a member of the
organization and 18 percent respondents mentioned their sisters as organization members.
And 43 percent respondents replied that there was no one from their family as organization
member.

Regarding the designation of the respondents, more than 50 percent of the respondents under
study held the post of Secretary followed by treasurer (28%). Based on the primary data and
its analysis, it is found that 57 percent of the respondents were also found to have their
mothers or sisters as an organization member. And 43 percent respondents did not have
anyone from their family.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents held the position of Secretary in the
organization and most of the respondents also had someone from their family as an
organization members.

Age of the Respondents by Duration as a Member of Meira Paibis

Age of the respondents and their duration of service as a member of the organization are
closely related as it helps in understanding their level of maturity and experiences in
managing organizational matters. Here, an attempt has been made to know the age of the
respondents and their duration as a member of the organization. The table below explains
these aspects.

99
 Table No. 6
Age of the Respondents by Duration as a Member of Meira Paibis

Duration as a Member of Meira Paibis

Age Total
1- 5 6- 10 11- 15 15 years and
years years years above
Upto 35 1 12 0 1 14
Years (0.3) (3.8) (0) (0.3) (4.4)
36 - 45 6 12 2 7 27
Years (1.9) (3.8) (0.6) (2.2) (8.5)
46 - 55 11 27 53 45 136
years (3.4) (8.4) (16.6) (14.1) (42.5)
55 and 3 26 55 59 143
above (0.9) (8.1) (17.2) (18.4) (44.6)
21 77 110 112 320
Total
(6.5) (24.1) (34.4) (35.0) (100.0)

X2 = 62.29, df =9, Significant at 0.05 level

Chart No. 3

The above table explains the age of the respondents by duration as a member of Meira Paibis.

It is seen from the table that 45 percent of the respondents were more than 55 years, of which
18 percent of the respondents were having an experience of more than 15 years as member of
Meira Paibis. About 43 percent of the respondents were aged between 46 – 55 years, of
which 17 respondents had been a member of the organization for the last 11- 15 years. It is
100
also seen that 4 percent of the respondents were below the age of 35 years. About 7 percent
of the respondents were having an experience of 1- 5 years as a member of Meira Paibis and
34 percent of the respondents were having an experience of 11 – 15 years.

The study found that 45 percent of the respondents were more than 55 years old. As regards
to the working experience of the respondents it is found that 69 percent of the respondents
were having an experience of more than 10 years. About 24 percent respondents have been
members of the organization for the last 6- 10 years. When the age and working experience
of the respondents were compared, it is found that those respondents who were above the age
of 46 years were having working experience of more than 10 years.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents were below the age of 55 years and a
significant percent (45%) of the respondents were more than 55 years old. And most of the
respondents were having experience of more than 10 years in the organization.

The result of Chi square reveals that there is a significant relationship between the variables
age and duration as members of the organization.

Motivation to Join the Organization by Family Support of the Respondents

Family is very important social institution in Indian society. It is considered as a

backbone of the society. The success of Meira Paibis as an individual and as a collective
force depends largely on the support it gets from the family. At the same time, it is important
to know the motivation of the respondents for joining the organization. In this context, the
respondents were asked to mention the reason for joining the organization and whether they
are getting support from the family. The table below focuses on the motivation to join the
organization by family support of the respondents.

101
 Table No. 7
Motivation to Join the Organization by Family Support of the Respondents

Motivation to Join the Organisation

Family
By Total
Support By choice Accidental
compulsion
169 111 10 290
Yes
(52.8) (34.7) (3.1) (90.6)
2 6 0 8
No
(0.6) (1.9) (0) (2.5)
16 6 0 22
To some extent
(5.0) (1.9) (0) (6.9)
187 123 10 320
Total
(58.4) (38.5) (3.1) (100.0)
2
X = 6.83, df =4, Significant at 0.05 level

Chart No. 4

Motivation to Join the Organization by Family

Support
200 Motivation to
Join the
Organisation
150
By choice
By
Count compulsion
100 Accidental

50

0
Yes No To some extent

Family support

The above table explains the motivation to join the organization by family support.

It is observed from the table that 58 percent of the respondents joined the organization by

102
their own choice, of which 53 percent respondents got family support, 39 percent respondents
joined by compulsion and 3 percent joined by accidental. The table also reveals that 91
percent of the respondents got family support in joining the organization and 7 percent
respondents got support to some extent. And 3 percent of the respondents expressed that they
did not get support from their family.

The study had one of the objectives in knowing the family support the respondents has got
from their family and it is found that 91 percent of the respondents got family support in
joining the organization as they were working for the society only. Nearly 60 percent of the
respondents joined the organization by their own choice as it gave them an immense pleasure
to serve the society with likeminded people. About 39 percent joined the organization by
compulsion as many unwanted issues and problems were affecting the lives of the citizens.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents who joined the organization by their own choice,
also got family support in joining the organization. According to these women, they felt it
was their duty to safeguard their family and society from any dangers they faced.

X2 value 6.83 shows that there exist a strong relationship between the variables family support and
motivation of the respondents to join the organization.

Any Bitter Experience faced by the Respondents by Kind of Bitter Experiences

Every individual has gone through the most difficult situations in life. But it differs from one
person to another person. Some may get away with it while some may get affected, thus
leaving a bitter experience in life. So, it was thought of asking a question to the respondents
whether they had any bitter experience in their lives. The table below explains this aspect of
the study.

103
 Table No. 8
Any Bitter Experience faced by the Respondents by Kind of Bitter Experiences

Kinds of Bitter Experience Any Bitter Experiences Faced in Total

faced by Respondents Life
Yes No
7 0 7
Riot incident (2.2) (0) (2.2)
Torture during military 35 0 35
combing operation (10.9) (0) (10.9)
Encounter case of family 13 0 13
members/relatives (4.1) (0) (4.1)
35 0 35
Alcoholic (10.9) (0) (10.9)
7 0 7
Domestic Violence (2.2) (0) (2.2)
0 223 223
Not Applicable (0) (69.7) (69.7)
97 223 320
Total (30.3) (69.7) (100.0)

The above table explains any bitter experiences faced in the lives of the respondents by kind
of bitter experience.

It is observed from the table that 70 percent respondents did not face any bitter experience in
their lives that led them to join the organization. About 30 percent of the respondents faced
bitter experience in their lives that motivated them to join the organization, of which 11
percent of the respondents had bad experience like torture during military combing operation.
Another 11 percent of the respondents had a hard time from alcoholic family members and 2
percent respondents faced domestic violence in the family. And 4 percent respondents’
family/relatives were victims of encounter cases of police.

As regards to bad experiences faced by the respondents, it is found that near about 70 percent
respondents did not face any such bitter experience in their lives that led them to join the
organization. However, 30 percent of the respondents faced bitter experiences in their lives
that motivated them to join the organization. Police encountered cases of family
members/relatives, riots, alcoholic abuses and domestic violence in the family were some of
the reasons given by the respondents that led them to join the organization.

104
The study concluded that a majority of the respondents joined the organization by their
choice and did not have any bitter experience. The study also concluded that a significant
percent of the respondents had bad experiences that made them to join the organization.

Problems of Working at Night by Designation

All over the globe, women often encounter difficulties in working at night. For those who are
primarily engaged in night shift, it is a matter of big concern for safety. Hence, an attempt has
been made to understand the problems of working at night as experienced by key members of
the organization i.e President, Secretary and Treasurer. The following table depicts the
opinion of the respondents from across all the designations regarding the problems faced at
night while working.

Table No. 9

Problems of Working at Night by Designation

Problem Working Designation

Total
at Night President Secretary Treasurer
49 131 31 211
Yes
(15.3) (40.9) (9.7) (65.9)
4 2 12 18
No
(1.3) (0.6) (3.7) (5.6)
15 31 45 91
To some extent
(4.7) (9.7) (14.1) (28.5)
68 164 88 320
Total (21.3) (51.2) (27.5) (100.0)

Chart No. 5

105
The table explains the problems of working at night by designation.

It is seen from the from the table that 66 percent of the respondents faced problems
working at night, of which 15 percent of the respondents were President of the organization
and 6 percent of the respondents said that they did not faced any problems and 29 percent of
the respondents faced problems working at night to some extent.

Regarding the problems faced by the respondents while working at night, it is found that
more than 65 percent of the respondents faced problems working at night. Fifty one percent
of the respondents under study who gave their views on this aspect of the study hold the post
of secretary in the organization and they have expressed their opinion according to their
experiences. It is also interesting to know that very few (6%) respondents expressed that they
did not have any problems working at night as they trust their organization members and,
together they were ready to face any hurdle that come in their way.

The study concluded that a majority of the respondents faced problems working at night as
they were women and their families were worried about their safety. The situation is further
aggravated with the fact that these women have to sit in an open Meira shed or local market
shed for patrolling their locality till midnight. So, they are constantly exposed to various
threat from armies, substances abusers etc.

Impact on the family Relationship by Maintaining Balance between Domestic Chores

and Organization Activities

Harmony between work and family life is very important. If there is imbalance in this sphere,
neither of the two aspects can function properly. In this context the respondents were asked to
give their opinion whether they were able to maintain a balance between their work and
family life and what was its impact on family relationships. The following table explains the
data related to these details.

106
 Table No. 10
Impact on the family Relationship by Maintaining Balance between Domestic Chores
and Organization Activities
Maintain A Balance Between Your
Impact on the
Domestic Chores
Family Total
and Your Organizational Activities
Relationships
Yes No To some extent
147 0 25 172
Positive
(45.9) (0) (7.9) (53.9)
38 18 0 56
Negative
(11.9) (5.6) (0) (17.5)
65 0 27 92
Neutral
(20.3) (0) (8.4) (28.7)
250 18 52 320
Total
(78.1) (5.6) (16.3) (100.0)
X2 = 1.06, df =4, Significant at 0.05 level

The above table explains the impact on the family relationship by maintaining balance
between domestic chores and organization activities.

It is observed from the table that 78 percent respondents were able to maintain a balance
between their domestic chores and organization activities, of which 46 percent of the
respondents had positive relation with the family. 16 percent of the respondents were not able
to maintain balance, of which 6 percent respondents also had negative impact on family
relationship and 16 percent of the respondents were able to maintain balance between their
work and family. The table also shows that 54 percent of the respondents had positive impact
on their family relationship, 18 percent respondents had negative impact and 29 percent had
neutral impact on their family relationship.

As regards to the ability of the respondents in maintaining a balance between their domestic
chores and organization activities, it is found that a 78 percent of the respondents were able to
strike a balance between their house works and organization duties. Nearly 55 percent of the
respondents were also found to have positive impact on their family. Very few percent of the
respondents had negative impact on family relationship after joining the organization. The
study also found that a large percent i.e. 46 percent of the respondents who were able to
balance between their domestic chores and organization activities were found to have good
and positive impact on the family.

107
Based on the analysis, it is concluded that a majority of the respondents maintained a good
balance between their family and organization works. These respondents also shared that
their works had positive impact on their family relationship and the family members
supported them.

Statistical testing of chi square reveals that there is a significant relationship between the variables
impact on family relationship and ability to balance between domestic chores and organizational
activities.

Contribution to the Organization by Duration of the Respondents as Member of the

Organization

Organizations are not only known by the buildings, methods and material, rather every
individual’s contribution is also of great importance, that actually enables to reach to the
desired result. So, keeping in mind, an attempt has been made to know the contribution made
by the respondents to the organization by period of service rendered to the organization. The
following table depicts this aspect.

Table No. 11
Contribution to the Organization by Duration of the Respondents as Member of the
Organization
Duration as a Member of Meira Paibis
Contribution to the 1- 5 6- 10 11- 15 15 years and Total
Organization years years years above
Took active part in 10 75 101 44 230
all major issues (3.1) (23.4) (31.5) (13.7) (71.7)
Expansion of Meira 11 2 8 27 47
Paibis activities to (3.3) (0.6) (2.5) (8.4) (14.8)
other areas
Selfless service for 0 0 0 29 29
the society (0) (0) (0) (9.1) (9.1)
Supporting the 0 0 2 12 14
organisation (0) (0) (0.6) (3.8) (4.4)
financially
21 77 110 112 320
Total (6.4) (24.0) (34.6) (35.0) (100.0)
X2 = 1.45, df =9, Significant at 0.05 level

The above table illustrates the contribution to the organization by duration of the

108
respondents as member of the organization.

It is observed from the table that 72 percent respondents expressed that they contributed to
organizations’ work by taking active part in all major issues of the organization, of which 32
percent of the respondents had been working in the organization for the last 11- 15 years.
About 15 percent of the respondents replied that they helped the organization in expanding its
activities to other areas, of which 8 percent respondents were in the organization for more
than 15 years. Nine percent of the respondents contributed by giving selfless service to the
society and 4 percent supported the organization financially.

As regards to the contribution made by the respondents to their organization, it is found that
72 percent of the respondents contributed to organizations’ work by taking active part in all
major issues of the organization. Fifteen percent respondents helped the organization in
expanding its activities to other areas, 9 percent gave selfless service to the society and 4
percent supported the organization financially in times of need. It can be analysed and
interpreted that nearly 70 percent of the respondents who has more than 5 years of experience
in the organization has been participating in all major issues of the organization.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents contributed to organizations’ work by involving

themselves in all major issues of the organization and most of them had been in the
organization for more than 5 years as an active member.

X2 value 1.45 indicates a strong relationship between contribution to the organization and duration as
members of the organization.

Appreciation Received For Involvement and Work with the Organization by Age of the
Respondents

The success of the person in any line of work is directly proportional to the support given by
the family or any other interested persons and society. One cannot work in isolation:
encouragement is necessary to motivate one to work. In this context, an attempt has been
made to know the appreciation received by the respondents for involvement and working
with the Organization.

109
 Table No. 12

Appreciation Received For Involvement and Work with the Organization by Age of the
Respondents

Appreciation Age
received for Total
Involvement and Upto 36 - 45 46 - 55 55 years
Work with the 35 years years and above
Organization years
1 6 40 45 92
Spouse (0.3) (1.9) (12.5) (14.1) (28.8)
0 0 0 6 6
Other relatives (0) (0) (0) (1.9) (1.9)
13 11 89 88 201
Society (4.1) (3.4) (27.8) (27.5) (62.8)
0 10 7 4 21
All the above (0) (3.1) (2.2) (1.2) (6.5)
14 27 136 143 320
Total (4.4) (8.4) (42.5) (44.7) (100.0)

The table explains the appreciation received for involvement and work with the organization
by age of the respondents.

It is seen that 63 percent of the respondents responded that their work were appreciated by the
society, of which 28 percent respondents were aged between 46 – 55 years. Twenty nine
percent of the respondents said that they were appreciated by the spouses, of which 14
percent of the respondents were more than 55 years. About 2 percent answered that their
worked were appreciated by their relatives.

As regards to the opinion of the respondents about the appreciation received for their
contribution in their organization, it is found that more than 60 percent of the respondents’
works were appreciated by the society. Nearly 30 percent of the respondents also expressed
that their respective spouse supported and appreciated their works. Near about 82 percent of
the respondents who expressed that their works were appreciated by society and their spouse
were more than 46 years of age.

Based on the data and its analysis, it is concluded that a majority of the respondents’ work
and activities in the organization were appreciated by the society and their respective spouses.
They got respect from the society and their family because of the work they were involved.
110
Their encouragement and support have made them stronger and were ready to face any
difficulties for the people of the society.

Reason behind the Existence of the Organization by Designation of the Respondents

The study had one of the objectives to know the reason behind the existence of the women
organization. Here, an attempt has been made to find out the main basis for the existence of
these women organization. The table below illustrates this aspect of the study.

Table No. 13

Reason behind the Existence of the Organization by Designation of the Respondents

Reason behind the Designation

existence of Meira Total
Paibis President Secretary Treasurer
To safeguard the society
4 18 2 24
from all anti social
(1.3) (5.6) (0.6) (7.5)
activities
To protect the sons and
5 8 0 13
daughters of the society
(1.6) (2.5) (0) (4.1)
from APSPA
59 138 86 283
Both the above
(18.4) (43.1) (26.9) (88.4)

Total 68 164 88 320

(21.3) (51.2) (27.5) (100.0)

Chart No. 6

111
The table explains the reason behind the existence of the organization by designation of the
respondents.

It is observed from the table that 8 percent of the respondents answered that safeguarding the
society from all anti social activities was the main reason for the existence of the
organization, of which 6 percent of the respondents were secretary of the organization and 4
percent respondents replied that protecting the sons and daughters of the society from AFSPA
was the main reason for their organizations’ existence. About 88 percent of the respondents
expressed that safeguarding the society from anti social activities and AFSPA were the two
main reasons for their existence, of which 43 percent of the respondents were secretary and
18 percent respondents were president of the organization.

As regards the main reason for the existence of the organization, it is found that 88 percent of
the respondents replied that safeguarding the society from anti social activities like drug
abuse, alcoholism, robbery/theft etc, and AFSPA were the two main reasons for their
existence as these activities were hindering the growth of the society. Fifty one percent of the
respondents who gave their opinion hold the key post of Secretary in their organization. The
organization still continues to deal with these two issues at present also along with other
problems of the society.

The study concluded that a majority of the respondents informed that the need to protect the
society from various anti social activities including the evil force of AFSPA led to the
emergence of their organization.

Establishment of the Organization by Change of Organization objectives since

Establishment

An organization’s objectives play a large part in developing right strategies and helps in the
completion of goals. But due to needs and demands of the situation, organizational objectives
change sometimes. Here, a question was asked to the respondents whether their
organization’s objectives have changed since its establishment or not. The below table
supports the opinion of the respondents in this context.

112
 Table No. 14
Establishment of the Organization by Change of Organization objectives since
Establishment
Establishment Change of Original Meira Paibis
of Objectives since Establishment Total
Organization Yes No To some extent
8 29 13 50
Less than 10
(2.5) (9.1) (4.1) (15.7)
11Years- 20 57 43 8 108
Years (17.8) (13.3) (2.5) (33.6)
21 Years - 30 52 21 12 85
Years (16.3) (6.6) (3.7) (26.6)
More than 30 39 21 17 77
Years (12.2) (6.6) (5.3) (24.1)
156 114 50 320
Total
(48.8) (35.6) (15.6) (100.0)

The above table describes the establishment of the organization by change of organization
objectives since establishment.

The above table indicates that 34 percent of the respondents’ organizations under study were
having 11 years to 20 years experience, of which 18 percent of the respondents felt that the
objectives of the organizations have changed since its establishment. 24 percent respondents’
organizations were having experience of 21 years to 30 years. About 24 percent respondent’
organization were more than 30 years old, of which 5 percent respondents expressed that the
objectives have changed to some extent. It is also observed that 36 percent of the respondents
answered that their organization s’ objectives have not changed at all. About 49 percent
respondents admitted that their organizations’ objectives have changed since its
establishment.

As regard to the opinion of the respondents about the change of organization’s objectives
since establishment, it is found that nearly 50 percent of the respondents admitted that the
organizations’ objectives have changed since its inception. The study also found that a large
percentage (84%) of the respondents’ organization who gave their opinion were more than 10
years old.

113
To conclude, nearly half of the respondents were of the opinion that the objectives of their
organization have changed since its establishment due to increase in various problems in the
state.

The Mode of Election for Selecting Main Executive Members by Members in One
Group

Effective leadership is a necessary requirement in order to accomplish organizational goals.

Hence, an attempt has been made to know the process of selecting the main executive
members of the organization and numbers of members present in a group. The table below
illustrates the mode of election for selecting main executive members by members in one
group.

Table No. 15
The Mode of Election for Selecting Main Executive Members by Members in One
Group

Mode of Election
Members in One group
for selecting
Total
main executive 5- 10 11- 15 More than 16
members members members members
0 5 14 19
Voting
(0) (1.6) (4.4) (6.0)
Merit based 3 0 5 8
nomination (0.9) (0) (1.6) (2.5)
17 19 257 293
By consensus
(5.3) (5.9) (80.3) (91.5)
20 24 276 320
Total
(6.2) (7.5) (86.3) (100.0)

The above table explains the mode of election for selecting main executive members by
members in one group.

It is observed that 86 percent respondents replied that there were more than 16 members in
one group, of which 80 percent respondents informed that they selected the main executive
members of the organization by bringing consensus among them. About 6 percent of the
respondents said that they selected their key members by voting and 3 percent respondents
said they chose their key members by merit based nomination.

114
Regarding the number of member in an organization, it is found that 86 percent of the
respondents’ organization comprised of more than 16 members. As regards to the mode of
election for selecting the main executive member of the organization 92 percent of the
respondents selected the main executive members of the organization by bringing consensus
among them. Very few respondents (6%) chose their key members by voting.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents’ organization which have more than 16 members
in a group, selected the key executive members of the organization by consensus only. The
respondents expressed that they lived and worked like family members and would select
senior members of the organization to hold such important positions.

Working Hours of the Organization by Mode of Working

Working hours of any organization plays an important role in determining the good total
output of an organization. The working situation is even more at risk especially when one has
to work at night in a disturbed area like Manipur. In this context, an effort has been made to
know the working hours and mode of working of the organization. The below table explain
the working hours of the organization by mode of working.

Table No. 16
Working Hours of the Organization by Mode of Working

Mode of Working Day or Night

Working
Both day and Total
Hours Night Day
night
5 14 248 267
Not fixed
(1.6) (4.4) (77.5) (83.5)
0 13 22 35
24hours
(0) (4.0) (6.9) (10.9)
Mostly at 18 0 0 18
night (5.6) (0) (0) (5.6)
23 27 270 320
Total
(7.2) (8.4) (84.4) (100.0)

The above table explains the working hours of the organization by mode of working.

The table showed that 84 percent respondents expressed that they worked both day and night,
of which 78 percent respondents informed that their working hours were not fixed. About 7
percent of the respondents expressed that they worked mostly in night, of which 6 percent
replied that their working hours were usually confined at night only and 8 percent
115
respondents answered that they work only in daytime. The table also reveals that 11 percent
of the respondents said that they worked 24 hours.

As regards to the mode of working of the organization, it is found that nearly 85 percent of
the respondents expressed that they worked both day and night as the problems of the society
could not be predicted and could happen anytime and anywhere. And regarding the working
hours, a large percent (84%) of the respondents working hours were not fixed and they were
mentally and physically prepared for any untoward situation happening in their
locality/society. And small percent (11%) respondents were of the opinion that they worked
almost 24 hours.

The study concluded that a majority of the respondents worked day and night and their
working hours were not fixed. The respondents expressed that if situation demands they are
ready to come out from the four walls of their houses in order to protect the society.

Mode of Emergency Communication within the Group

Unrestricted and continuous flow of communication is indispensible in any organization. It

promotes co-ordination and error free activities within the organization. Here, an attempt has
been made to know the mode of communication within the organization members. The below
table describes the mode of communication of the organization.

Table No. 17
Mode of Emergency Communication within the Group

Mode of Emergency
Communication Signal Frequency Percent
Bang the electric pole in the 286 89.4
locality
10 3.1
Phone
Through a messenger 8 2.5

Bang electric pole and used 16 5.0

phone also
Total 320 100

116
 Chart No. 7

The above table explains the mode of emergency communication within the group.

The above table showed that 89 percent of the respondents banged the electric pole with any
equipments in the locality in times of emergency. About 3 percent respondents used phone
and another percent respondents would send a messenger. The table also shows that 5 percent
of the respondents used both medium i.e. phone and banging the electric pole.

As regards the mode of emergency communication used by the respondents, a great majority
i.e. nearly 90 percent of the respondents banged the local electric post pole with any
equipment that would produce noise as a means of emergency signal to the members. Each 3
percent of the respondents also mention that sometimes they would use phone or send a
messenger whoever is available at that time to pass message to other members of the
organization.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents still used the old traditional old method of
banging the electric pole. According to them, it is the easiest and fastest way to reach out to
all the members of the organization and people of the locality in times of emergencies.

117
Participation in Meetings of the Organization by its Frequency

The more meeting takes place in an organization, the better the coordination would be.
Regular meetings ensure everybody is informed about the latest news in an organization.
Hence, an attempt has been made to know the participation in meetings by the organization
members. The following table depicts the primary data related to these aspects.

Table No. 18
Participation in Meetings of the Organization by its Frequency

Participation in the Meetings Frequency Percentage

Once a Week 96 30.0

Once a Month 53 16.6

Once in Three Months 12 3.7

Once in a Year 6 1.9

Not Fixed 153 47.8

Total 320 100.0

Chart No. 8

118
The table explains the participation of the respondents in meetings of the organization.

It is observed that 30 percent of the respondents expressed that they had meetings once a
week. Forty eight percent of the respondents expressed that the meeting were not fixed and
17 percent informed that they had meeting once a month. About 4 percent replied they had
once in three months and 2 percent said once in a year.

It is found that 48 percent of the respondents informed that they did not have any fixed
meetings with their members. About 30 percent respondents replied that they had once in a
week, another 17 percent respondents had once a month and 2 percent respondents had
meetings once a year.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents had meetings with their members on regular basis.
But still a large percent of the respondent did not have any fixed meetings as it depends
largely on the situation. And since it is not a formal organization they did not have any such
rules regarding meetings.

Opinion of the Respondents regarding the Meeting Place of the Organization Members
for Patrolling

The women organizations do not have a proper office and still they worked for the society
fearlessly. In this context, a question was asked to the respondents about their meeting place.
The below table explains this aspect of the study.

Table No. 19

Opinion of the Respondents regarding the Meeting Place of the Organization Members
for Patrolling
Meeting place for Fellow
Member for Patrolling Frequency Percent
Club 123 38.4

Members house 13 4.1

Meira shed 160 50.0

Fixed a gathering spot at that 24 7.5

moment

Total 320 100.0

119
The above table explains the meeting place for fellow members of the organization for
patrolling in their locality.

The above table reveals that 50 percent of the respondents used Meira shed for meeting their
fellow member and 38 percent respondents used local clubs for their meetings. About 8
percent respondents expressed that they fixed a gathering spot for meetings and 4 percent
respondents used members’ house.

As regards to the meeting place of the organization members, it is found that half of the
respondents used Meira shed i.e. a small shed/hut which is a known place, for meetings their
members. It is also further found that the respondents also used local clubs (38%) and
members’ houses for their meetings (4%) as they don’t have proper office.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents used a shed/hut in the locality for their
meetings. Sometimes they used local clubs which is available in their area or members’
house. So, without a proper office it becomes difficult to arrange meetings for the
organization members.

Any Professional Services provided by the Organization by Professional services

provided by the Organization

Providing specialized service helps in serving the client better. It has become an integral part
for any organizations which are working for the welfare of the people as it protect the people,
emphasize their safety and meet their obligation. Most organizations benefit from use of
professional service. In this context, an attempt has been made to know the professional
services provided by the respondent’s organization. The below table explains the responses of
the respondents on this matter.

120
 Table No. 20
Any Professional Services provided by the Organization by Professional services
provided by the Organization
Any Professional Services
Kind of Services
Available
provided by Total
Referral
Meira Paibis Yes No
services only
8 0 0 8
Medical treatment
(2.5) (0) (0) (2.5)
52 0 0 52
Counselling
(16.2) (0) (0) (16.2)
Vocational 29 0 0 29
training (9.1) (0) (0) (9.1)
0 195 36 231
Not Applicable
(0) (60.9) (11.3) (72.2)
89 195 36 320
Total
(27.8) (60.9) (11.3) (100.0)

The table illustrates the kind of professional services provided by the organization by any
professional services provided by the organization.

The table shows that 28 percent of the respondents expressed that their organization rendered
professional services to their clients, of which 3 percent respondents replied that they offered
medical treatment to their clients if they need them. 16 percent of the respondents answered
that they counselled their clients and 9 percent respondents replied that their organization
gave vocational training. It is also seen from the table that 11 percent of the respondents
expressed that their organization referred their clients to other professional services for
assistance and 61 percent of the respondents replied that their organization did not offer any
professional services to their clients.

As regards to the availability of professional services in the organization, it is found that

nearly 30 percent of the respondents expressed that their organization offered professional
services to their clients like counselling, vocational training and medical assistance to their
clients. Sixty one percent of the respondents did not offered any professional services while
11 percent of the respondents referred their clients to other professional bodies.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents did not offered any professional services to their
clients and they gave referral services only.

121
Mandatory involvement of the Respondents in the Organization by Possibility to
Withdraw Anytime

It is indeed a big task for the Women’s’ Organization to work day and night to guard their
society. So, it is necessary to know whether involvement in the activities of the organization
has become a pressure to the organization members or not. In this context, an attempt has
been made to find out whether involvement of the respondents in the organization is
mandatory or not and at the same time whether the respondents can withdraw anytime from
the organization. The table below explains this part of the study.

Table No. 21

Mandatory involvement of the Respondents in the Organization by Possibility to

Withdraw Anytime

Possibility Mandatory Involvement of

Withdraw Organization Total
Anytime Yes No

129 34 163
Yes
(40.3) (10.6) (50.9)

139 11 150
No
(43.4) (3.5) (46.9)
3 4 7
Sometimes
(1.0) (1.2) (2.2)
271 49 320
Total
(84.7) (15.3) (100.0)

The table explains the mandatory involvement of the respondents in the organization by
possibility to withdraw anytime.

The table shows that 85 percent of the respondents replied that it was mandatory to join the
organization, of which 40 percent respondents informed that they could withdraw their
membership from the organization anytime. Fifteen percent of the respondents expressed that
they it was not compulsory to join the organization. About 51 percent of the respondents
answered that they could withdraw anytime, 47 percent respondents said they could not while

122
2 percent respondents said they could withdraw their membership from the organization
sometimes.

As regards to the opinion of the respondents about the compulsory involvement in the
organization, it is found that 85 percent of the respondents informed that it was mandatory to
join the organization as it was working for the benefit of the society. And regarding their
withdrawal from the organization, more than 50 percent of the respondents informed that they
could withdraw their membership from the organization if they have some personal
problems. A significant percent of the respondents i.e 47 % were also found to express that
they could not withdraw from the organization as they wish as the organization needs them.

To conclude, most of the respondents’ organizations made it compulsory for members to join
the organization especially when the situation of the state is in turmoil. Even though there
were no pressures on the members to join the organization, still they expect at least one
member from every household to contribute to the work of the organization.

Differences of the Organization with other Women Organization by Gender preference

during Assistance

Every organization has its own unique features that made them stand apart from other
organization. hence, an attempt has been made to know and understand the main
characteristic of the women organization that make them different from other organization
and also whether they give any preference to any gender while rendering their services. The
table below explains this aspect.

123
 Table No. 22
Differences of the Organization with other Women Organization by Gender preference
during Assistance
Any Gender Preference While
Differences From Any Assisting
Other Women Give equal Total
Organisation Yes No preferences to
both the Gender
Gives assistance to both 3 8 27 38
men and women (0.9) (2.5) (8.4) (11.8)
Exist for the sole purpose 40 4 32 76
of protecting the society (12.5) (1.3) (10.0) (23.8)
Works at night if 0 8 12 20
situation demands (0) (2.5) (3.8) (6.3)
42 37 107 186
All the above
(13.1) (11.6) (33.4) (58.1)
85 57 178 320
Total
(26.6) (17.8) (55.6) (100.0)

The above table illustrates the differences of the organization with other women organization
by gender preference during assistance.

The above table shows that 24 percent of the respondents expressed that their organization is
different from other women organization as they exist for the sole purpose of protecting the
society only, of which 13 percent of the respondents admitted that they do give preference to
women when it comes to assistance. About 12 percent respondents expressed that they give
assistance to both men and women, 6 percent replied that they worked at night if situation
demanded and 58 percent respondents expressed that all the above discussed reasons made
the organization different from other organization. About 56 percent respondents replied that
they did not give any preference to gender while rendering their services and 27 percent
respondents admitted that they gave preferences to women.

As regards to the difference of the organization from other organization, nearly 60 percent of
the respondents opined that their organization is different from other women organization as
their organization rendered their services to both men and women, could worked at night if
situation demanded and they existed only for the sole purpose of protecting the society. And
55 percent of the respondents also mentioned that another attribute of the organization which
124
made them unique is the way how they gave equal preference to gender while rendering their
services. About 27 percent respondents admitted that they gave preferences to women as they
were more prone to societal vulnerability.

Based on the analysis of the data, it can be concluded that a majority of the respondents felt
that their organization were different from other women organization as they exist merely for
protecting the society without giving any preferences to any gender while rendering their
services. It is to be noted here that these women do not sit and work from four walls of office
as any other organization. They are loosely organized and found everywhere and when
circumstances demands they come out as collective forces.

Reason for not Involving the Male Members by its Frequency

Since Manipur is a patriarchal society, male members always played an important role.
Therefore it is necessary to know the perception of these women respondents for not
including male members in their organization. So, the following table explains the reasons for
not involving male members in their organization.

Table No. 23
Reason for not Involving the Male Members by its Frequency

Reason for not Involving

Frequency Percentage
the Male Members
No necessary as it is only for
80 25.0
female members

Women can handle sensitive

152 47.5
issues properly than men
Men have separate
71 22.2
organization
Men doesn’t show interest 17 5.3

Total 320 100.0

125
 Chart No. 9

The above table explains the reason for not involving the male members by its frequency.

The above table shows that 48 percent of the respondents replied that women could handle
more sensitive issues than men and because of that reason, men were not involved in the
organization. About 25 percent of the respondents explained that since it was a women’s
organization, men were not involved and 22 percent respondents said that men had separate
organization. And 5 percent respondents also informed that men did not show any interest in
the organization.

Regarding the involvement of men in the organization, near about 50 percent of the
respondents felt that women could handle more sensitive issues than men. Other reasons
which the respondents gave for not involving men in the organization were – only women’s
organization, men had separate organization and men did not show any interest in the
organization.

To conclude, nearly half of the respondents were of the opinion that women could handle
more sensitive issues compare to men and that was one of the main reasons for not involving
male members in the organization.

126
Mode of Dealing with Offender by Frequent Issue faced in the Society

Issues handled by the organization need to be studied to ensure better response. It is

equally important to know how an organization deals with the issue as it says a lot about the
way it functions and whether it is fair judgement or unjustifiable. Hence, it was thought of
knowing the issues faced in the society and how the organization deals with it. The following
table depicts this aspects.

Table No. 24
Mode of Dealing with Offender by Frequent Issue faced in the Society
Mode Of Dealing With Offender
Frequent Issue Faced Refer to police Give Penalty according to Both Total
Organisation
12 8 26 46
Drugs (3.8) (2.5) (8.1) (14.4)
60 93 29 182
Alcohol (18.7) (29.1) (9.1) (56.9)
5 6 27 38
Domestic violence (1.6) (1.9) (8.4) (11.9)
Combing operation by 0 4 7 11
military force (0) (1.2) (2.2) (3.4)
3 17 23 43
Crime against women (0.9) (5.3) (7.2) (13.4)
80 128 112 320
Total (25.0) (40.0) (35.0) (100.0)

127
 Chart No. 10

Frequent issues in the Society by Mode of Dealing the Offenders

100 Mode of dealing

with people
Refer to police
80
Give penalty
Count according to
Organisation
60
Both

40

20

0
Drugs Alcohol Domestic Combing Crime
violence operation against
by military women
force

Frequent issue faced in the Society

The above table explains the mode of dealing with offenders by frequent issue faced in the
society.

It is observed from the above table that 57 percent respondents expressed that alcoholic issue
is quite frequent, of which 29 percent of the respondents also informed that such offenders
were punished according to organization rule. About 14 percent respondents mentioned drugs
abuse as main issue they faced, 13 percent respondent gave crime against women issue and
12 percent respondents mentioned domestic violence as frequent issues happening in their
particular locality. The table also reveals that 25 percent of the respondents expressed that
such offenders were referred to police, another 40 percent respondents gave penalty
according to organization rules and 35 respondents dealt the offenders using both police
assistance and organization rules.

128
The study had one of its objectives to find out the frequent issues the organization has been
handling and hence, it is found that more than 55 percent of the respondents expressed that
alcohol abuse problem was quite frequent followed by drug abuse, crime against women and
domestic violence. It is to be mentioned here that prevention of problems related to alcohol
abuse in the state was one of the main goal of the organization when it first stated many
years ago. Ironically, the problem still persists even today and they are still fighting to end it.
The respondents also informed the mode of dealing of such offenders. Some respondents
referred to police (25%), some dealt with organization rules (40%) and 35 percent
respondents either referred to police or dealt with organization rules. When compared to the
kinds of issues happening and mode of handling of issues, there seems to be no relationship
as the method of dealing of the issues depends on the situation and gravity of the problems.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents found the problems of substance abuse in their
locality quite frequently. And a significant percent of the respondents preferred to deal such
offenders according to their rules as they don’t trust the law enforcers of the state. They
would punished them by making them pay heavy penalty to the victims’ family, beating up
them by shoes/sticks, scorn them in public etc.

Common offender of Anti Social activities by Duration as a Member of Meira Paibis

The nature and gravity of the offence must be ascertained before correct sentences are given.
In addition, the category of the offenders also needs to be identified so that the essence of
delivering justice according to their level is not denied. Hence, in this context an attempt has
been made to know the common offender of anti social activities by duration of the
respondents as a member of the organization.

129
 Table No. 25
Common offender of Anti Social activities by Duration as a Member of Meira Paibis
Common Duration as a Member of Meira
Offender of Paibis
Anti social Total
Activities
1- 5 years 6- 10 years 11- 15 years 15 years and
above
5 0 6 1 12
Women (1.6) (0) (1.9) (0.3) (3.8)
5 2 12 7 26
Men (1.6) (0.6) (3.8) (2.1) (8.1)
0 23 61 16 100
Youth (0) (7.2) (19.0) (5.0) (31.2)
11 52 31 88 182
All (3.4) (16.3) (9.7) (27.5) (56.9)
21 77 110 112 320
Total (6.6) (24.1) (34.4) (35.9) (100.0)

The table explains the common offender of anti social activities by duration as a member of
Meira Paibis.

The table indicates that 31 percent respondents expressed that young people were the most
common offender of anti social activities, of which 19 percent of the respondents were
having an experience of 11 to 15 years in the organization. 8 percent of the respondents
replied that the offenders were mostly men and 4 percent respondents responded that women
were the most common offenders of anti social activities. And 57 percent of the respondents
said that the most common offender were all the above categories-women, men and youth, of
which 27 percent of the respondents had been working in the organization for more than 15
years.

As regards to the most common offender found by the organization, more than 55 percent
respondents felt that the most common offenders of anti social activities were women, men
and youth. Nearly one third of the respondents also expressed that young people were the
most common offender of anti social activities like drugs, alcohol etc. it is interesting to note
that a small percent respondents informed that women were the most common offenders of
anti social activities. Those respondents who strongly voiced their opinion on this issue were
a part of the organization for more than 11 years.

130
The study concluded that a majority of the respondents felt that all categories of people like
women, men and youth were equally involved in anti social activities like drug alcohol abuse,
violence etc.

Opinion about AFSPA by still Dealing the Issues of Armed Force Special Power Act
(AFSPA)

It was the primary demand of the women’s organization to repeal the implementation of
AFSPA in the state of Manipur when it first started. In this context, it was thought of
knowing whether the organization still deals with issues related to AFSPA or not and their
opinion on it. The following table explains this part of the study.

Table No. 26
Opinion about AFSPA by still Dealing the Issues of Armed Force Special Power Act
(AFSPA)

Still Dealing Opinion About Of AFSPA

The Issues Of Not necessary in It should be repealed Total
AFSPA the State immediately
7 10 17
Yes
(2.2) (3.1) (5.3)
18 24 42
No
(5.6) (7.5) (13.1)
To some 10 251 261
Extent (3.1) (78.5) (81.6)
Total 35 285 320
(10.9) (89.1) (100.0)

The table explains the opinion about AFSPA by still dealing the issues of AFSPA.

The above table shows that 82 percent of the respondents expressed that to some extent the
organization still dealt with the issue of AFSPA, of which 79 percent of the respondent
expressed that AFSPA should be repealed immediately. 13 percent of the respondents
expressed that they still dealt with the issues of AFSPA. 11 percent of the respondents replied
that AFSPA was not necessary in the state and 89 percent of the respondents expressed that
AFSPA should be repealed immediately.

131
As regards to the opinion of the respondents on the issue of AFSPA, it is found that nearly 87
percent of the respondents replied that more or less they still deal with the issues of AFSPA.
Nearly 90 percent of the respondents felt that AFSPA should be repealed immediately.

Hence, based on the analysis of the data, it can be concluded that a majority of the
respondents still dealt with the issues of AFSPA and most of the respondents strongly felt
that AFSPA should be repealed immediately as it is doing more harm to the people of the
state.

Establishment of the Organization by Action Taken To Plug Source for Illegal Narcotic
Activities

Problems related to illegal liquor, drugs etc. and other narcotics activities has become a major
feature in Manipur state due to its border proximity to various foreign countries. Hence, these
women organization has been taking concurrent action against using of narcotics and illegal
liquor, drugs etc and other social activities in the state. So, an attempt has been in the
following table to describe the action taken to plug source for illegal narcotic activities by the
organization by establishment of the organization.

Table No. 27
Establishment of the Organization by Action Taken To Plug Source for Illegal Narcotic
Activities
Action taken to Plug Source For Illegal
Establishment Narcotic Activities Total
of Organization
Yes No To some extent
23 0 27 50
Less than 10 (7.2) (0) (8.4) (15.6)
10 years- 20 43 11 54 108
years (13.4) (3.4) (16.9) (33.7)
21 years - 30 70 6 9 85
years (21.9) (1.9) (2.8) (26.6)
More than 30 39 9 29 77
years (12.2) (2.8) (9.1) (24.1)
Total 175 26 119 320
(54.7) (8.1) (37.2) (100.0)
X2 =.
47.87, df =6, Significant at 0.05 level

The table explains the establishment of the organization by action taken to plug source for
illegal narcotic activities.
132
It is seen that 55 percent of the respondents informed that they were able to take action on
various sources for illegal activities of narcotics, of which 12 percent of the respondents’
organization were more than 30 years. About 37 percent of the respondents said that they
were able to take action on the source to some extent and 8 percent of the respondents
admitted they were unable to take action on the source of illegal activities.

As regards to the action taken to plug the source for illegal narcotic activities, it is found that
more than 55 percent of the respondents answered that they were to take action on the source
for illegal activities of narcotics in the State and 37 respondents expressed that to some extent
they were able to plug the source of it. A large percent of the respondents’ organization who
answered on this aspect of the study were more than 10 years.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents were able to plug the source and take action on
the illegal activities of narcotics and were able to prevent it. And most of the respondents’
organizations which were working to eradicate these illegal activities were more than 10
years.

Chi square value 47.87 at 0.05 level shows that there is a strong association between
establishments of the organization and its ability to take action to plug source for illegal
narcotic activities.

Most burning Issues in the Society by Whether Political Parties Responsibilities for
Creating Problems

It is thought that most of the problems and issues happening in Manipur are politically linked
and politicians are equally responsible for it. Hence, a question was asked to the respondents
about the most burning issues in the State and that whether politicians are responsible for
creating these issues and problems. The following table explains the opinion of the
respondents in this context.

133
 Table No. 28
Most burning Issues in the Society by Whether Political Parties Responsibilities for
Creating Problems
Whether Political Parties Responsibilities
Most Social
for Creating problems
Burning Total
To some Can’t
Issue Yes No
extent say
0 0 11 0 11
Drug abuse
(0) (0) (3.4) (0) (3.4)
Repeal of 14 2 2 5 23
APSPA (4.4) (0.6) (0.6) (1.6) (7.2)
Domestic 0 0 5 5 10
issues (0) (0) (1.6) (1.6) (3.2)
136 15 29 89 269
ILP
(42.5) (4.7) (9.1) (27.7) (84.0)
Crime against 7 0 0 0 7
women (2.2) (0) (0) (0) (2.2)
157 17 47 99 320
Total
(49.1) (5.3) (14.7) (30.9) (100.0)
X2 = 91.9, df =12, Significant at 0.05 level

The above table depicts the most burning issues in the society by whether political parties
responsibilities for creating problems.

It is seen that 84 percent of the respondents gave ILP as most burning issue in the society, of
which 43 percent respondents also justify that these problems were created by political
parties. About 7 percent of the respondents mentioned repeal of APSPA as major burning
issue, of which 4 percent also felt that political parties were responsible. 3 percent
respondents gave drug abuse and 2 percent replied crime against women as main burning
issues of the society. 15 percent of the respondent opined that these political parties were
responsible for all the problems to some extent and 31 percent of the respondents were not
able to answer.

As regards to the opinion of the respondents about the most burning issues, it is found that

134
nearly 85 percent of the respondents gave ILP as the most burning issues of the state. Forty
nine percent respondents felt that political parties were responsible for creating these
problems and 15 percent respondents also agreed with it. Another 31 percent of the
respondents were not able to express their opinion as they felt that many factors like lack of
employment, easy access to drugs/alcohol, misuse of technology etc. were equally
responsible for all the problems in the state.

To conclude, most of the respondents gave ILP as the most burning issue of the state and that
political parties were responsible for creating such situation in the state.

The results of chi square support the fact that there exist strong relationships between most burning
issues in the State and political parties responsible for it.

Opinion on the Most Difficult Issue Handled by the Organization

Running an organization solely by women is not an easy task especially considering the
socio-political situation in Manipur. Everyday these women are challenge with difficult task
and issues. In this context, it was thought of knowing the most difficult issues handle by the
respondents. The below table support the responses given by the respondent.

135
 Table No. 29
Opinion on the Most Difficult Issue Handled by the Organization

Opinion on the Most Difficult

Frequency Percentage
Issue Handle By Organisation

June 18 64 20.0

Crime against women 38 11.9

Demanding extra Judicial

inquiry of victim of encounter 39 12.1

Justice for murdered case 72 22.5

AFSPA 24 7.5

Insurgency 27 8.4

Rape case
7 2.2

Domestic Violence
13 4.1

Curbing down of anti social

36
activities 11.3

Total 320 100

The table explains the opinion of the respondents about the most difficult issue handled by
the organization.

It is seen that a 25 percent of the respondents mentioned demanding justice for murdered case
had been the most difficult issue handled by their organization. About 20 percent of the
organization gave June 18, uprising day as most difficult issue. Twelve percent respondent
felt crime against women and another 12 percent gave demanding extra judicial inquiry of
victims of police encounter as most difficult issues. 11 percent respondents mentioned
136
curbing down anti social activities and 8 percent informed handling AFSPA as most difficult
issues they have come across in their lives. About 8 percent gave insurgency and 2 percent
respondents mentioned rape cases as issues which was not easy to deal.

Regarding the answers given by the respondents about the most difficult issues handled by
them, it is found that 25 percent of the respondents mentioned demanding justice for
murdered case had been the most difficult issue handled by their organization. Other difficult
issues handled by the respondents were June 8th, Uprising Day (20%), crime against women
(12%), extra Judicial inquiry (12%), curbing anti – social activities (8%), insurgency (8%)
and rape cases (2%).

It is concluded that all the respondents took active part and were involved in most of the
major social issues in the State. It is to be noted that these women organization spearheaded
in all the social movements in the state. Even though most of the respondents did not have
formal training in any particular field, still they learnt from their experiences and their
association with members of the organization.

Funding Sources of the Organization by Adequate Fund in running the Organization

Financial aspects of an organization play a very crucial role in running the organization
smoothly. An organization needs money for its survival, so it is imperative that finding of any
organization be taken into consideration. One of the objectives of the study was to know the
profile of the organization which also covers the financial aspect of the organization. In this
context, an attempt has been made to understand the funding sources of the organization and
whether it is adequate or not. The below table explains about it.

137
 Table No. 30
Funding Sources of the Organization by Adequate Fund in running the Organization

Adequate Fund Available In Running The

Funding Organisation
Source of Adequate Total
Fully Totally No funds at
Organisation to Some
Adequate Inadequate All
Extent
0 6 13 7 26
Donation
(0) (1.9) (4.1) (2.2) (8.2)
Members
16 40 65 110 231
fees/
(5.0) (12.5) (20.3) (34.4) (72.2)
contribution
Donation and
0 19 25 19 63
Members
(0) (5.9) (7.8) (5.9) (19.6)
contribution
16 65 103 136 320
Total
(5.0) (20.3) (32.2) (42.5) (100.0)

Chart No. 11

Funding Source of Organisation

Donation
Members
26 fees/
contribution
63
Donation
and
Members
contribution

231

The above table illustrates the funding sources of the organization by adequate fund in
running the organization.

The table shows that 72 percent of the respondents replied that their organization is organized
by member’s fees/contribution of money, of which 20 percent respondents replied that the
funds were totally inadequate. 20 percent of the respondents informed that they managed
funds by donation and members’ contribution and 8 percent respondents managed their fund
138
from donation only. About 43 percent respondents also expressed that they did not have any
funds at present and 32 percent respondents expressed that their funds were totally
inadequate. About 5 percent respondents replied that their funds were adequate.

The study had one of the aspects to know the fund of the organization and hence, it is found
that the funds of more than 70 percent of the respondents’ organization were managed by
members’ fees and contribution as they did not have any other channels/sources to raise the
funds. A large percent i.e 43 percent of the respondents also admitted that they did not have
any funds at present and solely depended on members’ contribution. Regarding the adequacy
of funds it is found that 32 percent of the respondent’s organizations were found to be totally
inadequate. There is no relationship between source of funds and its adequacy as most of the
organization seemed to face fund inadequacy. But it is also interesting to note that only 5
percent of the respondents’ organizations whose funds were managed by members’ fees and
contribution funds were found to be fully adequate.

The study concluded that a majority of the respondents were of the opinion that even though
they managed the organization through members’ fees and contribution still they faced
shortage of funds and did not have any funds at present. The government also do not heed
their needs. Much of their expenses were spent on travelling/visiting victims’ homes,
organizing rallies and helping the beneficiaries.

Adequate Fund Available in the Organization by any Fund Raising Program

The respondents’ opinion had been obtained that whether the organization arranged any fund
raising programmes since their funds are usually inadequate. The table below depicts the
opinion of the respondents about these aspects.

139
 Table No. 31
Adequate Fund Available in the Organization by any Fund Raising Program

Any Fund Raising Program

Adequate fund
available in running No plans Total
the organisation Sometimes No as for
now
4 7 5 16
Fully adequate
(1.3) (2.2) (1.6) (5.1)
Adequate to some 11 45 9 65
extent (3.4) (14.1) (2.8) (20.3)
66 27 10 103
Totally inadequate
(20.6) (8.4) (3.1) (32.1)
21 100 15 136
No funds at all
(6.6) (31.2) (4.7) (42.5)
102 179 39 320
Total
(31.9) (55.9) (12.2) (100.0)

The table explains the adequate fund available in the organization by any fund raising
program.

It is seen that 43 percent of the respondents expressed that their organization did not have any
funds at all, of which 32 percent respondents informed that their organization did not
organize any fund raising programs. About 32 percent of the respondents said that their
organization sometimes organize fund raising program, of which 21 percent respondents
expressed that their organizations’ fund was totally inadequate. 12 percent of the respondents
replied that at present, their organization did not have any such plans but might plan in the
future. And 56 percent respondents informed that their organization did not organize any such
fund raising programme.

As regards to the fund raising programmes of the organization, it is found that more than 55
percent respondents’ organization did not organize any fund raising programme. A
considerate percent (32%) of the respondents’ organization were found to organize fund
raising program. It is also interesting to note that a little more than one third of the
respondents who did not have any organizational funds at all seemed to show no interest in
any fund raising programmes.

140
To conclude, a majority of the respondents did not organize any fund raising programs even
though most of the organizations were shortage of funds. They strongly believed that such
fund raising programs were purely commercial and they depend solely on donation and
members’ contribution for running the organization.

Networking Level with other Organization by any Networking with Similar

Organization

Networking with other similar likeminded organization makes things easier in the normal
course of functioning of any organization. The higher the level of networking of an
organization, the easier it becomes to get the done work. Here, an attempt has been made to
know the networking level of the organization. The table below describes the networking
level of the organizations covered under study.

Table No. 32

Networking Level with other Organization by any Networking with Similar

Organization

Networking level Any Networking with similar

with other Organization Total
organizations Yes No
95 0 95
Local
(29.7) (0) (29.7)
176 0 176
State
(55.0) (0) (55.0)
8 0 8
National
(2.5) (0) (2.5)
0 41 41
NA
(0) (12.8) (12.8)
279 41 320
Total
(87.2) (12.8) (100.0)

The above table illustrates the networking level with other organization by any networking
with similar organization.

It is seen from the table that 87 percent of the respondents expressed that they had networking
with other organization, of which 55 percent of the respondents informed that they had State

141
networking level and 13 percent respondents’ organization did not have any networking with
other organization. The table also shows that 30 percent of the respondents’ organization had
networking at local level and 3 percent respondents replied that their organization networking
was at national level.

It is found that 87 percent of the respondents’ organization had networking with other similar
organization. And more than 50 percent of the respondents’ organization networking was at
state level. Even though these organizations have achieved a lot within the State of Manipur,
still their networking level at the national level is found to be poor. Thirteen percent of the
respondents also replied that their organization did not have any networking with other
organization.

It is thus concluded that a majority of the organization were found to have networking with
other organization and it was mostly at state level. They also expressed that they were trying
their best to expand their networking to national level.

Mutual Assistance extended to other Organization by any Assistance received from

other Organization

Organizations sometimes depend on one another to make things easy in the normal course of
functioning. Sharing and extending assistance to other organization helps in getting support
in times of need. In this context, an attempt has been made to know the kind of assistance
shared and extended to other organizations. The table below explains the data related to these
aspects.

142
 Table No. 33
Mutual Assistance extended to other Organization by any Assistance received from
other Organization

Assistance Received From Other

Nature of Mutual
Organizations
Assistance with other Total
To some
organizations Yes No
extent
Sharing information and 43 0 15 58
training programme (13.4) (0) (4.7) (18.1)
42 0 7 49
Financial assistance
(13.1) (0) (2.2) (15.3)
Supporting each other 0 0 40 40
when situation demands (0) (0) (12.5) (12.5)
0 173 0 173
Not Applicable
(0) (54.1) (0) (54.1)
85 173 62 320
Total
(26.5) (54.1) (19.4) (100.0)

The above table illustrates the mutual help extended to other organization by any assistance
received from other organization.

It is seen from the table that 54 percent of the respondents did not received any help from
other organizations. About 27 percent respondents expressed that they got assistance from
other organization and 19 percent respondents said that they took help from other
organization to some extent. 18 percent of the respondents replied that they help each other
organization by sharing information and organizing training programme and 15 percent
respondents help other organization by giving financial assistance and 13 percent respondents
responded that they help other organization by lending support to their cause/issues they are
fighting.

It is found that 54 percent of the organization did not share any mutual assistance with other
organization. A considerate percent i.e 46 % of the respondents expressed that they shared
assistance with other organization more or less by sharing information and organizing
training programme, giving financial assistance and by lending support to their cause/issues
they are fighting

143
It is concluded that more than half of the respondents’ organization did not take/share any
mutual help from other organization as they did not have time to correspond or communicate
with the other organization. Further, it is also concluded that a significant percent of the
respondents informed that they received assistance from other organization and their nature
of mutual help were in the form of sharing information and organizing training programme,
giving financial assistance and by lending support to their cause/issues they are fighting.

Funding Sources of the Organization by Involvement of Professional Trained Workers

in the Organization

Identifying and using the expertise and scientific knowledge of professionally trained
personnel is one of the important requirements of any organization. Such trained workers
would guide the organization systematically in meeting its goals and targets. Thus, an attempt
has been made to know the knowledge of the respondents whether their organization has
involved any trained workers or not. The following table explains the data related to this part
of the study.

Table No. 34
Funding Sources of the Organization by Involvement of Professional Trained Workers
in the Organization
Funding Source Involvement of professional Trained
of Organisation Workers Total
Yes No Don’t Know
Donation 5 9 5 19
(1.6) (2.7) (1.6) (5.9)
Government 2 5 0 7
(0.6) (1.6) (0) (2.2)
Members fees/ 35 138 58 231
contribution (10.9) (43.1) (18.1) (72.1)
Donation and 4 53 6 63
Members (1.3) (16.6) (1.9) (19.8)
contribution
Total 46 205 69 320
(14.4) (64.0) (21.6) (100.0)
X2 = 16.47, df =4, Significant at 0.05 level

The table explains the funding sources of the organization by involvement of professional
trained workers in the organization.

144
It is seen that 72 percent of the respondents replied that their organizations’ fund were
contributed by members, of which 64 percent respondents answered that they did not have
any trained professional workers like social workers, psychologist etc., in the organization
and 14 percent respondents’ organization had trained workers. About 22 percent of the
respondents did not have any idea about such trained workers.

Based on the primary data and its analysis, it is found that a 72 percent of the respondents’
organizations were run by members’ fees/contribution as they did not have any means to get
funds. Regarding the involvement of trained professional in the organization, nearly 65
percent of the respondents expressed that there were no professional trained workers in the
organization. Only a few respondents’ organizations i.e. 14 percent were found to have
trained professional workers and most of them from organization which were having source
of funds from members’ fees/contribution. About 22 percent respondents were not aware of
the existence of such trained workers in the organization.

To conclude, a majority of the organization utilized their funds from members’

fees/contributions and most of them did not have any trained workers like counsellor, social
workers, lawyers etc. as they could not afford them due to shortage of funds. It is also to be
noted here that many of the respondents were not aware of such trained workers and did not
understand the importance of their existence. They felt they could solve all the problems by
their own.

The X2 value at 16.47 at 0.05 level shows significant relationship between funding sources of the
organization and involvement of professional trained workers in the organization

Establishment of the Organization by Help Received from the Police

The role of police as a public law enforcer plays a vital part in Manipur considering the kind
of anti- social activities prevailing in the State. Their intervention is helpful in many
cases/issues handle by the women organization as it can legalize the action taken and ensures
that the action does not go outside the province of the country s law. Hence, the following
table illustrates the assistance received from the police by the women organization.

145
 Table No. 35
Establishment of the Organization by Help Received from the Police

Establishment Help Received from Police Department

of To some Total
Organization Yes No extent
3 33 14 50
Less than 10
(0.9) (10.3) (4.4) (15.6)
11 years- 20 17 51 40 108
years (5.4) (15.9) (12.5) (33.8)
21 years - 30 1 31 53 85
years (0.3) (9.7) (16.6) (26.6)
More than 30 16 46 15 77
years (5.0) (14.4) (4.6) (24.0)
37 161 122 320
Total
(11.6) (50.3) (38.1) (100.0)

The above table explains the establishment of the organization by help received from the
police.

It is seen and observed from the table that 50 percent of the respondents informed that they
did not received any help from the police, of which 16 percent of the respondents’
organization were 10 – 20 years old. 12 percent of the respondents expressed that they
receive help from police and 38 percent respondents replied that they received help from the
police to some extent. About 34 percent of the respondents’ organizations were 11 – 20 years
old, of which 16 percent respondents replied that they did not receive any assistance from the
police.

As regards to the assistance received from the police, it is found that half of the respondent
replied that they did not receive any help/assistance from the police department when they
approached. And 12 percent of the respondents received help from the police. It is also found
that 84 percent of the respondents who expressed their views on this aspect were having
organizations which were more than 10 years old.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents were member of the organizations which were
more than 10 years old and according to the experiences of the respondents, half of them
expressed that they did not receive any help from the police.

146
Common Target of the Organizations’ Strikes/Demonstration by Organization active in
Protest and Demonstration or not
Public involvement and organizing large demonstration against any issues is usually headed
by an able leader. So it is necessary to know and understand how the activists organize such
protest and demonstration and who their main targets were. In a State like Manipur, the
government and the Indian Army were under constant watchful eyes of women’s
organization (Meira Paibis). The table below explains about the opinion of the respondents in
this context.

Table No. 36
Common Target of the Organizations’ Strikes/Demonstration by Organization active in
Protest and Demonstration or not
Organization Organization Activeness In Protesting And
Mostly Demonstrating
Total
Strike/Demonstrate
Yes No To some extent
Against
13 0 0 13
Government
(4.1) (0) (0) (4.1)
17 0 0 17
Army
(5.3) (0) (0) (5.3)
4 0 8 12
Militants
(1.3) (0) (2.5) (3.8)
Govt , Army, 33 6 4 43
Militants (10.3) (1.9) (1.3) (13.4)
Depends on the 193 12 30 235
issue (60.3) (3.8) (9.3) (73.4)
260 18 42 320
Total
(81.3) (5.6) (13.1) (100.0)

The above table illustrates the most common target of the organizations’
strikes/demonstration by organization active in protest and demonstration or not.

The table shows that 81 percent respondents’ organization were active in organizing protest
and demonstration, of which 60 percent of the respondents expressed that they did not have
any particular target and it depends on the issue. About 6 percent of the respondents replied
that they were not active and 13 percent respondents answered that they were active in protest

147
and demonstration to some extent. The table also reveals that 4 percent of the respondents
informed that their main target was government and another 4 percent gave militants as their
target of protest. About 13 percent respondents responded that their main target were all i.e
government, army and militants.

The very objective of this table was to know whether the organizations were active in protest
and demonstration and hence, it is found that a large percent (81%) of the respondent replied
that they were active in organizing protest and demonstration. Most of the protest and
demonstration in the state were spearheaded by them. And as regards to the target of their
protest, 73 percent respondents replied that their target depends on the issue at that time. For
them, whoever works against the interest of the public becomes the target of their protest.
Most of the time, the government becomes their target when it cannot protect the society and
giving excessive power to the armed forces in the state, which in turn violates human rights
of the common people.

Based on the primary data and its analysis it is thus concluded that a majority of the
respondents were very active in organizing protest and demonstration and they did not have
any particular target and mostly depends on the issue happening at the time.

Organization Strategies by Establishment of Organization

It is one of the factors of the study to know the strategy employed by the women organization
in all their movements. Here, an effort has been made by the researcher to highlight the
strategies used by the women organizations. The following table explains the strategies as
stated by the respondents.

148
 Table No. 37
Organization Strategies by Establishment of Organization

Establishment of Organization Strategies

Organization Total
Violence
Peaceful talks Agitation Can’t say
13 0 37 50
Less than 10 (4.1) (0) (11.6) (15.6)
23 6 79 108
10 years- 20 years (7.2) (1.9) (24.7) (33.8)
18 1 66 85
21 years - 30 (5.6) (0.3) (20.5) (26.5)
years
0 0 77 77
More than 30 (0) (0) (24.1) (24.1)
years
54 7 259 320
Total (16.9) (2.2) (80.9) (100.0)

The above table explains the organization strategies by establishment of organization.

It is seen that 17 percent of the respondents said that they followed peaceful dialogues/talks
with their opponents as main strategy, of which 7 percent of the respondents’ organization
were 10 – 20 years old. About 2 percent of the respondents used violence agitation as their
main line of attack against their opponents. About 81 percent of the respondents were not
able to answer as they felt that their strategies depended mainly on the issues they were
fighting for, of which 24 percent of the respondents belonged to organizations which were 21
– 30 years.

The study had one of the objectives to know the strategies used by the respondents in their
movement organized by them and hence it is found that 17 percent of the respondents said
that they followed peaceful dialogues/talks with their opponents as main strategy. About 2
percent of the respondents used violence agitation, if necessary. Even though most of the
organizations were more than 10 years of services still a large percent (81%) of the
respondents were not able to say their main strategy as it depended on the issue they were
they were fighting for.

149
To conclude, most of the respondents expressed that they did not have any such strategies and
could not tell as it depended mainly on the issues they were fighting for at that point of time.
But still most of the respondents also replied that they would prefer to peaceful dialogues
rather than violence and resorting to violence would be the last option.

Tactics used in Demonstration and Protest by the Organizations

The women organizations are very active in organizing demonstration and agitation in the
State if the interests of the public are affected. So, in this context, an attempt has been made
to know the various means and methods they employed in their demonstrations. The table
below explain the data related to these aspects of the study.
Table No. 38
Tactics used in Demonstration and Protest by the Organizations
Tactics used in Demonstration
and Strikes Frequency Percent
Hunger Strike 12 3.8
Sit and Protest 16 5.0
Rally 25 7.8
Calling state Bandhs 14 4.4
All the Above 253 79.1
Total 321 100

Chart No. 12

150
 The above table depicts the tactics used by the organizations in their demonstration and
protest.

It is seen from the table that 4 percent of the respondents expressed that they organized
hunger strike in most of their agitation, while 5 percent of the respondents were involved
in sit and protest form of agitation. About 8 percent of the respondents organized rally
and 4 percent of the respondent called State wide bandhs. And 79 percent of the
respondents replied that all the above mentioned tactics were used according to the
situation of the problems.

As regards to the tactics used by the organizations in their demonstrations, it is found that
nearly 80 percent of the respondents’ organizations organized different forms and
methods of demonstrations like hunger strike, sit and protest, rally and calling state
bandhs.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents employed various means and tactics in

organizing their demonstrations but it depends on the gravity of the situation and
problems faced at that time.

Demands of the Organization by Achievement of its Demands

Achieving the demands and targets of an organization is indeed a big task. In this context, the
respondents were asked to mention some of their demands and how far they were able to
achieve it. The below table explains the demands of the organization by achievement of its
demands.
Table No. 39
Demands of the Organization by Achievement of its Demands

Some of the Organization Achievement Of Demand

Organizations Total
To some Negotiate most
Demands Yes No
extent of the time
14 13 74 0 101
ILP
(4.4) (4.1) (23.1) (0) (31.6)
1 0 37 28 66
AFSPA
(0.3) (0) (11.5) (8.8) (20.6)
Police encounter 1 0 30 29 60
case (0.3) (0) (9.3) (9.1) (18.7)
Any current issues
20 12 30 31 93
happening at that
(6.3) (3.8) (9.3) (9.7) (29.1)
time
36 25 171 88 320
Total
(11.3) (7.9) (53.2) (27.6) (100.0)
151
 Chart No. 13

Organization Demands and their Achievement

80 Organization
achivement of
demand
60 Yes

Count No
To some
40 extent
Negotiate
most of the
20
time

0
ILP AFSPA Police encounter Any currrent
case issues hapenning
at that time

Some of the Organizations Demands

The above table illustrates the demands of the organization by achievement of its demands.

It is observed from the table that 32 percent respondents replied that implementing Inner Line
Permit (ILP) in the state was their main demand, of which 23 percent of the respondents also
replied that their demands were achieved to some extent. About 21 percent of the respondents
demanded repealed of AFSPA in the state, 19 percent respondents demanded to resolve the
issues of police encounter cases and 29 percent respondents expressed that their demands
were not specific and depends on the situation. About 11 percent of the respondents also
informed that their demands were achieved, 8 percent respondents responded that they did
not achieved their demands most of the time and 53 percent respondents expressed that their
demands were achieved to some extent. And 28 percent respondents replied that they used to
negotiate with the other party.

It is one of the important aspects of the study to know the issues related to their demands of
the respondents, and hence it is found that large percent i.e 71 percent respondents mentioned

152
issues like ILP, AFSPA and police encounter cases as their main demands. And regarding the
achievement of their demands, a more than 53 percent of the respondents were found to
express that their demands were achieved to some extent. This was one of the reasons for the
common people to trust them as they were able to meet the needs and demands of the society.
Still 8 percents respondents replied that they did not achieved their demands most of the time.
Nearly 30 percent of the respondents were also found to negotiate with the other party in
terms of their demands as some of the demands were not easy to meet or implement in the
State.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents’ demands were mostly related to socio-political

issues which have been creating turmoil in the state of Manipur recently like ILP, AFSPA,
police encounter cases etc. And most of their demands were achieved to some extent though
they had to negotiate with the other party sometimes.

Any Sub Group in the Organization by Duration as a Member of Meira Paibis

Existence of subgroups within a parent organization is not a new phenomenon. Their
existences may lead to irritation among members, or threaten team unity, sometimes to an
extent that it disenfranchises certain members altogether. In this context, the respondents
were asked to record that whether there were any subgroups within the organization or not
during their period of services.

Table No. 40
Any Sub Group in the Organization by Duration as a Member of Meira Paibis

Duration As Any Sub Group Organisations

A Member Of Total
Meira Paibis
Yes No To some extent
5 10 6 21
1- 5 years (1.6) (3.1) (1.9) (6.6)
41 29 7 77
6- 10 years (12.8) (9.1) (2.1) (24.0)
25 79 6 110
11- 15 years (7.8) (24.7) (1.9) (34.4)
41 59 12 112
15 years and (12.8) (18.4) (3.8) (35.0)
above
Total 112 177 31 320
(35.0) (55.3) (9.7) (100.0)

153
The above table explains existence of any sub group in the organization by duration as a
member of Meira Paibis.

The table shows that 35 percent respondents had an experiences of more than 15 years, of
which 18 percent respondents expressed that there were no sub groups in the organization.
About 35 percent of the respondents admitted that there were sub groups within the groups,
of which 13 percent respondents were member of the organization from the last 6 – 10 years.
About 55 percent of the respondents expressed that there were no sub groups in the
organization and 10 percent replied that there were sub groups to some extent.

As regards to the presence of subgroup in the organization, it is found that 55 percent of the
respondents felt that there were no sub groups in the organization. More than half of the
respondents who expressed that there were no sub groups in the organization had been in the
organization for more than 5 years and according to their experience there were no such
division among them. It is also found that a considerate percent of the respondents expressed
that there were sub groups in the organization.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents felt that there were no subgroups in the
organization. Some of the respondents also admitted existence of sub groups in the
organization due to lack of communication, geographical disparity etc.

Opinion of the Respondents about bringing Changes in Organization Structure and

Functions

Change is an indispensable part of life. A change is always required for a good organization
to adjust people within the organization and to adapt itself in this fast changing world. Hence,
an attempt has been made to know the opinion of the respondents whether they like to bring
change in the organization or not. The table below explains these aspects.

154
 Table No. 41
Opinion of the Respondents about bringing Changes in Organization Structure and
Functions
Bringing Changes In
Organizations Structure And Frequency Percentage
Functional

No 196 61.3

Need to Change 58 18.1

Involve more Activities 66 20.6

Total 320 100.0

Chart No. 14

The above table discusses the opinion of the respondents about bringing changes in
organization structure and functions.

It is seen that that 61 percent of the respondents did not want to bring any change to the
organization. About 18 percent of the respondents responded that the organization needed to
be changed and 20 percent of the respondents would like to involve more activities.

As regards to the opinion of the respondents about the need to bring change in the
organization, it is found that more than 60 percent of the respondents did not like to bring any
change in the organization structure and functions. Twenty percent respondents would like to

155
involve more activities. And 18 percent of the respondents strongly felt that the organization
needed to be changed.

It is thus concluded that a majority of the organization would not like to bring any change to
the organization as they were comfortable with the way how the organization is functioning.
A significant percent of the respondents also admitted that they wanted to bring change in the
organization and would like to include more activities like opening of income generation,
professional counselling etc.

Establishment of the Organization by their Immediate Needs

It is one of the coverage of the study to know the needs and requirement of the organization
in order to run and sustain the organization. Therefore, an attempt has been made to know the
immediate needs of the organization. The table below supports the answers given by the
respondents regarding this aspect.

Table No. 42
Establishment of the Organization by their Immediate Needs

Establishment of Organization
Immediate Needs Less than 10 years- 20 21 years - 30 More than 30 Total
10 years years years
Proper office 12 50 39 17 118
building (3.8) (15.6) (12.2) (5.3) (36.9)
7 0 11 6 24
Vehicle
(2.2) (0) (3.4) (1.9) (7.5)
0 15 6 37 58
Materials/equipments
(0) (4.7) (1.9) (11.6) (18.1)
27 39 27 12 105
Funds
(8.4) (12.2) (8.4) (3.8) (32.8)
4 4 2 5 15
All
(1.3) (1.3) (0.6) (1.6) (4.7)
50 108 85 77 320
Total
(15.6) (33.8) (26.6) (24.0) (100.0)

The above table explains the establishment of the organization by their immediate needs.

It is observed from the table that among the 37 percent respondents who expressed that their
organization needed proper office building, 16 percent of the respondents’ organizations were
10 – 20 years old. 7 percent respondents said that they needed vehicles, 18 percent mentioned

156
office materials and equipments and 33 percent respondents needed funds. And 5 percent of
the respondents informed that they needed all – vehicles, funds, office and equipments. It is
also seen that 34 percent of the respondents were 10 – 20 years old.

Based on the primary data presented in the table and its analysis it is found that 37 percent
respondents expressed that their organization needed proper office building. A majority of the
organizations were more than 10 years old and for the last 10 years they have been changing
their offices frequently due to shortage of proper space and building. Other requirements as
given by the respondents were vehicles, office materials and funds.

It is concluded that a large percent of the respondents felt that their organizations needed
proper office on emergency basis. Besides office building, they also required funds to run the
organization.

Attitude of the Government Officials by Designation of the Respondents

Government support plays an important role in the functioning of any organization. In this
context, the respondents were asked to state their opinion on the attitude of the government
officials when they seek support from them. The table below explains the attitude of
government officials as expressed by the respondents.

Table No. 43

Attitude of the Government Officials by Designation of the Respondents

Attitude of Designation
Government Total
Officials President Secretary Treasury
6 19 6 31
Cooperative
(1.9) (5.9) (1.9) (9.7)
Non 12 11 17 40
Cooperative (3.8) (3.4) (5.2) (12.4)
14 47 36 97
Unpredictable
(4.3) (14.7) (11.3) (30.3)
Did not 36 87 29 152
approach (11.3) (27.2) (9.1) (47.6)
68 164 88 320
Total
(21.3) (51.2) (27.5) (100.0)

The table explains the attitude of the government officials by designation of the respondents.

157
It is observed from the table that 48 percent respondents replied that they did not approach
the officials at all, of which 11 percent of the respondents were President of the organization
and 27 percent were Secretary of the organization. About 30 percent of the respondents
expressed that the attitude of the officials were unpredictable and 13 percent respondents
answered that they were non cooperative. And 10 percent of the respondents expressed that
the government officials were cooperative.

As regards to the opinion of the respondents about the attitude of the government officials, it
is found that 48 percent of the respondents did not at all approach the government officials.
About 31 percent respondents found the attitude of the officials quite unpredictable. Thirteen
percents respondents expressed that the officials were non cooperative and only a few percent
respondent found the government officials to be cooperative when they approached.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents did not approach the government officials as their
attitude were unpredictable and could not be trusted. Other respondents who had approached
the officials were not satisfied with their attitude and found them non cooperative.

Establishment of Organization by Organization Difficulties

Difficulties and obstacles encountered by an organisation needs to be studied as it is

necessary to run successfully for the sustainability of the organization. In this context, an
attempt has been made to know the difficulties faced by the women organization under study.
The following table depicts the data related to this aspect.

158
 Table No. 44
Establishment of Organization by Organization Difficulties

Organizational Difficulties
Establishment Division among
No support from Total
of Organization Funds Meira Paibis
Government
Groups
15 35 0 50
Less than 10
(4.7) (10.9) (0) (15.6)
10 years- 20 37 60 11 108
years (11.6) (18.8) (3.4) (33.8)
21 years - 30 28 57 0 85
years (8.7) (17.8) (0) (26.5)
More than 30 62 5 10 77
years (19.4) (1.6) (3.1) (24.1)
142 157 21 320
Total
(44.4) (49.1) (6.5) (100.0)
X2 =1.62, df= 24, Significant at 0.05 level

Chart No. 15

Organizational difficulties
Funds
No
21 support
from
governme
nt
142 Division
among
Meira
157 Paibi
Groups

The above table describes the establishment of Organization by Organization difficulties.

It is seen and observed that 49 percent respondents expressed that lack of support from the
government was the main difficulties they faced in carrying out their activities, of which 19
percent of the respondents’ organization were 10 – 20 years old. 44 percent of the their
organization faced shortage of funds, of which 19 percent of the respondents’ organization

159
were more than 30 years old and 7 percent respondents replied that division among the
groups was the major difficulty they faced at present.

One of the objectives of the study was to know the difficulties faced by the organization and
hence it is found that nearly 50 percent of the respondents informed that lack of support from
the government was the main difficulties they faced in carrying out their activities. Other
difficulties as expressed by the respondents were – shortage of funds (44%) and division
among their groups (7%).

It is concluded that a large percent of the respondent’s organization which were having more
than 10 years of experiences strongly felt that lack of support from the government and
shortage of funds as the main difficulties of their organization.

The statistical testing of chi square indicates that there is a strong association between the
variables establishment of Organization and difficulties faced by the organization.

Satisfaction of Work and Activities for Organization by Spirit of Meira Paibis

Considering the selfless services provided by these women organization, it is important to

know from the respondents whether they were satisfied with their work or not. Their job
satisfaction will strengthen their spirit in carrying out their duties. Hence, it was thought of
knowing their job satisfaction and spirit. The table below explains about this aspect of the
study.

Table No. 45
Satisfaction of Work and Activities for Organization by Spirit of Meira Paibis

Satisfaction of Whether Spirit of Meira Paibis

Work And still Strong
Total
Activities For It has somehow
Yes No
Organization withered
Yes 162 6 54 222
(50.6) (1.9) (16.9) (69.4)
Can't say 0 1 12 13
(0) (0.3) (3.8) (4.1)
To some extent 43 0 42 85
(13.4) (0) (13.1) (26.5)
205 7 108 320
Total
(64.0) (2.2) (33.8) (100.0)
X2 =.
43.44, df =4, Significant at 0.05 level
160
 Chart No. 16

The above table illustrates the satisfaction of work and activities for organization by spirit of
Meira Paibis.

The table showed that 69 percent of the respondents replied that they were satisfied with the
organization works, of which 51 percent respondents expressed that the spirit of Meira Paibis
was still strong as it was when it was established. 27 percent of the respondents were satisfied
with their work to some extent and 4 percent respondents were not able to say their opinion.
About 34 percent of the respondents expressed that the spirit of Meira Paibis has withered to
some extent and 64 percent of the respondents responded that the spirit of the organization
was very strong as it was before.

Regarding the opinion of the respondents about their work satisfaction, it is found that nearly
70 percent of the respondents were satisfied working with the organization. And regarding
the spirit of the organization, about 64 percent of the respondents also felt that the spirit of
Meira Paibis was still strong as it was when it was established for the first time. There is a
close relation between satisfaction of work and spirit of Meira Paibis. More than half of the
respondents who were satisfied with their work also found the spirit of the organization to be
still strong. But nearly one third of the respondents were of the opinion that the spirit of the
organization has withered to some extent.

The study concluded that a majority of the respondents were satisfied with the work and
activities of the organization and also felt that the spirit of the organization was very strong.

161
However, there were also few respondents who believed that the spirit of the organization has
withered to some extent.

The result of chi square testing showed that there is a strong relationship between
satisfaction of work and spirit of the organization.

Reason for weakness of Meira Paibis Spirit by Spirit of Meira Paibis Strong or Not

Every organization has its own share of weakness and strength. And these women
organization is not an isolated one. It has been in existence for the last three decades, so it is
important to know whether their organization and their spirit have stood the test of time or
not. Here, an attempt has been made from the respondent’s point of view to know the spirit of
Meira Paibis by reason for its weakness. The below table illustrates these details of the study.

Table No. 46
Reason for weakness of Meira Paibis Spirit by Spirit of Meira Paibis Strong or Not
Spirit of Meira Paibis
Reason For Weakness Of It has somehow Total
Yes No
Meira Paibis Spirits withered
0 7 83 90
Lack of leadership
(0) (2.2) (25.9) (28.1)
Lack of communication among 0 0 13 13
the group (0) (0) (4.1) (4.1)
Differences in opinion and 0 0 12 12
way of working (0) (0) (3.8) (3.8)
205 0 0 205
Not applicable
(64.0) (0) (0) (64.0)
205 7 108 320
Total
(64.0) (2.2) (33.8) (100.0)

The above table describes the reason for weakness of Meira Paibis Spirit by spirit of Meira
Paibis strong or not.

It is observed that 64 percent respondents replied that the spirit of Meira Paibis was still
strong. About 2 percent of the respondents replied that the organizations’ spirit was not
strong due to lack of leadership. And 34 percent of the respondents admitted that the spirit
has withered, of which 26 percent respondents felt that the organization has withered due to
lack of proper leadership and 4 percent gave lack of communication among the group

162
members as main reason for low spirit of the organization. Another 4 percent also replied that
there were differences in opinion and way of working among the organizations’ members.

It is found that 64 percent of the respondents felt that the spirit of the organization was strong.
However about 36 percent of the respondents also opined that the organization has withered
due to various reasons. About 26 percent respondents gave lack of proper leadership as main
reason for weakening of the organization. Each 4 percent respondents gave lack of
communication among the group members and differences in opinion and way of working
among the organizations’ members as main reason for low spirit of the organization.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents felt that the organizations’ spirit was strong as it
was when it was stated for the first time. More than one third of the respondents also felt that
the organizations’ spirit has become low due to lack of communication among the group, lack
of proper leadership and differences in opinion.

Opinion of the Respondents on Whether They Would Like Men to Involve in their
Organizational Activities or Not

The organizations covered under study are solely run by female members even though they
assist needy people irrespective of their gender. So, here an attempt has been made to know
the opinion of the respondents on whether they would like men to involve in their activities
or not. The table below illustrates the primary data related to this part of the study.

Table No. 47
Opinion of the Respondents on Whether They Would Like Men to Involve in
their Organizational Activities or Not

Male Member Involvement Frequency Percentage

Yes 135 42.2

No 185 57.8

Total 320 100.0

163
 Chart No. 17

The above table explains the opinion of the respondents on whether they would like men to
involve in their organizational activities.

The above table indicates table that 42 percent of the respondents replied that they did not
want men to join the organization or involve in their activities. And the table also reveals that
about 58 percent of the respondents expressed that they would like to involve men in their
organizational activities.

As regards the opinion of the respondents if they would like men to involve in their works, it
is found that a near about 60 percent of the respondents like men to be part of the
organization so that they become more responsible and also understand the problems of the
Society. While 42 percent respondents were not in favour of their joining as they felt that
only women could handle any situation far better than men.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents would like male members of the society to
involve in organizational activities. They felt that their involvement would make them aware
of society’s problems and reduce the anti social elements in the State.

Future Plan of the Organization by Satisfaction of Work in the Organization

Strategic planning helps in providing a solid framework for identifying need resources that
further the organization’s vision and mission. Better planning and having clear goals would
make the organization more successful. Here, a question was asked to the respondents

164
whether their organizations have any plans in the near future by their satisfaction of work in
the organisation. The table below explains this aspect.

Table No. 48
Future Plan of the Organization by Satisfaction of Work in the Organization
Satisfaction Of Work And Activities
For Organization
Future Plan or Organizations Total
To some
Yes Can't say
extent
Expanding the network of the 85 1 18 104
organization to national level (26.6) (0.3) (5.6) (32.5)
Become more formal and 122 6 66 194
organized (38.1) (1.9) (20.6) (60.6)
15 6 1 22
No such plans as for now
(4.7) (1.9) (0.3) (6.9)
222 13 85 320
Total
(69.4) (4.1) (26.5) (100.0)

The table describes the future plan of the organization by satisfaction of work in the
organization.

The table showed that 69 percent respondents were satisfied in their work, of which 38
percent of the respondents shared that they planned their organization to become more formal
and organized in the future. About 27 percent of the respondents were satisfied with their
organizations’ work to some extent, of which 6 percent expressed that they planned to expand
the network of the organization to national level. About 61 percent of the respondents
planned to make their organization more formal and organised and 7 percent respondent
replied that they did not have any such plans for the organization at present.

It is found that 69 percent of the respondents were satisfied with their work in the
organization. And regarding the future plans of the organization, about 61 percent of the
respondents expressed that they planned to make their organization more formal and
organised. And 33 percent of the respondents wanted to expand their network of the
organization to national level. About 65 percent of the respondents who were satisfied with
their work were found to have interest in making future plans of the organization. It shows
their commitment and interest towards the improvement of the organization.

165
To conclude, a most of the respondents were satisfied with their work and planned to make
their organization more formal and organised so that the people could reach them easily.
Nearly one third of the respondents also wanted to expand the network of the organization to
national level. It is also interesting to note that very few percent respondents did not have any
such future plans for their organization.

Major Achievement of Organizations by Establishment of Organization

The women organizations have received many laurels form various quarters of the society for
their great heroic deeds and noble services. These women have devoted their life for the
people of Manipur. Hence, an attempt has been made by the researcher to know the major
achievements of the organizations which have made them so popular among the public
masses of the state. The following table supports the answers given by the respondents.

Table No. 49
Major Achievement of Organizations by Establishment of Organization

Major Establishment of Organization

Achievements of Less than 10 years- 20 21 years - 30 More than 30 Total
Organizations 10 years years years
Justice to murdered 0 10 25 6 41
Case (0) (3.1) (7.8) (1.9) (12.8)
Removal of Assam
Riffle Force from 6 27 6 29 68
Historic place of (1.9) (8.4) (1.9) (9.1) (21.3)
Kangla
June 18th, Uprising
8 18 20 5 51
Day( Save Manipur
(2.5) (5.6) (6.3) (1.6) (15.9)
Integrity)
Settling of domestic 32 14 8 4 58
issues (10.0) (4.4) (2.5) (1.3) (18.1)
Banned of foreign 4 27 13 14 58
liquor (1.3) (8.4) (4.1) (4.4) (18.1)
Successful in
demanding the 0 6 0 19 25
infrastructure for (0) (1.9) (0) (5.9) (7.8)
society
0 6 13 0 19
Justice to rape case
(0) (1.9) (4.1) (0) (6.0)
50 108 85 77 320
Total
(15.6) (33.8) (26.6) (24.0) (100.0)

166
The table explains the major achievement of organizations by establishment of organization.

The above table shows that 21 percent of the respondents replied that removal of Assam
Riffle Force from historic place of Kangla Fort was their main achievement, of which 9
percent respondents’ organization were more than 30 years old. About 15 percent of the
respondents mentioned June 18th, Uprising Day (Save Manipur Integrity) as their main
achievement, 7 percent respondents gave demanding infrastructure in their society and 6
percent respondents gave giving justice to rape victims as their main achievements. 18
percent of the respondents mentioned settling of domestic issues and another 18 percent
respondents gave banning of foreign liquor as their main organizational achievement, of
which 4 percent respondents’ organization were more than 30 years old.

Regarding the achievement of the organization, 21 percent of the respondents gave removal
of Assam Riffle Force (Indian Army) from historic place of Kangla Fort, Imphal as main
achievement of the organization. About 15 percent respondents informed that saving Manipur
integrity on June 18th, Uprising Day (Save Manipur Integrity) as their main achievement.
Others achievements of the organization as given by the respondents were demanding
infrastructure in their society (7%), giving justice to rape victims (6%), settling of domestic
issues (18%) and banning of foreign liquor (18%). A large percent of the respondents’
organization who mentioned about their achievement were more than ten years and they had
been working so hard to attain these achievements.

To conclude, a majority of the respondent’ organization were more than 10 years and after a
long struggle, they got their achievements. The subject matter related to their achievement
ranges from small local issues to large state level issues.

167
 PART-II

Analysis and interpretation of the primary data related to the Beneficiaries of the
Organization.

Age of the Respondents by Gender

Age and gender are important components for the present study in order to understand the
categories of people and their age who are seeking assistance from the women organization.
Hence, an attempt has been made to know the age of the respondents and their gender. The
following table explains the age and gender of the respondents.

Table No. 50
Age of the Respondents by Gender
Gender
Age Total
Male Female
Below 30 16 18 34
Years (10) (11.3) (21.3)
31 – 40 Years 34 44 78
(21.3) (27.5) (48.8)
41 – 50 Years 18 17 35
(11.3) (10.6) (21.9)
50 Years and 7 6 13
above (4.3) (3.8) (8.1)

75 85
160
Total (46.9) (53.1)
(100)
The above table describes the age of the respondents by their gender.

It is seen from the table that 53 percent of the respondents were female and 47 percent were
male. The table also revealed that 49 percent of the respondents were in the age group 31 –
40 years of which 28 percent were female respondents. About 8 percent respondents were
above 50 years and 21 percent were under 30 years. Another 22 percent respondents
belonged to the age group of 41 – 50 years of which 11 percent were male respondents.

As regards to the gender of the respondents, it is observed and found that more than 50
percent of the respondents were female. About 47 percent of the respondents were male.
Regarding the age of the respondents, near about 50 percent of the respondents were in the
age group of 31- 40 years. Very few respondents (8%) were above 50 years and below 30

168
years (21%). When the gender and age groups are compared there is no much variation as
most of the age groups are present in both the male and female gender.

To conclude a majority of the respondents were female. The proportion of the male gender
participating in the study is also quite satisfactory. It is also further concluded that most of the
respondents were in the age group of 31 – 50 years. A considerate percent of the respondents
were under 30 years.

Marital Status by Religion of the Respondents

Marital status and religion play an important part in knowing and understanding the
demographical background of the respondents covered under the study. Here, the researcher
has made an attempt to now the marital status of the respondents and their religion. The
following table illustrates the data related to this aspect.

Table No. 51
Marital Status by Religion of the Respondents

Marital Religion
Total
Status Hindu Muslim Christian
64 13 7 84
Married
(40.0) (8.1) (4.4) (52.5)
38 4 4 46
Single
(23.8) (2.5) (2.5) (28.8)
8 4 1 13
Widow
(5.0) (2.5) (0.6) (8.1)
1 1 2 4
Divorced
(0.6) (0.6) (1.3) (2.5)
7 2 4 13
Separated
(4.4) (1.3) (2.4) (8.1)
118 24 18 160
Total
(73.8) (15.0) (11.2) (100)

The above table illustrates the social status of the respondents by their religion.

The above table reveals that 53 percent respondents were married of which 40 were Hindus
and 8 percent were Muslims. About 29 percent of the respondents were single of which 24
percent were Hindus. Eight percent respondents were widow while another 8 percent of the
respondents were separated from their respective partners. And 3 percent of the respondents

169
were divorcees. The table also reveals that 15 percent of the respondents were Muslims and
11 percent of the respondents were Christians.

As regards to the marital status of the respondents, it is found that near about 53
percent of the respondents were married. Very few respondents were widow (8%). About 29
percent of the respondents were also found to be single. Regarding the religion of the
respondents, 74 percent respondents belonged to Hindu religion. It is also an important
finding that a small percent of the respondents belonged to the religion of Muslims (15%) and
Christians (11%). Further, it can be said that age and religion are not the criteria for seeking
help/assistance from the women organization.

To conclude, most of the respondents under study were Hindus and were found to be married.
Very few respondents under study were Muslims and Christians. It is interesting to know that
more or less all the prominent religions in Manipur have been covered for the study.

Educational Qualification of the Respondents by Gender

Education level of the respondents makes a lot of difference in making decisions pertaining to
their lives. Hence, it was thought of knowing the education level of the respondents under
study. The table below explains the level of education of the respondents who provided
primary information for the study.

Table No. 52
Educational Qualification of the Respondents by Gender

Qualification Gender Total

Male Female
3 4 7
Illiterate (1.9) (2.5) (4.4)
5 12 17
Primary (3.1) (7.5) (10.6)
27 30 57
Secondary (16.9) (18.7) (35.6)
34 37 71
Graduate (21.3) (23.1) (44.4)
6 2 8
Postgraduate (3.7) (1.3) (5.0)
75 85 160
Total (46.9) (53.1) (100.0)

170
 Chart No. 18

The above table reveals the educational qualification of the respondents by gender. The
above table shows that 53 percent of the respondents were female and 47 percent were male.

It is also observed from the table that 4 percent respondents were illiterate. About 11
percent of the respondents were primary level educated and 36 percent were secondary level
educated. About 44 percent of the respondents studied till graduate level of which 23 percent
respondents were female respondents and 5 percent respondents were post graduate.

Regarding the educational level of the respondents, it is found that nearly 86 percent
of the respondents were literate. Among them a considerate percent (44%) of the respondents
were graduates. It is also an important finding to know that very few percent (4%) of the
respondents were illiterate. When the gender and their educational level were compared, there
was no much variation as most of the respondents were literate irrespective of their gender.

To conclude a majority of the respondents both male and female, were found
to be literate and most of them studied till primary and graduate level.

Native Place of the Respondents by Gender

The geographical location of the respondents provides an important background in

understanding the problems of the respondents. Hence, an attempt has been made to highlight
the native place of the respondents. The following table explains about the native place of the
respondents by their gender.

171
 Table No. 53
Native Place of the Respondents by Gender

Gender
Native Place Total
Male Female

28 39 67
Urban City
(17.5) (24.4) (41.9)

20 15 35
Semi urban
(12.5) (9.3) (21.8)

27 31 58
Rural
(16.9) (19.4) (36.3)

75 85 160
Total
(46.9) (53.1) (100)

The above table explains the native place of the respondents by their gender.

The table showed that 47 percent of the respondents were male and 53 percent were female.
It is also seen from the table that 42 percent of the respondents were from urban city of which
25 percent were female. Another 22 percent of the respondents belonged to semi urban areas.
And 36 percent of the respondents were from rural areas of which 17 percent were male
respondents.

It is found that 42 percent respondents belonged to the urban city and a considerable percent
ie. 36 percent of the respondents were from rural areas. The study also found 22 percent
respondents belonged to semi urban areas.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents were female of which many of them were from
urban city. A significant percent of the respondents belong to rural areas. Satisfactory
percentage of respondents from all these areas i.e. urban, semi-urban and rural areas were
covered for the study.

Occupation of the Respondents by their Monthly Income

Occupation and income level plays a significant part in understanding the socio economic
background of the respondents. Here, an attempt has been made to know the occupation and

172
monthly income of the respondents. The table below focuses the occupational background of
the respondents and their monthly income.

Table No. 54
Occupation of the Respondents by their Monthly Income

Monthly Income
Occupation Less than 20 21 – 30 31 - 40 More than Total
thousand thousand thousand 40 thousand
Private School 1 13 8 1 23
Teacher (0.6) (8.1) (5.0) (0.6) (14.3)
0 8 2 0 10
Ngo worker (0) (5.0) (1.3) (0) (6.3)
8 30 3 0 41
Business (5.0) (18.9) (1.9) (0) (25.8)
10 12 0 0 22
Unemployed (6.3) (7.5) (0) (0) (13.8)
8 9 1 0 18
Homemaker (5.0) (5.6) (0.6) (0) (11.2)
5 5 0 0 10
Farmer (3.1) (3.1) (0) (0) (6.2)
1 6 4 0 11
Student (0.6) (3.7) (2.5) (0) (6.8)
1 5 4 2 12
Shopkeeper (0.6) (3.1) (2.5) (1.3) (7.5)
0 3 9 1 13
Govt employee (0) (1.9) (5.6) (0.6) (8.1)
34 91 31 4 160
Total
(21.2) (56.9) (19.4) (2.5) (100)

The above table explains the occupation of the respondents by their income.

It is observed that 14 percent of the respondents were unemployed and 11 percent female
respondents were homemaker. About 8 percent were in government service, 26 percent were
in business and another 8 percent were shopkeeper. The table also reveals that 14 percent of
the respondents were private school teachers and 7 percent were students. And 6 percent
respondents were involved as NGO worker and another 6 percent were farmers. It is also
observed from the table that 57 percent of the respondents had a monthly income within 21-
30 thousand and 31 respondents had income between 31- 40 thousand per month. Another 21
percent respondents had income below 20 thousand. Only 3 percent were in the income group
range of more than 40 thousand per month.

173
It is one of the aspects of the study to know economic background of the study and hence it is
observed and found that 68 percent respondents were working in both formal and informal
sector of workplace. Twenty six percent of the respondents were in personal business, 14
percent respondents were private school teachers, 8 percent respondents were government
employees and another 8 percent were shopkeepers. Few male respondents (14%) were also
found to be unemployed. It is interesting to know that 7 percent of the respondents were
students.

Regarding the monthly income of the respondents it is found that nearly 57 percent of the
respondents had their monthly income of 21-30 thousand. It is also further found that 31
percent of the respondents’ incomes were in the range of income group between 31- 40
thousand per month. Based on the primary data presented in the table, it can be interpreted
that there is no association between the occupation and the income level of the respondents as
most of respondents had income level between 21- 30 thousand per month irrespective of
their occupation.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents were working. And based on their income, most
of the respondents belonged to average middle class family and did not seem to have much
hardship due to financial problems. This also throws light to the study that most of the people
who seek assistance from the women organization were not always from lower socio-
economic background.

Knowledge of the Respondents about the Presence of Meira Paibis in Their Locality by
Their Age

In order to know and understand the level of awareness of the respondents, a question was
asked to the respondents of various age categories about the presence of women
organizations in their locality. The following table explains the knowledge of the respondents
about the presence of Meira Paibis in their locality by their age.

174
 Table No. 55

Knowledge of the Respondents about the Presence of Meira Paibis in Their

Locality by Their Age
Any Meira Paibis Organization In
Age Your Locality Total
Yes No Don’t know
Below 30 33 0 1 34
Years (20.6) (0) (0.6) (21.2)
31 – 40 Years 71 5 2 78
(44.4) (3.1) (1.3) (48.8)
41 – 50 Years 32 2 1 35
(20.0) (1.3) (0.6) (21.9)
50 Years and 12 0 1 13
above (7.5) (0) (0.6) (8.1)
148 7 5 160
Total (92.5) (4.4) (3.1) (100.0)

The above table describes the knowledge of the respondents about the presence of Meira
Paibis in their locality by their age.

It is seen that 93 percent respondents expressed that there were Meira Paibis organizations in
their locality of which 44 percent of the respondents belonged to the age group of 31 – 40
years. About 4 percent of the respondents replied that there were no Meira Paibis in their
locality. And 3 percent of the respondents were not aware of the presence of Meira Paibis in
their residential areas.

The study had an intention to know the level of awareness of the respondents regarding the
presence of women organization and hence it is found that an overwhelming percent i.e. 93
percent respondents were aware of the presence of Meira Paibis organizations in their
locality. Very few respondents (4%) expressed that there were no Meira Paibis in their
locality though they knew about the kind of activities theses organization do. When the level
of awareness and age group are compared, it is found that most of the respondents (44%) who
knew about the organization were in the age group of 31 – 40 years.

It is thus concluded that Meira Paibis were present in most of the locality of the respondents.
And most of them were aware of the kind of activities these organizations carried out in their
locality.

175
Knowledge of activities carried out by the Organization by List of activities of the
Organization

The women organization has been working for various social issues and their activities are a
known fact in the state of Manipur. In this context, it was thought of knowing whether the
respondents covered under study are aware of the organization’s activities or not. The
following table explains knowledge of activities carried out by the organization by list of
activities of the organization.
Table No. 56
Knowledge of activities carried out by the Organization by List of activities of the
Organization

Knowledge of Activities
carried out by
List of activities Organization Total

Yes No
42 0 42
Take active part in any major social issue
(26.3) (0) (26.3)
32 0 32
Help all the needy people
(20.0) (0) (20.0)
26 0 26
Patrolling at night to safeguard the locality
(16.2) (0) (16.2)
Solve local/family problems without 10 0 10
charging any fees (6.3) (0) (6.3)
40 0 40
Prevent anti social activities in the society
(25.0) (0) (25.0)
5 0 5
All the above
(3.1) (0) (3.1)
0 5 5
NA
(0) (3.1) (3.1)
155 5 160
Total
(96.9) (3.1) (100)

176
 Chart No. 19

Knowledge of Activities Carried out by the Organization

50 List of activities
Take active part in
any major social
issue
40 Help all the needy
people
Count
Patrolling at night
to safeguard the
30 locality
Solve local/family
problems without
42 charging any fees
20 40
Prevent anti social
32 activities in the
26 society
10 All the above
NA
10
5 5
0
Yes No

Activities carried out by Organization

The above table illustrates the by knowledge of the respondents regarding the activities of the
organization (Meira Paibis) by list of activities of the organization.

It is observed from the above table that 97 percent respondents were aware of the activities
carried out by the organization (Meira Paibis) in their locality while 3 percent of the
respondents did not have any knowledge about the organizations’ activities. About 26 percent
of the respondents expressed that Meira Paibis took part in all major issues of the society
while another 25 percent expressed preventing anti social activities as main activity of the
women’s organization. Another 20 percent gave helping needy person as key activity of the
organization. About 16 percent of the respondents knew Meira Paibis as organization
working for safeguarding the society by patrolling at night. And 6 percent of the respondents
gave solving family problems as main activity of the organization.

As regards to the knowledge of the respondents about the activities of the women
organization, it is found that more than 95 percent of the respondents knew about the
activities carried out by the women’s organization. A considerate number i.e. 26 percent of
177
respondents felt that involving in all major issues of the society and preventing anti social
activities (25%) as main activity of the Meira Paibis. Other activities of the organizations
according to the respondents were - helping needy person (20%), patrolling at night (16%)
and solving family issues/problems (6%).

It is concluded that an overwhelming percent of the respondents expressed that they knew
about Meira Paibis and their activities in the society. They expressed that these women s
organization mostly work for the welfare of the society by curbing anti social activities,
patrolling the locality at night and solving family problems.

Family Member of the Respondents by Participation in Meetings of the Organization

Involvement of family members in the work and activities of the women organization
sometimes play an important part in understanding the level of participation of the
respondents in meetings or any gatherings of the organization. So, an attempt has been made
to know whether the respondents have any family members in the organization and also
whether they participate in meetings organized by the women organization. The below table
explains these aspect from the primary data collected for the purpose of the study.

Table No. 57
Family Member of the Respondents by Participation in Meetings of the Organization
Any family Participation in Meeting of
member Organization
Total
participating in
Organization Yes No Sometimes
8 42 26 76
Mother
(5.0) (26.3) (16.2) (47.5)
10 14 16 40
Sister
(6.2) (8.8) (10.0) (25.0)
0 5 3 8
Wife
(0) (3.1) (1.9) (5.0)
1 33 2 36
No One
(0.6) (20.6) (1.3) (22.5)
19 94 47 160
Total
(11.8) (58.8) (29.4) (100)
X2 =.
19.79, df =8, Significant at 0.05 level

The above table discusses whether any family members of the respondents were a member of
the organization by participation of meeting by the respondents

178
The above table reveals that 12 percent respondents participated in meetings of Meira Paibis
and 59 percent of the respondents did not participated. About 29 percent of the respondents
also expressed that they participated in their meetings sometimes. The table also reveals that
47 percent of the respondents’ mothers were a member of Meira Paibis while another 25
percent of the respondents’ sisters were a part of the women’s organization. Another 5
percent respondents expressed their wife as a member of the organization and 23 percent
respondents did not have anyone as member of the organization from their family.

Based on the data presented in the table, it is found that very few respondents (12%) took part
regularly in meetings of the organization and nearly 60 percent of the respondents did not
take part in any meeting held by the women’s organization. As regards to the participation of
family members in the organization, 47 percent of the respondents expressed that their
mother as a member of the organization while a considerate percent i.e. 25 percent of the
respondents said that their sister were a part of the organization. Very few respondents (23%)
had none from their family as member of the organization.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents did not felt the necessity to take part in the
meetings organized by the organization as there were already a female member in the house
who attended meetings of the organization. But still a considerate percent of the respondents
took part in the meetings of the organization as they felt it is important as Meira Paibis were
working for the society only. And the study also further concluded that a large number of the
respondents’ have family members who were a member of the organization.

Chi square value 19.79 at 0.05 level indicates a significant relationship between presence of
family members in the organization and participation in meetings.

Any Family Member of the Respondents received Assistance from Organization by

Participation in Meetings
The level of participation in the gatherings of the respondents is also determined by its
frequent acquaintance with the women organization. So, it was thought of knowing whether
any family members of the respondents had also received assistance from the women
organizations or not. The table below explains the answer given by the respondents in this
context.

179
 Table No. 58
Any Family Member of the Respondents received Assistance from Organization by
Participation in Meetings
Any Family member
received assistance Participation in Meeting of Meira Total
from Meira Paibis Paibis
Yes No Sometimes
6 3 2 11
Yes (3.7) (1.9) (1.3) (6.9)
7 88 41 136
No (4.4) (55.0) (25.6) (85.0)
6 3 4 13
Sometimes (3.7) (1.9) (2.5) (8.1)
19 94 47 160
Total (11.8) (58.8) (29.4) (100)

Chart No. 20

Any Family Members receiving Assistance By Participation of

Meetings

100 Participation in
Meeting of Meira
Paibis

80 Yes
No
Count Sometimes
60

40

20

0
Yes No Sometimes
Any Family member received assistance from
Meira Pubis

The above table reveals whether any family members of the respondents received assistance
from Meira Paibis by participation in meetings.

180
The above table shows that 59 percent respondents did not take part in Meira Paibis meetings
of which 55 percent of the respondents’ family member also did not received any assistance
from the organization. The table also shows that 85 percent of the respondents expressing that
their family members did not take any assistance from the organization. About 7 percent of
the respondent replied that they took assistance from the organisation while 8 percent
expressed that their family members took help from the organization sometimes if they
needed.

As regards to the assistance received from the organization for any family members of the
respondents, 85 percent of the respondents expressed that their family members did not take
any assistance from the organization. It is also interesting to know that only 7 percent
respondents took assistance from the organization for their family members. There is no
association between assistance received from the organization for family members and
participation in meetings held by the women’s organization as most of the respondents did
not take any assistance for family members and did not take part in meetings.

It is thus concluded that a majority of the respondents did not took part in the meetings
organized by the organization and their family members also did not take any assistance from
the organization. It is indeed the first time for most of them in terms of taking assistance from the
women organizations.

Problems Faced by Respondents by Gender

Every individual is unique and has diverse problems. An attempt has been made to know and
understand the various problems faced by the respondents covered under the study. The
following table explains the problem of the respondents.

181
 Table No. 59
Problems Faced by Respondents by Gender
Gender
Problem Faced by Beneficiaries Total
Male Female
Military activities (torture, 16 5 21
unwarranted arrest etc.) (10.0) (3.1) (13.1)
Land confiscation/dispute 8 9 17
(5.0) (5.6) (10.6)
Domestic violence 11 22 33
(6.9) (13.8) (20.7)
False accused 7 17 24
(4.4) (10.6) (15.0)
Extra marital affairs 8 5 13
(5.0) (3.1) (8.1)
Elopement case 0 5 5
(0) (3.1) (3.1)
Kidnapped by insurgents 4 0 4
(2.5) (0) (2.5)
Cheating by respective partners 0 9 9
(0) (5.6) (5.6)
Crime against women 0 13 13
(0) (8.2) (8.2)
Drug/Alcoholic addiction case 21 0 21
(13.1) (0) (13.1)
75 85 160
Total
(46.9) (53.1) (100)

The above table explains the problems faced by the respondents by gender. It is seen from the
table that 47 percent of the respondents were male and 53 percent were female.

The table reveals that 21 percent of the respondents faced domestic violence in the family of
which 6 percent were male respondents. About 15 percent of the respondents were falsely
accused by other people in connection of theft, robbery, harassments, selling drugs, alcohol
etc. while 13 percent of the respondents suffered from military activities like unwanted arrest
, beatings etc. The table also shows that 11 percent of the respondents had problems
regarding land confiscation/dispute matters. About 8 percent of the respondents were
involved in extra marital affairs and another 8 percent of the female respondents expressed
themselves as victims of crime meted against them like harassments, rape, physical
molestation etc. About 13 percent of the male respondents were victims of substance abuses
and 6 percent were cheated by their respective partners. The table also reveals 3 percent of
182
the respondents being kidnapped by insurgents and another 3 percent were involved in
elopement cases.

As regards to the problems faced by the respondents, it is found that a considerate percent
(21%) of the respondents faced domestic violence from their family members. Here, it is to
be mentioned that about 7 percent of the respondents were male. So, such organization act as
a saviour for such victims when there is no appropriate laws for men to protect themselves
from domestic violence. A significant percent of the respondents were accused falsely in
matters not connected to them like theft, robbery, harassments, selling drugs, alcohol etc.
Other major problems faced by the respondents were military torture (13%), drug/alcohol
abuses (13%), crime against women (8%), land dispute (11%) and extramarital affairs (8%).

To conclude, a majority of the respondents comes from different walks of life having diverse
problems like domestic violence military torture, drug/alcohol abuses, crime against women,
land dispute, extramarital affairs and falsely accused matters like theft, robbery, harassments,
selling drugs, alcohol etc. As regards to the relations between the problems faced and gender
of the respondents, there is not much variation. Most of the respondents, both male and
female faced the same problems except for some like substance abuse (faced by male
respondents only) and crime against women and cheating by respective partners (faced by
female respondents only).

Approach made by the Respondents by Response of Police

The role of a law enforcer is to keep watch over their citizens and protect the society. It is
their responsibility to provide a safe and secure atmosphere for the public to live. In this
context, a question was asked to the respondents whether they approached police when they
have problems and how was the response of the police. The below table explains the
approach made by the respondents by response of the police.

183
 Table No. 60
Approach made by the Respondents by Response of Police

Responses Approach Police

Total
of Police
Yes No
19 0 19
Cooperative (11.9) (0) (11.9)
Non 7 0 7
cooperative (4.3) (0) (4.3)
Laidback 14 0 14
attitude (8.8) (0) (8.8)
0 120 120
NA (0) (75.0) (75.0)
40 120 160
Total
(25.0) (75.0) (100)

Chart No. 21

The above table explains the approach made by the respondents by response of the police.

The above table shows that 25 percent respondents approached police when they faced
problems of which 19 percent also expressed that the police were cooperative with them. The
table also shows that 75 percent of the respondents did not approach police. About 4 percent
of the respondents said that the police were not cooperative while 9 percent were of the
opinion that the police showed laid back attitude.

Regarding the opinion of the respondents about seeking assistance from the police, it is found
that a large percentage (75%) of the respondents did not approach police when they faced
184
problems. Very few respondents (25%) approached police but only a small percentage (12%)
of the respondents found the police to be cooperative. As regards the attitude of the
respondents’ small percent of the respondents also expressed that the police showed laid back
attitude (9%) and were not cooperative (4%).

To conclude, a majority of the respondents did not feel the necessary to approach police when
they have any problems or issues. And some of the respondents who had approached the
police found them to be non cooperative.

Approaching the Organization Personally by Reason

The women organization’s selfless services are not new in the state of Manipur. They have
become the saviour of the state from any problems. So, it is thought of asking the respondents
whether they have personally approached the women organization when they faced problems
in their lives and what was the reason for approaching them. The following table explains the
data related to this aspect of the study.

Table No. 61
Approaching the Organization Personally by Reason
Approaching Meira
Reason for Approaching Meira Paibis Personally Total
Paibis Personally
Yes No
26 0 26
Since Suggested (16.3) (0) (16.3)
21 0 21
Felt they could be trusted (13.1) (0) (13.1)

8 0 8
Felt it would be easier to
(5.0) (0) (5.0)
communicate with
6 0 6
Could get earlier response (3.7) (0) (3.7)
0 99 99
NA (0) (61.9) (61.9)
61 99 160
Total
(38.1) (61.9) (100)

185
 Chart No. 22

The above table explains the respondents approaching the organization personally by its
reasons for approachment.

It is seen that 38 percent respondents personally approached the organization while 62

percent of the respondents did not approach the organization by themselves. About 16 percent
of the respondents replied that they personally approached the organization as it was
suggested to them. While 13 percent of the organization expressed that they approached the
organization since it could be trusted. Another 5 percent of the respondents felt that the
organization would be easier to communicate and 4 percent of the respondents expected
earlier response from the organization.

The study found that nearly 40 percent respondents personally approached the organization
when they faced problems. As regards the reasons for approaching the organization, a
considerate percent (16%) of the respondents approached them since it was suggested to them
by family and friends. Other reasons given by the respondents were - the organizations could
be trusted (13%), easy to communicate (5%) and could get quick response/solution to their
problems (4%).

To conclude, a significant percent of the respondents personally approached the organization

when they faced problems as they felt that the organization could be trusted and would help
them in solving their problems.

186
Approaching the Organization Personally by People who Approached the Organization

The previous table mentioned that some respondents did not approach the women
organization by themselves. In the following table, it is explained about the various
categories of people who have approached the women organization on behalf of the
respondents.
Table No. 62
Approaching the Organization Personally by People who Approached the
Organization

Who Approach Meira Approaching Meira Paibis Total

Paibis Personally
Yes No
0 77 77
Family members (0) (48.1) (48.1)
0 12 12
Neighbourhood (0) (7.5) (7.5)
They came personally 0 10 10
and solved the problem (0) (6.3) (6.3)
61 0 61
NA (38.1) (0) (38.1)
61 99 160
Total (38.1) (61.9) (100)

The above table explains the respondents approaching the organization personally by people
who approached the organization on behalf of the respondents.

The above table shows that 62 percent respondents did not personally approach the
organization while 38 percent approached by themselves. Forty eight percent of the
respondents replied that their family members approached the organization on behalf of them
when they faced problems. About 8 percent of the respondents said that their neighbours
informed the organization on behalf of them. And another 6 percent of the respondents
replied that the organization members personally came and helped them.

As regards the categories of people who approach the organization on behalf of the
respondents, it is found that nearly 50 percent of the respondents’ family members had
approached the organization on behalf of them. About 8 percent respondents got support from
the organization through their neighbour. It is also interesting to know that very few
respondents (6%) expressed that the organization members personally came to help them.

187
To conclude, a majority of the respondents did not personally approach the organization
when they faced problems. On behalf of them, their family members approached the
organization for assistance. The reason for not approaching by themselves was that at that
time of the problematic situation they were clueless about whom to approach.

Redressal Method used by the Organization by Gender

The women organization has been playing a significant role in the lives of the common
people. They have used different tactics in solving the problems of their beneficiaries. So, it
is necessary to know the methods used by the organization in dealing with the problems of
their beneficiaries. In this table, the respondents explained about the various methods used by
the organization in solving their problems.

Table No. 63
Redressal Method used by the Organization by Gender

Redressal Method used by Gender

Total
Meira Paibis Male Female
31 16 47
Counselling (19.4) (10.0) (29.4)
35 21 56
Negotiation with the other Party (21.9) (13.1) (35.0)
5 23 28
Punished the offender according
(3.1) (14.4) (17.5)
to their rules
3 22 25
Threatening and give warning to
(1.9) (13.7) (15.6)
the other party
1 3 4
Organized agitation against the
(0.6) (1.9) (2.5)
culprit
75 85 160
Total (46.9) (53.1) (100)

188
 Chart No.23

The above table explains the redressal method used by the organization by gender of the
respondents. It is seen from the table that 47 percent of the respondents were male and 53
percent were female.

The table reveals that 35 percent of the respondents gave negotiation with other party as main
method used by the organization in solving their problems. About 29 percent of the
respondents replied that the organization used counselling techniques in helping them while
15 percent of the respondents said that the organization used threatening method and gave
warning to the other party. Another 18 percent respondents gave punishing the offender
according to the rules of the organization as way to solve their problems and 3 percent gave
organising agitation against the culprit as main redressal method.

As regards to the methods used by the organizations’ members in solving the problems of the
respondents, a significant percent (35%) of the respondents expressed that the organization
used to negotiate with the other party. Nearly 30 percent of the respondents’ problems were
solved by using counselling method by the organization. Other methods used by the
organization in solving the problems as expressed by the respondents were – threatening

189
method (15%), punished the offenders according to their rules (18%) and organizing agitation
(3%).

To conclude, a majority of the respondents’ problems both male and female, were solved by
using counselling techniques and by negotiation with other party. It is also to be noted here
that sometimes if necessary the organization will threatened and give warning to other party.
As regards to the relation between the redressal methods used by the organization and gender
of the respondents, it is seen that the organization used threatening method and punished the
offenders according to their rules, especially for female respondents.

Any Charges Made by Meira Paibis for their Services by Gender

The women organization has been providing substantial assistances to the needy people.
Hence, an attempt has been made to know whether the organization take any assistance
fees/charges from the respondents. The table below explains this aspect of the study.

Table No. 64
Any Charges Made by Meira Paibis for their Services by Gender

Any Charges made by

Meira Paibis for their Gender Total
Services
Male Female
0 0 0
Yes (0.0) (0.0) (0.0)
75 85 160
No (46.9) (53.1) (100)

75 85 160
Total (46.9) (53.1) (100)

The above table illustrates the opinion of the respondents on whether the organization
charges any money for their services or not.

It is seen that 47 percent of the respondents covered for the study are male and 53 percent
respondents are female. The table reveals that all the respondents i.e. 100 percent replied
that the organization did not charge them any money for their services.

190
 Regarding the opinion of the respondents on whether the organization charges any money
for their services or not, cent percent of the respondents answered that no charges or fees
was taken from them for organizational assistances provided to them.

To conclude, all the respondents covered under study irrespective of their gender got free
services from the organizations. The organizations did not charge any fees to them. In brief,
these respondents got the support and help from the organization without spending any
money unlike any other NGOs. It is interesting to mention that these organizations were
facing shortage of funds to run the organization but still they provide their services free of
costs.

Problematic Situation Impacting the Family and Respondents by Urgency of Receiving

Assistance Relief
Rough situations in life can negatively impact personnel relationships, mental and physical
health and one’s life in general. Sometimes immediate assistance is required to get respite
from the situation. In this context, an attempt has been made to know and understand the
impact of the problems on the respondents and their family and the urgency of assistances
needed at that time of the problematic situation. The following table illustrates the answers as
given by the respondents.
Table No. 65
Problematic Situation Impacting the Family and Respondents by Urgency of Receiving
Assistance Relief

Problematic Situation Urgency of Receiving of Assistance Total

impacting Family and the
Respondents
Very urgent Urgent to some Not urgent
extent
6 9 3 18
Private property destroyed (3.8) (5.6) (1.9) (11.3)
11 18 1 30
Injuries accident to family (6.9) (11.2) (0.6) (18.7)
and relatives
22 80 3 105
Underwent Psychological (13.7) (50.0) (1.9) (65.6)
stress
4 2 1 7
Felt humiliated (2.5) (1.3) (0.6) (4.4)

Total 43 109 8 160

(26.9) (68.1) (5.0) (100)
191
The above table explains the problematic situation impacting the family and respondents by
urgency of receiving assistance.

The table indicates that 11 percent respondent expressed that their private properties were
destroyed by the problems faced by them of which 4 percent of the respondents also
expressed that they needed assistance from the organization on very urgent basis. About 19
percent respondents replied that the problems caused injuries/accidents to their family
members and relatives while 66 percent of the respondents underwent psychological stress
and problems.

And 4 percent of the respondents felt humiliated with the problems. The table also reveals
that 68 percent of the respondents expressed that the requirement of the services of the
organization was urgent to some extent and 27 percent needed the assistance of the
organization very urgently.

As regards the impact of the problematic situation on the respondents and their family, it is
found that a 66 percent of the respondents had psychological stress due to their problems.
Very few respondents (11%) said that their properties were destroyed by other party. A 19
percent of the respondents also shared that the problems caused injuries and accidents to their
family and relatives. Regarding the urgency requirement of the service from the organization
70 percent of the respondents also expressed that the requirement of the services of the
organization was urgent to some extent. There is a close relationship between damage caused
by the problematic situation and urgency of service needed by the respondents. Sixty four of
the respondents who underwent psychological trauma needed assistance straight away
without delay.

The study concluded that a majority of the respondents underwent psychological stress due
to the problems faced by them and needed the assistance of the organization urgently as they
could not handle the impact of the problems caused to them and their family.

Situation of the Respondents if they had not received the Assistance from the
Organization

Problematic situation in life if not dealt properly on time gives a long lasting negative
effect on the social and mental well being of the individual. So, a question was asked to
192
 the respondents about their situation if they had not received the assistance from the
organization. The below table explains the situation of the respondents.

Table No. 66
Situation of the Respondents if they had not received the Assistance from the
Organization
Situation of the Respondents if
not received the Assistance Frequency Percentage

Worse situation 121 75.6

Suicidal Tendency 25 15.6

Loneliness and Helpless 4 2.5

No Change 10 6.3

Total 160 100

Chart No. 24

The above table depicts the situation of the respondents if they had not received the
assistances from the organizations.

193
 The table reveals that 76 percent of the respondents expressed that their situation would be
worst if they had not received the assistance from the organization. It is also seen from the
table that 16 percent of the respondents answered that they might have suicidal tendency
and three percent respondents would feel loneliness and helpless. And about 6 percent of the
respondents replied that there would be no change in their life.

As regards to the situation of the respondents if they had not received the assistances from
the organizations, a large percent of the respondents .i.e 76 percent were found to be in
worst condition. Sixteen percent of the respondents might face suicidal tendency and three
percent respondents would be lonely and helpless. Very few respondents (6%) replied that
there would be no change as they would approach other alternatives or NGOs available at
the problematic situation.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents felt that their condition would be worst if they
had not received the assistance from the women organization on time.

Material Assistance Rendered by the Organization to the

Respondents by Type of Material Assistance

For a proper socio-economic growth of an individual, material needs are very important and
must be addressed properly. Hence, an attempt has been made to know whether the
respondents received any material help from the women organizations. The below table
depicts the material assistance received from the women organization by the respondents by
type of material assistance.

194
 Table No. 67
Material Assistance Rendered by the Organization to the
Respondents by Type of Material Assistance

Type of Any Materialistic Assistance Total

Materialistic Rendered
Assistance
Yes No
17 0 17
Financial (10.6) (0) (10.6)
4 0 4
Phone (2.5) (0) (2.5)
6 0 6
Household items (3.8) (0) (3.8)
0 133 133
NA (0) (83.1) (83.1)
27 133 160
Total (16.9) (83.1) (100)

The above table discusses the type of material assistance by material assistance rendered by
the organization to the respondents.

It is seen from that 17 percent respondents received materialistic assistance from the
organization and 83 percent did not received any such assistance from the organization.
Eleven percent of the respondent received financial assistance from the organization and 4
percent received household items like rice, blankets, clothes etc. About 3 percent received
phone as material assistance from the organization.

The very objective of the table is to know whether the respondents received any materialistic
assistance from the organization and hence it is found that near about 84 percent of the
respondents did not take any material assistance from the organization. A few respondents
took assistance in the form of money, phone/mobiles and household items like rice, blankets,
clothes etc.

The study concluded that most of the respondents did not felt the necessity to take any
material assistance from the organization and a small percent of the respondents took material
help from the organization.

195
Alternative Type of Assistance Available By Gender of the Respondents

As an important aspect of the study, it was thought of finding out from the respondents about
their opinion on alternative type of assistance available if women organizations were not
available at that problematic period. The following table explains the answers given by the
respondents.

Table No. 68
Alternative Type of Assistance Available By Gender of the Respondents

Alternative Type
of Assistance Gender Total
Available for
Approaching
Male Female

22 31 53
Approaching police (13.8) (19.3) (33.1)
Seek help from 37 27 64
other NGO (23.1) (16.9) (40.0)
16 27 43
No alternatives (10.0) (16.9) (26.9)
75 85 160
Total (46.9) (53.1) (100.0)

Chart No. 25

The above table explains the alternative type of assistance available by gender of the

196
respondents. It is seen from the table that 47 percent of the respondents were male and 53
percent were female.

It is observed from the table that 33 percent respondents were of the opinion that they would
approach police if Meira Paibis were not available at the time of their problems. About 40
percent of the respondents expressed that they would seek help from other non- governmental
organizations. Another 27 percent of the respondents replied that there were no alternatives
for them of which 17 percent of them were female respondents.

The study is found that a considerable percent of the respondents gave alternatives like
approaching police (33%) and seeking assistance from other voluntary organization/ non-
organization(40%). A small percent i.e. 27 percent of the respondents also expressed that
there were no alternatives for them as they could not trust police or other people.

To conclude, a large percentage of the respondents gave alternative way of seeking

assistance from other sources if Meira Paibis were not available at the time of their problems.
It is to be noted here that these alternatives were given as last option since they prefer Meira
Paibis assistance only.

Participation of Respondents in Meira Paibis Activities by Involvement of

Respondents after Receiving Assistance

It is expected that after receiving support from the women organization, the respondents
would show support by participating in various activities of the organization. In order to
know this aspect, a question was asked to the respondents whether they participated in
meetings/gatherings organized by the women organization or not. The below table supports
the data answered by the respondents.

197
 Table No. 69
Participation of Respondents in Meira Paibis Activities by Involvement of
Respondents after Receiving Assistance

Activities Involvement in Organization

participate by Activities after Receiving
Respondents after Assistance Total
receiving
Assistance
Yes No Sometimes
20 0 1 21
Workshop (12.5) (0) (0.6) (13.1)
46 0 3 49
Public gathering (28.7) (0) (1.9) (30.6)
Small group 25 0 2 27
discussion (15.6) (0) (1.3) (16.9)
0 63 0 63
Not Applicable (0) (39.4) (0) (39.4)
91 63 6 160
Total (56.8) (39.4) (3.8) (100.0)

Chart No. 26

Involvement in Organizational Activities after Receiving Assistance

Activities
Participated after
Receiving Assistance
60 Workshop
Public gathering
Count Small group
Discussion
40 Not Applicable

63

46
20

25
20

1 3 2
0
Yes No Sometimes

Involvement of Meira Paibis after receiving assistance

198
The above table illustrates the participation of respondents in Meira Paibis activities by
involvement of respondents after receiving assistance.

It is observed from the above table that 57 percent of the respondents were involved in
activities conducted by Meira Paibis after they received assistance from them. Thirteen
percent of the respondents participated in workshop organized by the organization, 31 percent
of the respondents were involved in public gatherings in connection with the organization and
17 percent participated in small group discussions of Meira Paibis. The table also reveals that
4 percent of the respondents expressed that they were involved in the organizations’ activities
sometimes and 39 percent respondents did not participated in any of the activities of the
organization.

As regards to the participation of meetings by the respondents after receiving assistance, it is

found that more than 55 percent of the respondents were found to be involved in most of the
activities conducted by the organization after receiving assistance from them. Most of the
respondents were involved in workshop (13%), public gatherings (31%) and group
discussions (17 %) organized by Meira Paibis.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents participated in all activities organized by Meira

Paibis after they took assistance from the organization. There is a great improvement level in
their number of participation when compared before and after receiving assistance from the
organization. They felt that this kind of involvement in their activities help them to regain
their confidence level and in a way it also shows their support for the organization.

Reason for not participating in Meira Paibis Activities by Involvement of Respondents

after Receiving Assistance

It is seen from the previous table that some respondents did not participated in activities
organized by the women organization after receiving assistance. So it is important to know
and understand the reasons for not participating in such gatherings of the organization.
Hence, in this context an attempt has been made to know the reason for not participating in
Meira Paibis activities. The following table explains the data related to this aspect.

199
 Table No. 70
Reason for not participating in Meira Paibis Activities by Involvement of
Respondents after Receiving Assistance

Reason not being Involvement of Meira Paibis after

involvement in Receiving Assistance Total
Activities
Yes No Sometimes
Mostly only women 0 23 0 23
participate (0) (14.3) (0) (14.3)
Send female member of 0 10 0 10
the house to participate (0) (6.3) (0) (6.3)
Busy with personal 0 15 0 15
work (0) (9.4) (0) (9.4)
Already another female 0 15 0 15
member in the house (0) (9.4) (0) (9.4)
participates
91 0 6 97
NA (56.8) (0) (3.8) (60.6)
91 63 6 160
Total (56.8) (39.4) (3.8) (100)

The above table illustrates the reason for not participating in Meira Paibis activities by
involvement of respondents after receiving assistance.

It is observed from the above table that 57 percent of the respondents were involved in
activities conducted by Meira Paibis after they received assistance from them and 39 percent
respondents did not participated in any of the activities of the organization. Fourteen percent
of the male respondents did not participate as it was only for women members and 6 percent
replied that they send the female members of the house to participate. About 9 percent of the
respondents were too busy with their personal work and another 9 percent of the respondents
expressed that there were already another female member in the organization.

As regards to the answer given by the respondents for not participating in meetings organized
by the organization after receiving assistance, 14 percent of the male respondents gave reason
that the organization was only for women members. Other reasons as given by the
respondents were – sending female members of the house to participate (6%), busy with their
personal work (9%) and presence of another female member in the organization (9%).

200
It is thus concluded that even though a significant percent of respondents could not
participate in all the activities organized by Meira Paibis, still they were able to give
reasonable explanation.

Frequency of Meira Paibis visiting the Respondents’ House by Services provided by the
Organization helpful or Not

The women organizations’ dedicated services for the society is a renowned fact in the state of
Manipur. So, it is necessary to know the effectiveness of their services in the lives of the
people concerned and how often they have visited their beneficiaries to show their support
and concern. Hence, it in this context, the respondents were asked to give their opinion about
the effectiveness of the services rendered by the organization and the frequency of Meira
Paibis visiting the respondents’ house. The following data explains the data related to these
two aspects.
Table No. 71
Frequency of Meira Paibis visiting the Respondents’ House by Services provided by the
Organization helpful or Not

Frequency of
Services provided by Organization Helpful
Meira Paibis
or Not
visiting Total
Respondents’ Helpful to
Very helpful Helpful
House some extent
Twice or thrice 16 52 5 73
times (10.0) (32.5) (3.1) (45.6)
Several times 11 16 0 27
(6.9) (10.0) (0) (16.9)
As and when 13 41 6 60
required (8.1) (25.6) (3.8) (37.5)
40 109 11 160
Total
(25.0) (68.1) (6.9) (100)

The above table explains the frequency of Meira Paibis visiting the respondents’ house by
services provided by the organization helpful or not.

The above table shows that 46 percent of the respondents informed that the organization
members visited their house twice or thrice times when they had problems, of which 10
percent respondents found their service to be helpful in their lives. About 17 percent
respondents said that the members of the organization visited their house several times and 36
percent of the respondents’ houses were visited by the members as and when required. It is

201
also seen from the table that 68 percent of the respondents found the services of the
organization helpful and 7 percent respondents found their services helpful to some extent.

The study had one of its objectives to know the effectiveness of services made by these
women organizations and it is found that nearly 70 percent of the respondents found the
organization helpful and one fourth of the respondents found the organization very helpful in
their lives. A significant percent (46%) expressed that the organization visited them twice or
thrice in their house and 17 percent respondents said that the members of the organization
visited their house several times.

There is no association between frequency of organization members visiting the respondents’

house and effectiveness of services provided by the organization. Only 17% of the
respondents replied that the organization came to their house several times and most of the
respondents who found their services helpful replied that organization members came to their
house as and when required.

It is thus concluded that the organization services were found to be quite helpful by majority
of the respondents and the organization member also visited the house of the respondents as
per their needs when they were undergoing various problems in their lives.

Accessibility of Organization Members by Quality of Services provided by the

Organization

It is very important to know the quality of the services provided by an organization as it

helps in assessing the capability of the organization to provide better service. It is also
necessary that the services provided by the organization are easily available to the
beneficiaries so as to avail the benefits. The study also had one of the objectives to know and
understand the opinion of the beneficiaries as regards to the extent and quality of the services
received from these organizations. The below table depicts the data related to these aspects.

202
 Table No. 72

Accessibility of Organization Members by Quality of Services provided by the

Organization

Accessibility of Quality of services provided by

Meira Paibis Meira Paibis Total
members Good Average Excellent
94 8 12 114
Easily Accessible (58.7) (5.0) (7.5) (71.2)
6 4 12 22
Difficult to Access (3.8) (2.5) (7.5) (13.8)

11 5 4 20
Accessible to some
(6.9) (3.1) (2.5) (12.5)
Extent

1 2 1 4
Never made
(0.6) (1.3) (0.6) (2.5)
available on Time
112 19 29 160
Total
(70.0) (11.9) (18.1) (100)

X2 = 40.73, df =6, Significant at 0.05 level

Chart No. 27

The above table explains the accessibility of organization members by quality of services
provided by the organization.

203
It is observed from the above table that 71 percent of the respondent found the organization
easily accessible when they wanted to meet them of which 59 percent of the respondents
rated their services as good. About 14 percent respondent expressed that these organizations
were difficult to access and 13 percent respondents found them to be accessible to some
extent. Another 4 percent felt that the organization was never made available on time. The
table also shows that 70 percent of the respondents rated good on the services of the
organizations and 18 percent respondents felt that their services were excellent.

As regards the opinion of the respondents about the accessibility of the organization, it is
found that a 71 percent of the respondents found the organization to be easily available when
they needed them. And regarding the quality of the service, nearly 70 percent respondents
found their services good in terms of quality. And 18 percent respondents rated their services
as excellent. There is a closed link between the accessibility of the organization to the
respondents and their quality of service. Most of the respondents who found the organization
easily accessible to them found the organization services to be good.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents expressed that the organization was easily
accessible to them and they can communicate with them easily. A large percent respondent
also rated good on the services provided by the organizations.

X2 value 40.73 shows that there is a strong relationship between the variables accessibility of
organization members and quality of services provided by the organization.

Satisfaction of Problems Addressed by Meira Paibis by Gender

Organization needs a fair amount of public support to carry on their activities. For this, the
public needs to be satisfied with services of the organisation. Hence, in this context the
respondents were asked to give an opinion on whether they were satisfied with the services
rendered by the organization in solving their problems. The following table explains this
aspect of the study.

204
 Table No. 73
Satisfaction of Problems Addressed by Meira Paibis by Gender

Satisfaction of Gender
problem addressed Total
by Meira Paibis Male Female
65 72 137
Yes
(40.7) (45.0) (85.7)
5 1 6
Can't say
(3.1) (0.6) (3.7)
5 12 17
To some extent
(3.1) (7.5) (10.6)

75 85 160
(46.9) (53.1) (100)
Total

The above table explains the satisfaction of problems addressed by Meira Paibis by gender of
the respondents.

It is seen from the table that 86 percent respondents were satisfied with the way the
organization addressed their problems of which 45 percent were female respondents. Another
11 percent of the respondents expressed that they were satisfied to some extent while 4
percent of the respondents were unable to express their opinion on the problems addressed by
Meira Paibis.

The study found that a large percent respondent (86%) were very satisfied with the redressal
method used by the organisation in solving their problems. It is also interesting to note here
that a few respondents (4%) were not able to express and not sure about their satisfaction
regarding the way Meira Paibis handled their problems.

To conclude, most of the respondents were satisfied with the way the organization addressed
their problems. There is no variation in the answer given by the respondents, both male and
female. They were contented with the service of the organization. This also reassures the trust
and confidence of the respondents on such organization which have dedicated their service
for the welfare of the citizens of the society.

205
Opinion of the Respondents about Women Organization Members Reaching in Times
of Need by Age of the Respondents

Getting the necessary assistance from the right source in times of need makes a lot of
difference in one’s life. So, it is important to know whether the women’s organization were
able to reach their service on time or not. It is in this context, an attempt has been made to
know the opinion of the respondents in this aspect of the study.

Table No. 74
Opinion of the Respondents about Women Organization Members Reaching in Times
of Need by Age of the Respondents

Reaching of Meira Paibis Services in time of

Age Need Total
Yes Not on time Don’t know
below 30 years 30 2 2 34
(18.7) (1.3) (1.3) (21.3)
31 – 40 years 62 3 13 78
(38.7) (1.9) (8.1) (48.7)
41 – 50 years 29 1 5 35
(18.1) (0.6) (3.1) (21.9)
50 and above 11 0 2 13
(6.9) (0) (1.3) (8.1)
132 6 22 160
Total
(82.4) (3.8) (13.8) (100.0)

The above table explains the age of the respondents by reaching of Meira Paibis in time of
need.

It is observed from the table that 82 percent respondents expressed that the organization
reached their services in time to people when they needed them of which 39 percent of the
respondents were in the age group of 31- 40 years. Another 14 percent of the respondents
were not able to answer and 4 percent were of the opinion that Meira Paibis hardly reach on
time.

As regards the opinion of the respondents about reaching of organization in times of need, it
is found that a nearly near about 83 percent of the respondents mostly in the age group of 31-
40 years agreed and support the fact that the organization reached their services in time to
people who needed them. This age group i.e. 31 - 40 years covered most of the respondents’
age group undertaken for the study. Very few respondents e.i. 4 percent expressed that the
services of the organization never reached on time.
206
To conclude, a majority of the respondents opined that the organization reached their services
in time to people who needed them. And this was one of the reasons for people trusting them.

Behaviour of the Organization Members by Level of Impact in improving the lives Of

the Respondents
It is one of the objectives of the study to know and understand the level of impact on the lives
of the respondents made by these women’s organizations. The actions and conduct of the
organization members during their period of assistance sometimes makes a great deal of
difference in achieving the desired result in the life of their clients. It is in this context the
respondents were asked to give opinion as regards to the behaviour of the organizations
members during their assistance and what was the impact level of the organizations’ services
on their lives. The below table support the opinion given by the respondents in this aspect.
Table No. 75
Behaviour of the Organization Members by Level of Impact in improving the lives
Of the Respondents

Behaviour of Meira
Paibis members Level of Impact in improving life Total
during Assistance
Low Medium High
Very Supportive 0 31 50 81
(0) (19.3) (31.3) (50.6)
Good 0 34 33 67
(0) (21.3) (20.6) (41.9)
Average 7 5 0 12
(4.4) (3.1) (0) (7.5)
Total 7 70 83 160
(4.4) (43.7) (51.9) (100.0)
2
X = 104.79, df =6, Significant at 0.05 level

The above table describes the behaviour of the organization members by level of impact in
improving the lives of the respondents.

The above table shows that 52 percent respondents replied that the level of impact in
improving their lives after the intervention of the organization were high and at the same time
31 percent of the respondents also expressed that the organization members were very
supportive during assistance. The levels of impact for 44 percent respondents were medium
of which 21 percent respondents expressed that the organization members’ behaviour were

207
quite good. And 8 percent of the respondents felt that their behaviour were average and 4
percent respondents replied that the level of impact in improving their lives were low.

As regards the opinion of the respondents about the level of impact in improving their lives
after the intervention of the organization, it is found that more than half of the respondents’
lives improved tremendously and the impact level was very high after the intervention of the
organization. A small percent of the respondents (4%) expressed their lives have not change
much after their intervention and its impact level was low. Regarding the behaviour of the
organizations’ members it is found that 51 percent of the respondents found the behaviour of
the organisation members very supportive during their assistance. Most of the respondents
who found the level of impact of the organization assistance very high in their lives also
expressed that the behaviour of the members to be supportive

To conclude, a majority of the respondents found the behaviour of the organization members
very supportive and also expressed that their lives have improved very much after their
intervention.

The statistical testing of Chi Square result at 0.05 level shows that there is relationship
between behaviour of the organization members and level of impact in improving the lives of
the respondents.

Whether Meira Paibis Protect and Provide Security to the Society by Gender of the
Respondents
The study had an intention to know the roles of these women organization in the society. A
big question arises whether these women are just doing their work like any other NGOs or are
they playing the role of a protector in the society by providing security to the people. It is in
this context the respondents were asked to record that whether these women organization
protect and provide security the people. Following table explains the data related to this part
of the study.

208
 Table No. 76
Whether Meira Paibis Protect and Provide Security to the Society by Gender of the
Respondents

Whether Meira Paibis Gender

Protect and Provide Total
Security to the Society Male Female
54 60 114
Yes
(33.8) (37.5) (71.2)
2 3 5
Cannot say
(1.3) (1.9) (3.2)
19 22 41
To some extent
(11.8) (13.7) (25.5)
75 85 160
Total
(46.9) (53.1) (100.0)

Chart No. 28

Whether Meira Paibis provide Security to the

Society
Yes
Cannot
Say
41 To some
Extent
114
5

The above table explains whether Meira Paibis provide security to the society by gender of
the respondents. The table revealed that 53 percent were female and 47 percent were male
respondents.

The above table indicates that 71 percent respondents replied that the existence of Meira
Paibis has brought security to the society of which 38 percent were female respondents.
About 3 percent of the respondents replied that they could not say whether the organization
provided security to the society or not. And another 26 percent of the respondents were of the
opinion that Meira Paibis provided security to the citizens to some extent.

209
The study had one of the objectives to know the roles of these women organization in the
society and hence it is found that a large percentage (71%) of the respondents felt that Meira
Paibis protect and provided security to the society. Very few respondents which is negligible
(3%) were not sure whether the organizations’ member are protector of the society and
provide society or not as they did not see much changes in the society after the existence of
Meira Paibis.

To conclude, most of the respondents expressed that these women are protector of the society
and the existence of Meira Paibis has brought peace and security to the state of Manipur.

Meira Paibis as an Inevitable part of Manipur Society by whether Meira Paibis Provide
Security to the Society
Women’s organization has become an indispensable part in the state. Their collective force
has made a strong impact in the lives of the people by safeguarding the society. Any
uprisings or issues related to the welfare of the people in the State are incomplete without
their presence. Hence, an attempt was made to get the opinion of the respondents that
whether Meira Paibis has become an unavoidable part of Manipur Society by whether these
organizations provide security to the Society.
Table No. 77
Meira Paibis as an Inevitable part of Manipur Society by whether Meira Paibis
Provide Security to the Society

Whether Meira Paibis Provide

Meira Paibis As An
Security To The Society
Inevitable Part Of Total
Cannot To some
Manipur Society Yes
say extent
100 0 26 126
Yes
(62.5) (0) (16.2) (78.7)
0 5 2 7
Cannot say
(0) (3.1) (1.3) (4.4)
14 0 13 27
To some extent
(8.8) (0) (8.1) (16.9)
114 5 41 160
Total
(71.3) (3.1) (25.6) (100.0)

The above table explains Meira Paibis as an inevitable part of Manipur Society by whether
Meira Paibis provide security to the society.

210
The table reveals that 71 percent respondents expressed that the existence of Meira Paibis has
brought security to the society of which 63 percent respondents agreed that these
organizations has become an inevitable part of the society. About 4 percent of the
respondents replied that they could not say whether the organization is inevitable part to the
society or not. And another 17 percent of the respondents were of the opinion that Meira
Paibis existence is inevitable to some extent.

It is found that 71 percent of the respondents were of the opinion that Meira Paibis’s
existence has become an inevitable part of the society to the society. However, very few
respondents (4%) were not sure whether the organization is inevitable part to the society or
not. There is a relationship between the opinions of the respondents whether Meira Paibis
provide security to the society and whether Meira Paibis has become an inevitable part of
Manipur Society. Sixty three percent of the respondents who felt that the women
organizations provided security to the organization also expressed that these women
organization has become important part of Manipur State which could not be ignored.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents replied that Meira Paibis has brought
security to the society and has become an inevitable part in the state of Manipur. According
to them, any major issues/problems in the State cannot be solved without them.

Whether the Organization has reduced Anti social Activities in the State by Gender of
the Respondents
The women’s organization initially started to curb anti social activities in the society. But
later, they started taking up other issues as well. Hence, in this context a question was put
forward to the respondents to know whether these women organization has been able to
reduce anti social activities in the state or not. Following table depicts the data related to the
opinion given by the respondents in this aspect.

211
 Table No.78
Whether the Organization has reduced Anti social Activities in the State by
Gender of the Respondents

Whether Meira Paibis

Gender
has reduced Anti- Total
social Activities Male Female
51 61 112
Yes
(31.9) (38.1) (70.0)
1 4 5
No
(0.6) (2.5) (3.1)
23 20 43
To some extant
(14.4) (12.5) (26.9)
75 85 160
Total
(46.9) (53.1) (100.0)

Chart No. 29

The above table illustrate whether the organization has reduced anti social activities in the
state by gender of the respondents.

The above table shows that 70 percent respondents expressed that the presence of Meira
Paibis in the society has greatly reduced anti-social activities like drug abuse, alcoholism,
theft, robbery etc. in the State and 27 percent of the respondents replied that the organization
succeeded in reducing anti social activities in the state to some extent. About 3 percent of the
respondents were of the opinion that the organizations were not able to reduce anti social
activities in the state completely.
212
Regarding the opinion of the respondents about the existence of the women organization
reducing anti social activities, it is found that a large percentage (70%) of the respondents
felt that the existence of Meira Paibis in the state has reduced anti social activities like drug
abuse, alcoholism, theft, robbery etc. in the State. Very few respondents i.e. 3 percent replied
that the organization were not able to reduce the incidence of anti social activities in the state.

The study concluded that a majority of the respondents, irrespective of their gender strongly
expressed that Meira Paibis has successfully reduced anti social activities in the state. Meira
Paibis has tremendously brought a change in the society as these organizations has been
working consistently in curbing down all anti social activities in the state right from its
inception.

Differences in Quality of Services Provided by the Government Agents and Meira

Paibis by Differences in Services
The general public have supported the women organization for various reasons. In this
context, an attempt has been made to know from the respondents whether there are any
differences in the quality of services provided by the government agents and Meira Paibis.
The below table explains this part of the study.
Table No. 79

Differences in Quality of Services Provided by the Government Agents and Meira

Paibis by Differences in Services
Difference in Quality of Services provided by Meira
Services Provided by Paibis and Government
Total
Meira Paibis and To some
others Yes Can't say extent
Selfless service and
32 0 15 47
work like our own
(20.0) (0) (9.4) (29.4)
mothers
No corruption and 27 0 21 48
approachable (16.9) (0) (13.1) (30.0)
Considerate and
28 0 9 37
sensitive to people
(17.5) (0) (5.6) (23.1)
issues and problems
Quick in getting 17 0 5 22
solution to problems (10.6) (0) (3.1) (13.7)
0 6 0 6
NA
(0) (3.8) (0) (3.8)
104 6 50 160
Total
(65.0) (3.8) (31.2) (100.0)
213
 Chart No. 30

The above table illustrates the differences in quality of services provided by the government
and Meira Paibis by differences in services.

The table shows that 65 percent respondents expressed that there were vast differences in the
services provided by the organization and the government. About 31 percent of the
respondents also felt that there were differences in the services provided by organization and
the government to some extent while 4 percent of the respondents were not able to express
their opinion. Thirty percent of the respondents expressed that the main differences in their
services was that the organization was free from corruption and was approachable. About 29
percent respondents said that these organizations worked like their own mother and their
services were selfless. It is also further found that 23 percent of the respondents replied that
these organization members were considerate and sensitive to people s issues and 14 percent
expressed that they were quick in getting solution to problems.

As regards to the reason given by the respondents about the differences in services of
government agents and women organization, 65 percent of the respondents agreed that there
were difference in the services provided by the organization and the government. The
respondents also gave their explanation on this aspect. About 30 percent of the respondents
expressed that the most visible differences in their services was that the organization was free
from corruption and was approachable. Others differences as observed by the respondents
were – mother like attitude of the members and selfless services (29%), considerate and
sensitive to people s issues (23%) and quick in getting solution to problems (14%).
214
It is thus concluded that a majority of the organization expressed that there were vast
differences in the services provided by the organization and the government. According to
them, the organization members were like mothers to them who were considerate and
sensitive towards their problems. And moreover these organizations service were free of
corruption and did not charge any fees.

Opinion of the Respondents on the Situation of Manipur if Meira Paibis Did Not Exist
By Gender of the Respondents

The opinion of the respondents about the existence of the women’s organization is very
crucial since they formed the general public of the state of Manipur. Hence, an attempt has
been made to gather the opinion of the respondents about the situation of Manipur if these
women’s organization did not exist. The following table illustrates the opinion of the
respondents in this context.

Table No. 80
Opinion of the Respondents on the Situation of Manipur if Meira Paibis Did Not Exist
By Gender of the Respondents

Situation of Manipur if Meira Gender

Total
Paibis did not exist
Male Female
13 11 24
Chaos and disorder
(8.1) (6.9) (15.0)
Rise in crime rate against 8 13 21
women (5.0) (8.1) (13.1)
12 16 28
Increase in anti social activities
(7.5) (10.0) (17.5)
42 45 87
All the above
(26.3) (28.1) (54.4)
75 85 160
Total
(46.9) (53.1) (100.0)

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 Chart No. 31

The above table explains the situation of Manipur if Meira Paibis did not exist by gender of
the respondents.

It is observed from the table that 15 percent respondents opined that there would be chaos and
disorder in the society if the organizations were not there. About 18 percent of the
respondents felt that there would be increase in anti social activities in the absence of these
organizations. Another 13 percent respondents felt that there would be rise in crime rate
against women of which 8 percent were female respondents. And 54 percent of the
respondents felt that all the above discussed situations could happen if these organizations did
not exist.

Regarding the situation of Manipur sans the women organization, it is found that nearly 55
percent of the respondents felt that the situation of the society would be in awful state with
increase in problems like crime against women, anti social activities etc.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents felt that the existence of the organization in the
state was important otherwise it would be in chaos and many unwanted anti social activities
could happen.

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Approaching in near Future by Reasons for not Approaching the Organization in the
Future
As the women organization is known to have improved the life situations of many people, it
is important to know from the respondents whether they would approach the organization in
the future and if not, what could be the reason. Hence, an effort has been made to know the
responses of the respondents in this context and also the reason of not approaching the
organization in the future. The table below depicts the opinion of the respondents on this
subject.
Table No. 81
Approaching in near Future by Reasons for not Approaching the Organization in the
Future

Reasons for not being Approaching Meira Paibis again in

consider Meira Paibis as Near Future
Total
an Approachable Depends on
Yes Can’t say
Organization the situation
0 2 0 2
They create more confusion (0) (1.3) (0) (1.3)
Not fully satisfied with 0 4 0 4
their judgement (0) (2.5) (0) (2.5)
Will approach more 0 3 0 3
professional counsellor (0) (1.9) (0) (1.9)
More preference given to 0 5 0 5
women (0) (3.1) (0) (3.1)
137 0 9 146
Not Applicable (85.6) (0) (5.6) (91.2)
137 14 9 160
Total
(85.6) (8.8) (5.6) (100)

The above table explains approaching the organization in near future by the reason for not
approaching in the future.

The table shows that 86 percent respondents expressed that they would approach the
organization in the near future again if they faced another problems while 6 percent replied
that approaching the organization would depend on the situation they faced at that time.
About 9 percent of the respondents were not able to express their opinion as they had one or
the other reasons for not approaching. Three percent of the respondents said that the

217
organization gave more preference to the women and that was one of the reasons for not
approaching and 3 percent of the respondents were not satisfied with the judgement of the
respondents. Two percent of the respondents expressed that they would consult more
professional counsellor in the near future. And 1 percent of the respondents said that they
were more confused when they worked with them.

As regards the opinion of the respondents on whether they would approach the women
organization in the future again, 86 percent of the respondents expressed that they would
approach the organization in the near future again if they faced another problems as they
were quite happy with their services. Very few respondents i.e. 9 percent were not sure
whether they would approach the organization again in the near future and gave their reasons
also. Giving preference to women, not fully satisfied with the judgement, lack of counselling
skill and creating more confusion were the reasons given by the respondents who did not
want to approach them again in the near future.

It is thus concluded that a majority of the respondents would like to approach the
organization again if needed in the near future. But some respondents were of the opinion that
these organizations gave more preference to women and were not fully satisfied with their
judgement as they created more confusion.

Suggestions of the Respondents on the Organization for its Future Improvement by its
Frequency

The suggestions and proposals of the general public for the improvement of the women
organization are very important for the success of the organization. Here, an attempt has been
made to record the suggestions given by the respondents for the improvement of the
organization. The following table shows the suggestion of the respondents.

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 Table No. 82
Suggestions of the Respondents on the Organization for its Future Improvement by its
Frequency

Suggestions on Meira Paibis for Improvement in

Future Frequency Percent
Should cooperate and work with government 8 5.0

Should be given political platform so that they can

20 12.5
raise about common people s problems and issues
Should have proper office and more formal
51 31.8
organization structure

Should be easily available 8 5.0

Should be more vigilant on anti social activities in

6 3.8
the locality
No comments, satisfied with the way they are
67 41.9
working

Total 160 100.0

The above table depicts the comments of the respondents on the organization for its future
improvement by its frequency.

It is seen from the above table that 32 percent of the respondents suggested that the
organization should have proper office and more formal organization structure. About 13
percent of the respondents said that the organization members should be given more political
power so that they can voice about common people s problems and issues and 4 percent of
the respondents felt that the organization should be more vigilant on anti social activities in
their locality. 5 percent of the respondents expressed that they should cooperate with the
government and another 5 percent respondents said they should be more easily available to
the common people. And 42 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the way they
worked and hence no comments were made.

As regards the suggestions of the respondents for the improvement of the organization, 58
percent of the respondents gave various suggestions for the organization for its future
improvement. Some of the suggestions were – to have proper office and more formal
organization structure (32%), being more cooperative and worked with the government (5%),
easily available to the common people (5%), more vigilant on anti social activities (4%) and
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holding more political power to represent people issues and problems (13%). A significant
percent i.e 42 percent of the respondents also found to be satisfied with the organization and
preferred not to give any comments on them.

Based on the data and its analysis, it is thus concluded that a majority of the respondents
wanted to bring some changes in the organization and suggested the areas of the
organizations which needed to be modified. The suggestions of the respondents were
recorded based on their experiences while dealing with the organizations’ activities and their
members.

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 Chapter - 6

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND

SUGGESTIONs
 CHAPTER – 6

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION

_________________________________________________________

An attempt has been made in this chapter to present the salient research findings and
conclusions based on the primary data collected for the purpose of the study. Few
practical suggestions have been put forward based on the observation and findings of
the study to make the women organizations more effective in carrying out their
activities for the welfare of the society. At the end of the chapter, scope of social work
intervention with regards to these women organization has been presented.

I. Major Findings and Conclusions Related to the Organization Members:

Marital status of the Respondents and their Age

As regards to the marital status of the respondents, it is found that nearly 90 percent of the
respondents were married. Very few percent respondents were found to be unmarried. And
regarding the age of the respondents, a large percent (87%) respondent were found to be more
than 46 years old.

The study concluded that a majority of the respondents under study belonged to the age
group of 46 years to 55 years and above. This primary data reflects on the large concentration
of married women of late middle aged and older people in the organization.

Occupation of the Respondents and their Education

Regarding the occupation of the respondents, it is found that more than 80 percent of the
respondents were working and involved in one or the other activities. The respondents were
found to work as government employees (16%), shopkeeper, vegetable vendors (18%),
weavers (23%), medical/law practitioners (8%) etc. The study also further found that 13
percent of the respondents to be illiterate and did not have any formal education. The

221
education level has no relationship with their occupation as most of the respondents were
found to be working.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents were working and were mostly literate and
studied till primary and secondary level. Even though these women were not highly qualified,
still it did not stop them from carrying out their activities. Their actions for the welfare of the
society speak for them. They have also represented their organization in the International
forum and meetings held abroad.

Income of the Respondents and their Native Place

As regards to the income of the respondents, it is found that 44 percent of the respondents’
incomes were in the range of 21 - 30 thousand per month. Regarding the native place of the
respondents, it is found that more than 50 percent of the respondents belonged to rural areas.
A significant percent i.e 34 percent of the respondents also was from urban areas. There was
not much variation in the income level of the respondents when compared with their regional
background. Majority of the respondents had a good stable economic background irrespective
of their regional background.

It is thus concluded a majority of the respondents were from rural and urban areas and most
of the respondents’ incomes were more than 20 thousand per month.

Establishment of the Organization and Designation of the Respondents

Regarding the establishment of the organization, it is found that 34 percent of the respondents
expressed that their organization were established 10-20 years old back. About 27 percent
respondents ’organizations were found to be established 21-30 years old back and 24 percent
respondents’ organizations were more than 30 years old. And regarding the designation of the
respondents, more than 50 percent of the respondents were found to hold the post of
Secretary in the organization. It showed that the main tasks of executing organization works
were carried out by secretary of the organization.

It is concluded that a majority of the organization were more than 20 years old and had a
good experience. And most of the respondents under study were Secretary of their respective
organization.

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Presence of Other Member of Meira Paibis in the family besides the Respondents

As regards to the presence of family members in the organization in addition to the

respondents, it is found that 57 percent of the respondents were also found to have their
mothers or sisters as an organization member. And 43 percent respondents did not have
anyone from their family.

The study concluded that a majority of the respondents also had someone from their family as
an organization member.

Duration as a Member of Meira Paibis

As regards to the working experience of the respondents it is found that 69 percent of the
respondents were having an experience of more than 10 years. About 24 percent respondents
have been members of the organization for the last 6- 10 years. When the age and working
experience of the respondents were compared, it is found that those respondents who were
above the age of 46 years were having working experience of more than 10 years.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents were below the age of 55 years and a significant
percent (45%) of the respondents were more than 55 years old. And most of the respondents
were having experience of more than 10 years in the organization.

Motivation to Join the Organization and Family Support of the Respondents

As regards to the motivation to join the organization, nearly 60 percent of the respondents
expressed that they joined the organization by their own choice as it gave them an immense
pleasure to serve the society with likeminded people. About 39 percent joined the
organization by compulsion as many unwanted issues and problems were affecting the lives
of the citizens. And regarding the family support, it is found that 91 percent of the
respondents got family support in joining the organization as they were working for the
society only.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents who joined the organization by their own
choice, also got family support in joining the organization. According to these women, they
felt it was their duty to safeguard their family and society from any dangers they faced.

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Bitter Experience faced by the Respondents and Kinds of Bitter Experiences

As regards to bad experiences faced by the respondents, it is found that near about 70 percent
respondents did not face any such bitter experience in their lives that led them to join the
organization. However, 30 percent of the respondents faced bitter experiences in their lives
that motivated them to join the organization. Police encountered cases of family
members/relatives, riots, alcoholic abuses and domestic violence in the family were some of
the reasons given by the respondents that led them to join the organization.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents joined the organization by their choice and did not
have any bitter experience. The study also concluded that a significant percent of the
respondents had bad experiences that made them to join the organization

Problems of Working at Night

Regarding the problems faced by the respondents while working at night, it is found that
more than 65 percent of the respondents faced problems working at night. Fifty one percent
of the respondents under study who gave their views on this aspect of the study hold the post
of secretary in the organization and they have expressed their opinion according to their
experiences. It is also interesting to know that very few (6%) respondents expressed that they
did not have any problems working at night as they trust their organization members and,
together they were ready to face any hurdle that come in their way.

It is concluded that most of the respondents faced problems working at night as they were
women and their families were worried about their safety. The situation is further aggravated
with the fact that these women have to sit in an open Meira shed or local market shed for
patrolling their locality till midnight. So, they are constantly exposed to various threat from
armies, substances abusers etc.

Impact on the family Relationship after joining the Organization and Maintaining
Balance between Domestic Chores and Organization Activities

As regards to the ability of the respondents in maintaining a balance between their domestic
chores and organization activities, it is found that a 78 percent of the respondents were able to
strike a balance between their house works and organization duties. Nearly 55 percent of the
respondents were also found to have positive impact on their family. Very few percent of the
respondents had negative impact on family relationship after joining the organization. The

224
study also found that a large percent i.e. 46 percent of the respondents who were able to
balance between their domestic chores and organization activities were found to have good
and positive impact on the family.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents maintained a good balance between their
family and organization works. These respondents also shared that their works had positive
impact on their family relationship and the family members supported them.

Contribution to the Organization by Respondents

As regards to the contribution made by the respondents to their organization, it is found that
72 percent of the respondents contributed to organizations’ work by taking active part in all
major issues of the organization. Fifteen percent respondents helped the organization in
expanding its activities to other areas, 9 percent gave selfless service to the society and 4
percent supported the organization financially in times of need. It can be analysed and
interpreted that nearly 70 percent of the respondents who has more than 5 years of experience
in the organization has been participating in all major issues of the organization.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents contributed to organizations’ work by

involving themselves in all major issues of the organization and most of them had been in the
organization for more than 5 years as an active member.

Appreciation Received For Involvement and Work with the Organization

As regards to the opinion of the respondents about the appreciation received for their
contribution in their organization, it is found that more than 60 percent of the respondents’
works were appreciated by the society. Nearly 30 percent of the respondents also expressed
that their respective spouse supported and appreciated their works.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents’ work and activities in the organization
were appreciated by the society and their respective spouses. They got respect from the
society and their family because of the work they were involved. Their encouragement and
support have made them stronger and were ready to face any difficulties for the people of the
society.

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Reason behind the Existence of the Organization

As regards the main reason for the existence of the organization, it is found that 88 percent of
the respondents replied that safeguarding the society from anti social activities like drug
abuse, alcoholism, robbery/theft etc, and AFSPA were the two main reasons for their
existence as these activities were hindering the growth of the society. The organization still
continues to deal with these two issues at present also along with other problems of the
society.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents informed that the need to protect the society
from various anti social activities including the evil force of AFSPA led to the emergence of
their organization.

Change of Organization’s objectives since Establishment

As regard to the opinion of the respondents about the change of organization’s objectives
since establishment, it is found that nearly 50 percent of the respondents admitted that the
organizations’ objectives have changed since its inception. The study also found that a large
percentage (84%) of the respondents’ organization who gave their opinion were more than 10
years old.

To conclude, nearly half of the respondents were of the opinion that the objectives of their
organization have changed since its establishment due to increase in various problems in the
state.

Number of Members in One Group and the Mode of Election for Selecting Main
Executive Members

Regarding the number of member in an organization, it is found that 86 percent of the

respondents’ organization comprised of more than 16 members. As regards to the mode of
election for selecting the main executive member of the organization 92 percent of the
respondents selected the main executive members of the organization by bringing consensus
among them. Very few respondents (6%) chose their key members by voting.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents’ organization which have more than 16
members in a group, selected the key executive members of the organization by consensus
only. The respondents expressed that they lived and worked like family members and would
select senior members of the organization to hold such important positions.
226
Working Hours of the Organization and Mode of Working

Regarding the mode of working of the organization, it is found that nearly 85 percent of the
respondents expressed that they worked both day and night as the problems of the society
could not be predicted and could happen anytime and anywhere. And regarding the working
hours, a large percent (84%) of the respondents working hours were not fixed and they were
mentally and physically prepared for any untoward situation happening in their
locality/society. And small percent (11%) respondents were of the opinion that they worked
almost 24 hours.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents worked day and night and their working
hours were not fixed. The respondents expressed that if situation demands they are ready to
come out from the four walls of their houses in order to protect the society.

Mode of Emergency Communication within the Group

As regards the mode of emergency communication used by the respondents, a great majority
i.e. nearly 90 percent of the respondents banged the local electric post pole with any
equipment that would produce noise as a means of emergency signal to the members. Each 3
percent of the respondents also mention that sometimes they would use phone or send a
messenger whoever is available at that time to pass message to other members of the
organization.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents still used the old traditional old method of
banging the electric pole. According to them, it is the easiest and fastest way to reach out to
all the members of the organization and people of the locality in times of emergencies.

Participation in Meetings of the Organization

Regarding the participation of the meetings of the respondents, 48 percent of the respondents
informed that they did not have any fixed meetings with their members. About 30 percent
respondents replied that they had once in a week, another 17 percent respondents had once a
month and 2 percent respondents had meetings once a year.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents had meetings with their members on regular
basis. But still a large percent of the respondent did not have any fixed meetings as it depends
largely on the situation. And since it is not a formal organization they did not have any such
rules regarding meetings.
227
Opinion of the Respondents regarding the Meeting Place of the Organization Members
for Patrolling

As regards to the meeting place of the organization members, it is found that half of the
respondents used Meira shed i.e. a small shed/hut which is a known place, for meetings their
members. It is also further found that the respondents also used local clubs (38%) and
members’ houses for their meetings (4%) as they don’t have proper office.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents used a shed/hut in the locality for their
meetings. Sometimes they used local clubs which is available in their area or members’
house. So, without a proper office it becomes difficult to arrange meetings for the
organization members.

Professional services provided by the Organization

As regards to the availability of professional services in the organization, it is found that

nearly 30 percent of the respondents expressed that their organization offered professional
services to their clients like counselling, vocational training and medical assistance to their
clients. Sixty one percent of the respondents did not offered any professional services while
11 percent of the respondents referred their clients to other professional bodies.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents did not offered any professional services to
their clients and they gave referral services only.

Mandatory involvement of the Respondents in the Organization and Possibility to

Withdraw Anytime

As regards to the opinion of the respondents about the compulsory involvement in the
organization, it is found that 85 percent of the respondents informed that it was mandatory to
join the organization as it was working for the benefit of the society. And regarding their
withdrawal from the organization, more than 50 percent of the respondents informed that they
could withdraw their membership from the organization if they have some personal
problems. A significant percent of the respondents i.e 47 % were also found to express that
they could not withdraw from the organization as they wish as the organization needs them.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents’ organizations made it compulsory for

members to join the organization especially when the situation of the state is in turmoil. Even
228
though there were no pressures on the members to join the organization, still they expect at
least one member from every household to contribute to the work of the organization.

Differences of services of the Organization with other Women Organization

As regards to the difference of the organization’ services from other organization, nearly 60
percent of the respondents opined that their organization is different from other women
organization as their organization rendered their services to both men and women, could
worked at night if situation demanded and they existed only for the sole purpose of protecting
the society. And 55 percent of the respondents also mentioned that another attribute of the
organization which made them unique is the way how they gave equal preference to gender
while rendering their services. About 27 percent respondents admitted that they gave
preferences to women as they were more prone to societal vulnerability.

Based on the primary data, it can be concluded that a majority of the respondents felt that
their organization were different from other women organization as they exist merely for
protecting the society without giving any preferences to any gender while rendering their
services. It is to be noted here that these women do not sit and work from four walls of office
as any other organization. They are loosely organized and found everywhere and when
circumstances demands they come out as collective forces.

Reason for not Involving the Male Members

Regarding the involvement of men in the organization, near about 50 percent of the
respondents felt that women could handle more sensitive issues than men. Other reasons
which the respondents gave for not involving men in the organization were – only women’s
organization, men had separate organization and men did not show any interest in the
organization.

To conclude, nearly half of the respondents were of the opinion that women could handle
more sensitive issues compare to men and that was one of the main reasons for not involving
male members in the organization.

Frequent Issue faced in the Society and their Mode of Dealing with Offenders

As regards to the frequent issues the organization has been handling, it is found that more
than 55 percent of the respondents expressed that alcohol abuse problem was quite frequent

229
followed by drug abuse, crime against women and domestic violence. It is to be mentioned
here that prevention of problems related to alcohol abuse in the state was one of the main
goal of the organization when it first stated many years ago. Ironically, the problem still
persists even today and they are still fighting to end it. The respondents also informed the
mode of dealing of such offenders. Some respondents referred to police (25%), some dealt
with organization rules (40%) and 35 percent respondents either referred to police or dealt
with organization rules. When compared to the kinds of issues happening and mode of
handling of issues, there seems to be no relationship as the method of dealing of the issues
depends on the situation and gravity of the problems.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents found the problems of substance abuse in their
locality quite frequently. And a significant percent of the respondents preferred to deal such
offenders according to their rules as they don’t trust the law enforcers of the state. They
would punished them by making them pay heavy penalty to the victims’ family, beating up
them by shoes/sticks, scorn them in public etc.

Common offender of Anti Social activities

As regards to the most common offender found by the organization, more than 55 percent
respondents felt that the most common offenders of anti social activities were women, men
and youth. Nearly one third of the respondents also expressed that young people were the
most common offender of anti social activities like drugs, alcohol etc. it is interesting to note
that a small percent respondents informed that women were the most common offenders of
anti social activities. Those respondents who strongly voiced their opinion on this issue were
a part of the organization for more than 11 years.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents felt that all categories of people like women, men
and youth were equally involved in anti social activities like drug alcohol abuse, violence etc.

Opinion about Armed Force Special Power Act (AFSPA)

As regards to the opinion of the respondents on the issue of AFSPA, it is found that nearly 87
percent of the respondents replied that more or less they still deal with the issues of AFSPA.
Nearly 90 percent of the respondents felt that AFSPA should be repealed immediately.

230
It is concluded that a majority of the respondents still dealt with the issues of AFSPA and
most of the respondents strongly felt that AFSPA should be repealed immediately as it is
doing more harm to the people of the state.

Action Taken To Plug Source for Illegal Narcotic Activities

As regards to the action taken to plug the source for illegal narcotic activities, it is found that
more than 55 percent of the respondents answered that they were to take action on the source
for illegal activities of narcotics in the State and 37 respondents expressed that to some extent
they were able to plug the source of it. A large percent of the respondents’ organization who
answered on this aspect of the study were more than 10 years.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents were able to plug the source and take action
on the illegal activities of narcotics and were able to prevent it. And most of the respondents’
organizations which were working to eradicate these illegal activities were more than 10
years.

Most burning Issues in the Society and Whether Political Parties Responsibilities for
Creating Problems

As regards to the opinion of the respondents about the most burning issues, it is found that
nearly 85 percent of the respondents gave ILP as the most burning issues of the state. Forty
nine percent respondents felt that political parties were responsible for creating these
problems and 15 percent respondents also agreed with it. Another 31 percent of the
respondents were not able to express their opinion as they felt that many factors like lack of
employment, easy access to drugs/alcohol, misuse of technology etc. were equally
responsible for all the problems in the state.

It is conclude, a majority of respondents gave ILP as the most burning issue of the state and
that political parties were responsible for creating such situation in the state.

Opinion on the Most Difficult Issue Handled by the Organization

Regarding the answers given by the respondents about the most difficult issues handled by
them, it is found that 25 percent of the respondents mentioned demanding justice for
murdered case had been the most difficult issue handled by their organization. Other difficult
issues handled by the respondents were June 8th, Uprising Day (20%), crime against women

231
(12%), extra Judicial inquiry (12%), curbing anti – social activities (8%), insurgency (8%)
and rape cases (2%).

It is concluded that all the respondents took active part and were involved in most of the
major social issues in the State. It is to be noted that these women organization spearheaded
in all the social movements in the state. Even though most of the respondents did not have
formal training in any particular field, still they learnt from their experiences and their
association with members of the organization.

Funding Sources of the Organization and Adequacy of Fund in running the

Organization

As regards the fund of the organization, it is found that the funds of more than 70 percent of
the respondents’ organization were managed by members’ fees and contribution as they did
not have any other channels/sources to raise the funds. A large percent i.e 43 percent of the
respondents also admitted that they did not have any funds at present and solely depended on
members’ contribution. Regarding the adequacy of funds it is found that 32 percent of the
respondent’s organizations were found to be totally inadequate. There is no relationship
between source of funds and its adequacy as most of the organization seemed to face fund
inadequacy. But it is also interesting to note that only 5 percent of the respondents’
organizations whose funds were managed by members’ fees and contribution funds were
found to be fully adequate.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents were of the opinion that even though they
managed the organization through members’ fees and contribution still they faced shortage of
funds and did not have any funds at present. The government also do not heed their needs.
Much of their expenses were spent on travelling/visiting victims’ homes, organizing rallies
and helping the beneficiaries.

Fund Raising Program

As regards to the fund raising programmes of the organization, it is found that more than 55
percent respondents’ organization did not organize any fund raising programme. A
considerate percent (32%) of the respondents’ organization were found to organize fund
raising program. It is also interesting to note more than one third of the respondents who did

232
not have any organizational funds at all and seemed to show no interest in any fund raising
programmes.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents did not organize any fund raising programs even
though most of the organizations were shortage of funds. They strongly believed that such
fund raising programs were purely commercial and they depend solely on donation and
members’ contribution for running the organizations.

Networking Level with other Organization

As regards to the networking level with other organization, the study found that 87 percent of
the respondents’ organization had networking with other similar organization. And more than
50 percent of the respondents’ organization networking was at state level. Even though these
organizations have achieved a lot within the State of Manipur, still their networking level at
the national level is found to be poor. Thirteen percent of the respondents also replied that
their organization did not have any networking with other organization.

It is concluded that a majority of the organization were found to have networking with other
organization and it was mostly at state level. They also expressed that they were trying their
best to expand their networking to national level.

Nature of Mutual Assistance extended to other Organization and Assistance received

from other Organization

It is found that 54 percent of the organization did not share any mutual assistance with other
organization. A considerate percent i.e 46 % of the respondents expressed that they shared
assistance with other organization more or less by sharing information and organizing
training programme, giving financial assistance and by lending support to their cause/issues
they are fighting

It is concluded that more than half of the respondents’ organization did not take/share any
mutual help from other organization as they did not have time to correspond or communicate
with the other organization. Further, it is also conclude that a significant percent of the
respondents informed that they received assistance from other organization and their nature
of mutual help were in the form of sharing information and organizing training programme,
giving financial assistance and by lending support to their cause/issues they are fighting.

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Involvement of Professional Trained Workers in the Organization

Regarding the involvement of trained professional in the organization, nearly 65 percent of

the respondents expressed that there were no professional trained workers in the organization.
Only a few respondents’ organizations i.e. 14 percent were found to have trained professional
workers and most of them from organization which were having source of funds from
members’ fees/contribution. About 22 percent respondents were not aware of the existence of
such trained workers in the organization.

It is thus concluded that a majority of the organization utilized their funds from members’
fees/contributions and most of them did not have any trained workers like counsellor, social
workers, lawyers etc. as they could not afford them due to shortage of funds. It is also to be
noted here that many of the respondents were not aware of such trained workers and did not
understand the importance of their existence. They felt they could solve all the problems by
their own.

Help Received from the Police

As regards to the assistance received from the police, it is found that half of the respondent
replied that they did not receive any help/assistance from the police department when they
approached. And 12 percent of the respondents received help from the police.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents were member of the organizations which were
more than 10 years old and according to the experiences of the respondents, half of them
expressed that they did not receive any help from the police.

Organization active in Protest/Demonstration or not and their Common Target

Regarding protesting/demonstrations, it is found that a large percent (81%) of the respondent

replied that they were active in organizing protest and demonstration. Most of the protest and
demonstration in the state were spearheaded by them. And as regards to the target of their
protest, 73 percent respondents replied that their target depends on the issue at that time. For
them, whoever works against the interest of the public becomes the target of their protest.
Most of the time, the government becomes their target when it cannot protect the society and
giving excessive power to the armed forces in the state, which in turn violates human rights
of the common people.

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To conclude, a majority of the respondents were very active in organizing protest and
demonstration and they did not have any particular target and mostly depends on the issue
happening at the time.

Organization Strategies on their Movements

The study had one of the objectives to know the strategies used by the respondents in their
movement organized by them and hence it is found that 17 percent of the respondents said
that they followed peaceful dialogues/talks with their opponents as main strategy. About 2
percent of the respondents used violence agitation, if necessary. Even though most of the
organizations were more than 10 years of services still a large percent (81%) of the
respondents were not able to say their main strategy as it depended on the issue they were
they were fighting for.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents expressed that they did not have any such
strategies and could not tell as it depended mainly on the issues they were fighting for at that
point of time. But still most of the respondents also replied that they would prefer to peaceful
dialogues rather than violence and resorting to violence would be the last option.

Tactics used in Demonstration and Protest by the Organizations

As regards to the tactics used by the organizations in their demonstrations, it is found that
nearly 80 percent of the respondents’ organizations organized different forms and methods of
demonstrations like hunger strike, sit and protest, rally and calling state bandhs.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents employed various means and tactics in organizing
their demonstrations but it depends on the gravity of the situation and problems faced at that
time.

Demands of the Organization and their Achievement of its Demands

As regards to the issues related to their demands of the respondents, it is found that large
percent i.e 71 percent respondents mentioned issues like ILP, AFSPA and police encounter
cases as their main demands. And regarding the achievement of their demands, a more than
53 percent of the respondents were found to express that their demands were achieved to
some extent. This was one of the reasons for the common people to trust them as they were
able to meet the needs and demands of the society. Still 8 percents respondents replied that

235
they did not achieved their demands most of the time. Nearly 30 percent of the respondents
were also found to negotiate with the other party in terms of their demands as some of the
demands were not easy to meet or implement in the State.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents’ demands were mostly related to socio-political

issues which have been creating turmoil in the state of Manipur recently like ILP, AFSPA,
police encounter cases etc. And most of their demands were achieved to some extent though
they had to negotiate with the other party sometimes.

Any Sub Groups in the Organization

As regards to the presence of subgroup in the organization, it is found that 55 percent

respondents felt that there were no sub groups within the organization. More than half of the
respondents who expressed that there were no sub groups in the organization had been in the
organization for more than 5 years and according to their experience there were no such
division among them. It is also found that a considerate percent of the respondents expressed
that there were sub groups in the organization.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents were of the opinion that there were no
subgroups in the organization. Some of the respondents also admitted existence of sub groups
in the organization due to lack of communication, geographical disparity etc.

Opinion of the Respondents about bringing Changes in Organization Structure and

Functions

As regards to the opinion of the respondents about the need to bring change in the
organization, it is found that more than 60 percent of the respondents did not like to bring any
change in the organization structure and functions. Twenty percent respondents would like to
involve more activities. And 18 percent of the respondents strongly felt that the organization
needed to be changed.

To conclude, a majority of the organization would not like to bring any change to the
organization as they were comfortable with the way how the organization is functioning. A
significant percent of the respondents also admitted that they wanted to bring change in the
organization and would like to include more activities like opening of income generation,
professional counselling etc.

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Immediate Needs of the Organization

The study found that 37 percent respondents expressed that their organization needed proper
office building. Most of the organizations were more than 10 years old and for the last 10
years they have been changing their offices frequently due to shortage of proper space and
building. Other requirements as given by the respondents were vehicles, office materials and
funds.

To conclude a large percent of the respondents felt that their organizations needed proper
office on emergency basis. Besides office building, they also required funds to run the
organization.

Attitude of the Government Officials

As regards to the opinion of the respondents about the attitude of the government officials, it
is found that 48 percent of the respondents did not at all approach the government officials.
About 31 percent respondents found the attitude of the officials quite unpredictable. Thirteen
percents respondents expressed that the officials were non cooperative and only a few percent
respondent found the government officials to be cooperative when they approached.

It is thus concluded that a majority of the respondents did not approach the government
officials as their attitude were unpredictable and could not be trusted. Other respondents who
had approached the officials were not satisfied with their attitude and found them non
cooperative.

Organization Difficulties

As regards the difficulties faced by the organization, it is found that nearly 50 percent of the
respondents informed that lack of support from the government was the main difficulties they
faced in carrying out their activities. Other difficulties as expressed by the respondents were –
shortage of funds (44%) and division among their groups (7%).

It is concluded that a large percent of the respondent’s organization which were having more
than 10 years of experiences strongly felt that lack of support from the government and
shortage of funds as the main difficulties of their organization.

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Satisfaction of Work and Activities for Organization and Spirit of Meira Paibis strong
or not

Regarding the opinion of the respondents about their work satisfaction, it is found that nearly
70 percent of the respondents were satisfied working with the organization. And regarding
the spirit of the organization, about 64 percent of the respondents also felt that the spirit of
Meira Paibis was still strong as it was when it was established for the first time. There is a
close relation between satisfaction of work and spirit of Meira Paibis. More than half of the
respondents who were satisfied with their work also found the spirit of the organization to be
still strong. But nearly one third respondents were of the opinion that the spirit of the
organization has withered to some extent.

It is concluded a majority of the respondents were satisfied with the work and activities of the
organization and also felt that the spirit of the organization was very strong. However, there
were also few respondents who believed that the spirit of the organization has withered to
some extent.

Reason for weakness of Meira Paibis Spirit

The study found 64 percent of the respondents felt that the spirit of the organization was
strong. However about 36 percent of the respondents also opined that the organization has
withered due to various reasons. About 26 percent respondents gave lack of proper leadership
as main reason for weakening of the organization. Each 4 percent respondents gave lack of
communication among the group members and differences in opinion and way of working
among the organizations’ members as main reason for low spirit of the organization.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents were of the opinion that the organizations’
spirit was strong as it was when it was stated for the first time. More than one third of the
respondents also felt that the organizations’ spirit has become low due to lack of
communication among the group, lack of proper leadership and differences in opinion.

Opinion of the respondents on whether They Would Like Men to Involve in their
Organizational Activities or Not

As regards the opinion of the respondents if they would like men to involve in their works, it
is found that a near about 60 percent of the respondents like men to be part of the
organization so that they become more responsible and also understand the problems of the
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Society. While 42 percent respondents were not in favour of their joining as they felt that
only women could handle any situation far better than men.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents would like male members of the society to
involve in organizational activities. They felt that their involvement would make them aware
of society’s problems and reduce the anti social elements in the State.

Future Plan of the Organization

The study found that 69 percent respondents were satisfied with their work in the
organization. And regarding the future plans of the organization, about 61 percent of the
respondents expressed that they planned to make their organization more formal and
organised. And 33 percent of the respondents wanted to expand their network of the
organization to national level. About 65 percent of the respondents who were satisfied with
their work were found to have interest in making future plans of the organization. It shows
their commitment and interest towards the improvement of the organization.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents were satisfied with their work and planned
to make their organization more formal and organised so that the people could reach them
easily. Nearly one third of the respondents also wanted to expand the network of the
organization to national level. It is also interesting to note that very few percent respondents
did not have any such future plans for their organization.

Major Achievement of Organizations

Regarding the achievement of the organization, 21 percent of the respondents gave removal
of Assam Riffle Force (Indian Army) from historic place of Kangla Fort, Imphal as main
achievement of the organization. About 15 percent respondents informed that saving Manipur
integrity on June 18th, Uprising Day (Save Manipur Integrity) as their main achievement.
Others achievements of the organization as given by the respondents were demanding
infrastructure in their society (7%), giving justice to rape victims (6%), settling of domestic
issues (18%) and banning of foreign liquor (18%). A large percent of the respondents’
organization who mentioned about their achievement were more than ten years and they had
been working so hard to attain these achievements.

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To conclude, a majority of the respondent’ organizations were more than 10 years and after a
long struggle, they got their achievements. The subject matter related to their achievement
ranges from small local issues to large state level issues.

II. Findings and Conclusions Related to the Beneficiaries:

Age and Gender of the Respondents

As regards to the gender of the respondents, it is observed and found that more than 50
percent of the respondents were female. About 47 percent respondents were male. Regarding
the age of the respondents, near about 50 percent respondents were in the age group of 31- 40
years. Very few respondents (8%) were above 50 years and below 30 years (21%). When the
gender and age groups are compared there is no much variation as most of the age groups are
present in both the male and female gender.

To conclude, a most of the respondents were female. The proportion of the male gender
participating in the study is also quite satisfactory. It is also further concluded that mostof the
respondents were in the age group of 31 – 50 years. A considerate percent of the respondents
were under 30 years.

Marital Status and Religion of the Respondents

As regards the marital status of the respondents, it is found that near about 53 percent of the
respondents were married. Very few respondents were widow (8%). About 29 percent of the
respondents were also found to be single. Regarding the religion of the respondents, 74
percent respondents belonged to Hindu religion. It is also an important finding that a small
percent of the respondents belonged to the religion of Muslims (15%) and Christians (11%).
Further, it can be said that age and religion are not the criteria for seeking help/assistance
from the women organization.

To conclude, most of the respondents under study were Hindus and were found to be married.
Very few respondents under study were Muslims and Christians. It is interesting to know that
more or less all the prominent religions in Manipur have been covered for the study.

Educational Qualification of the Respondents

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As regards to the educational level of the respondents, it is found that nearly 86 percent
respondents were literate. Among them a considerate percent (44%) of the respondents were
graduates. It is also an important finding to know that very few percent (4%) of the
respondents were illiterate. When the gender and their educational level were compared, there
was no much variation as most of the respondents were literate irrespective of their gender.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents both male and female, were found to be literate
and most of them studied till primary and graduate level.

Native Place of the Respondents

The study found that 42 percent respondents belonged to the urban city and a considerable
percent ie. 36 percent of the respondents were from rural areas. The study also found 22
percent that respondents belonged to semi urban areas.

It is thus concluded that a majority of the respondents were female of which many of them
were from urban city. A significant percent of the respondents belong to rural areas.
Satisfactory percentage of respondents from all these areas i.e. urban, semi-urban and rural
areas were covered for the study.

Occupation and Monthly Income of Respondents

Regarding the monthly income of the respondents it is found that nearly 57 percent of the
respondents had their monthly income of 21-30 thousand. It is also further found that 31
percent of the respondents’ incomes were in the range of income group between 31- 40
thousand per month. And hence, there exit no relationship between the occupation and the
income level of the respondents as most of respondents had income level between 21- 30
thousand per month irrespective of their occupation.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents were working. And based on their income, most
of the respondents belonged to average middle class family and did not seem to have much
hardship due to financial problems. This also throws light to the study that most of the people
who seek assistance from the women organization were not always from lower socio-
economic background.

Knowledge of the Respondents about the Presence of Meira Paibis in Their Locality

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The study had an intention to know the level of awareness of the respondents regarding the
presence of women organization and hence it is found that an overwhelming percent i.e. 93
percent of the respondents were aware of the presence of Meira Paibis organizations in their
locality. Very few respondents (4%) expressed that there were no Meira Paibis in their
locality though they knew about the kind of activities theses organization do. When the level
of awareness and age group are compared, it is found that most of the respondents (44%) who
knew about the organization were between the age group of 31 to 40 years.

It is concluded that Meira Paibis were present in most of the locality of the respondents. And
most of them were aware of the kind of activities these organizations carried out in their
locality.

Knowledge of the Respondents about the activities carried out by the Organization

As regards to the knowledge of the respondents about the activities of the women
organization, it is found that more than 95 percent of the respondents knew about the
activities carried out by the women’s organization. A considerate number i.e. 26 percent of
respondents felt that involving in all major issues of the society and preventing anti social
activities (25%) as main activity of the Meira Paibis. Other activities of the organizations
according to the respondents were - helping needy person (20%), patrolling at night (16%)
and solving family issues/problems (6%).

To conclude, an overwhelming percent of the respondents expressed that they knew about
Meira Paibis and their activities in the society. They expressed that these women s
organization mostly work for the welfare of the society by curbing anti social activities,
patrolling the locality at night and solving family problems.

Participation in Meetings of the Organization and Presence of family members in the

Organization

The study found that very few respondents (12%) took part regularly in meetings of the
organization and nearly 60 percent of the respondents did not take part in any meeting held
by the women’s organization. As regards to the participation of family members in the
organization, 47 percent of the respondents expressed that their mother as a member of the
organization while a considerate percent i.e. 25 percent of the respondents said that their

242
sister were a part of the organization. Very few respondents (23%) had none from their
family as member of the organization.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents did not felt the necessity to take part in the
meetings organized by the organization as there were already a female member in the house
who attended meetings of the organization. But still a considerate percent of the respondents
took part in the meetings of the organization as they felt it is important as Meira Paibis were
working for the society only. And the study also further concluded that a large number of the
respondents’ have family members who were a member of the organization.

Any Family Member of the Respondents received Assistance from Organization

As regards to the assistance received from the organization for any family members of the
respondents, 85 percent of the respondents expressed that their family members did not take
any assistance from the organization. It is also interesting to know that only 7 percent
respondents took assistance from the organization for their family members. There is no
association between assistance received from the organization for family members and
participation in meetings held by the women’s organization as most of the respondents did
not take any assistance for family members and did not take part in meetings.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents did not took part in the meetings organized by the
organization and their family members also did not take any assistance from the organization.
It is indeed the first time for most of them in terms of taking assistance from the women
organizations.

Problems Faced by Respondents

As regards to the problems faced by the respondents, it is found that a considerate percent
(21%) of the respondents faced domestic violence from their family members. Here, it is to
be mentioned that about 7 percent of the respondents were male. So, such organization act as
a saviour for such victims when there is no appropriate laws for men to protect themselves
from domestic violence. A significant percent of the respondents were accused falsely in
matters not connected to them like theft, robbery, harassments, selling drugs, alcohol etc.
Other major problems faced by the respondents were military torture (13%), drug/alcohol
abuses (13%), crime against women (8%), land dispute (11%) and extramarital affairs (8%).

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To conclude, a majority of the respondents comes from different walks of life having diverse
problems like domestic violence military torture, drug/alcohol abuses, crime against women,
land dispute, extramarital affairs and falsely accused matters like theft, robbery, harassments,
selling drugs, alcohol etc. As regards to the relations between the problems faced and gender
of the respondents, there is not much variation. Most of the respondents, both male and
female faced the same problems except for some like substance abuse (faced by male
respondents only) and crime against women and cheating by respective partners (faced by
female respondents only).

Seeking assistance from Police by Respondents

Regarding the opinion of the respondents about seeking assistance from the police, it is found
that a large percentage (75%) of the respondents did not approach police when they faced
problems. Very few respondents (25%) approached police but only a small percentage (12%)
of the respondents found the police to be cooperative. As regards the attitude of the police,
small percent of the respondents expressed that the police showed laid back attitude (9%)
and were not cooperative (4%).

To conclude, a majority of the respondents did not feel the necessary to approach police when
they have any problems or issues. And some of the respondents who had approached the
police found them to be non cooperative.

Whether the respondents Approached the Organization Personally

The study found that nearly 40 percent of the respondents personally approached the
organization when they faced problems. As regards the reasons for approaching the
organization, a considerate percent (16%) of the respondents approached them since it was
suggested to them by family and friends. Other reasons given by the respondents were - the
organizations could be trusted (13%), easy to communicate (5%) and could get quick
response/solution to their problems (4%).

To conclude, a significant percent of the respondents personally approached the organization

when they faced problems as they felt that the organization could be trusted and would help
them in solving their problems.

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People who approached the Organization on behalf of the Respondents

As regards the categories of people who approach the organization on behalf of the
respondents, it is found that nearly 50 percent of the respondents’ family members had
approached the organization on behalf of them. About 8 percent respondents got support from
the organization through their neighbour. It is also interesting to know that very few
respondents (6%) expressed that the organization members personally came to help them.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents did not personally approach the
organization when they faced problems. On behalf of them, their family members approached
the organization for assistance. The reason for not approaching by themselves was that at that
time of the problematic situation they were clueless about whom to approach.

Redressal Method used by the Organization to solve the Respondents’ problems

As regards to the methods used by the organizations’ members in solving the problems of the
respondents, a significant percent (35%) of the respondents expressed that the organization
used to negotiate with the other party. Nearly 30 percent of the respondents’ problems were
solved by using counselling method by the organization. Other methods used by the
organization in solving the problems as expressed by the respondents were – threatening
method (15%), punished the offenders according to their rules (18%) and organizing agitation
(3%).

To conclude, a majority of the respondents’ problems both male and female, were solved by
using counselling techniques and by negotiation with other party. It is also to be noted here
that sometimes if necessary the organization will threatened and give warning to other party.
As regards to the relation between the redressal methods used by the organization and gender
of the respondents, it is seen that the organization used threatening method and punished the
offenders according to their rules, especially for female respondents.

Opinion of the respondents about the Charges Made by Meira Paibis for their Services

Regarding the opinion of the respondents on whether the organization charges any money for
their services or not, cent percent of the respondents answered that no charges or fees was
taken from them for organizational assistances provided to them.

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To conclude, all the respondents covered under study irrespective of their gender got free
services from the organizations. The organizations did not charge any fees to them. In brief,
these respondents got the support and help from the organization without spending any
money unlike any other NGOs. It is interesting to mention that these organizations were
facing shortage of funds to run the organization but still they provide their services free of
costs.

Problematic Situation Impacting the Family and Respondents and the Urgency of
Receiving Assistance Relief

As regards the impact of the problematic situation on the respondents and their family, it is
found that a 66 percent of the respondents had psychological stress due to their problems.
Very few respondents (11%) said that their properties were destroyed by other party. About
19 percent of the respondents also shared that the problems caused injuries and accidents to
their family and relatives. Regarding the urgency requirement of the service from the
organization 70 percent of the respondents also expressed that the requirement of the services
of the organization was urgent to some extent. There is a close relationship between damage
caused by the problematic situation and urgency of service needed by the respondents. Sixty
four of the respondents who underwent psychological trauma needed assistance straight away
without delay.

Hence, it is concluded that a majority of the respondents underwent psychological stress due
to the problems faced by them and needed the assistance of the organization urgently as they
could not handle the impact of the problems caused to them and their family.

Situation of the Respondents if they had not received the Assistance from the
Organization

As regards to the situation of the respondents if they had not received the assistances from the
organizations, a large percent of the respondents .i.e 76 percent were found to be in worst
condition. Sixteen percent of the respondents might face suicidal tendency and three percent
respondents would be lonely and helpless. Very few respondents (6%) replied that there
would be no change as they would approach other alternatives or NGOs available at the
problematic situation.

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It is concluded that a majority of the respondents felt that their condition would be worst if
they had not received the assistance from the women organization on time.

Material Assistance Rendered by the Organization to the Respondents

As regards to receiving material help from the organizations, it is found that near about 84
percent of the respondents did not take any material assistance from the organization. A few
respondents took assistance in the form of money, phone/mobiles and household items like
rice, blankets, clothes etc.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents did not felt the necessity to take any material
assistance from the organization and a small percent of the respondents took material help
from the organization.

Alternative Type of Assistance Available besides Meira Paibis

The study found that that a considerable percent of the respondents gave alternatives like
approaching police (33%) and seeking assistance from other voluntary organization/ non-
organization(40%). A small percent i.e. 27 percent of the respondents also expressed that
there were no alternatives for them as they could not trust police or other people.

It is concluded that a large percentage of respondents gave alternative way of seeking

assistance from other sources if Meira Paibis were not available at the time of their problems.
It is to be noted here that these alternatives were given as last option since they prefer Meira
Paibis assistance only.

Participation of Respondents in Meira Paibis Activities after Receiving Assistance

As regards to the participation of meetings by the respondents after receiving assistance, it is

found that more than 55 percent respondents were found to be involved in most of the
activities conducted by the organization after receiving assistance from them. Most of the
respondents were involved in workshop (13%), public gatherings (31%) and group
discussions (17 %) organized by Meira Paibis.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents participated in all activities organized by Meira

Paibis after they took assistance from the organization. There is a great improvement level in
their number of participation when compared before and after receiving assistance from the

247
organization. They felt that this kind of involvement in their activities help them to regain
their confidence level and in a way it also shows their support for the organization.

Reason for not participating in Meira Paibis Activities after Receiving Assistance

As regards to the answer given by the respondents for not participating in meetings organized
by the organization after receiving assistance, 14 percent of the male respondents gave reason
that the organization was only for women members. Other reasons as given by the
respondents were – sending female members of the house to participate (6%), busy with their
personal work (9%) and presence of another female member in the organization (9%).

It is concluded that even though a significant percent of respondents could not participate in
all the activities organized by Meira Paibis, still they were able to give reasonable
explanation.

Services provided by the Organization helpful or Not

The study had one of its objectives to know the effectiveness of services made by these
women organizations and it is found that nearly 70 percent of the respondents found the
organization helpful and one fourth of the respondents found the organization very helpful in
their lives. A significant percent (46%) expressed that the organization visited them twice or
thrice in their house and 17 percent respondents said that the members of the organization
visited their house several times.

There is no association between frequency of organization members visiting the respondents’

house and effectiveness of services provided by the organization. Only 17% of the
respondents replied that the organization came to their house several times and most of the
respondents who found their services helpful replied that organization members came to their
house as and when required.

It is concluded the organization services were found to be quite helpful by majority of the
respondents and the organization member also visited the house of the respondents as per
their needs when they were undergoing various problems in their lives.

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Opinion of the Respondents about the Accessibility of Organization Members and their
Quality of Services

As regards the opinion of the respondents about the accessibility of the organization, it is
found that a 71 percent of the respondents found the organization to be easily available when
they needed them. And regarding the quality of the service, nearly 70 percent respondents
found their services good in terms of quality. And 18 percent respondents rated their services
as excellent. There is a closed link between the accessibility of the organization to the
respondents and their quality of service. Most of the respondents who found the organization
easily accessible to them found the organization services to be good.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents expressed that the organization was easily
accessible to them and they can communicate with them easily. A large percent respondent
also rated good on the quality of the services provided by the organizations.

Satisfaction of Problems Addressed by Meira Paibis by Gender

The study found that a large percent of the respondents (86%) were very satisfied with the
redressal method used by the organisation in solving their problems. It is also interesting to
note here that a few respondents (4%) were not able to express and not sure about their
satisfaction regarding the way Meira Paibis handled their problems.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents were satisfied with the way the organization
addressed their problems. There is no variation in the answer given by the respondents, both
male and female. They were contented with the service of the organization. This also
reassures the trust and confidence of the respondents on such organization which have
dedicated their service for the welfare of the citizens of the society.

Opinion of the Respondents about Women Organization Members Reaching in Times

of Need

As regards the opinion of the respondents about reaching of organization in times of need, it
is found that a nearly near about 83 percent of the respondents mostly in the age group of 31-
40 years agreed and support the fact that the organization reached their services in time to
people who needed them. This age group i.e. 31 - 40 years covered most of the respondents’
age group undertaken for the study. Very few respondents e.i. 4 percent expressed that the
services of the organization never reached on time.
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To conclude, a majority of the respondents were of the opinion that the organization reached
their services in time to people who needed them. And this was one of the reasons for people
trusting them.

Behaviour of the Organization Members and Level of Impact in improving the lives of
the Respondents
As regards the opinion of the respondents about the level of impact in improving their lives
after the intervention of the organization, it is found that more than half of the respondents’
lives improved tremendously and the impact level was very high after the intervention of the
organization. A small percent of the respondents (4%) expressed their lives have not change
much after their intervention and its impact level was low. Regarding the behaviour of the
organizations’ members it is found that 51 percent of the respondents found the behaviour of
the organisation members very supportive during their assistance. Most of the respondents
who found the level of impact of the organization assistance very high in their lives also
expressed that the behaviour of the members to be supportive

It is thus concluded that a majority of the respondents found the behaviour of the organization
members very supportive and also expressed that their lives have improved very much after
their intervention.

Whether Meira Paibis Protect and Provide Security to the Society

The study had one of the objectives to know the roles of these women organization in the
society and hence it is found that a large percentage (71%) of the respondents felt that Meira
Paibis protect and provided security to the society. Very few respondents which is negligible
(3%) were not sure whether the organizations’ member are protector of the society and
provide society or not as they did not see much changes in the society after the existence of
Meira Paibis.

It is concluded a majority of the respondents expressed that these women are protector of the
society and the existence of Meira Paibis has brought peace and security to the state of
Manipur.

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Meira Paibis as an inevitable part of Manipur Society

The study found that 79 percent of the respondents were of the opinion that Meira Paibis’s
existence has become an inevitable part of the society to the society. However, very few
respondents (4%) were not sure whether the organization is inevitable part to the society or
not. There is a relationship between the opinions of the respondents whether Meira Paibis
provide security to the society and whether Meira Paibis has become an inevitable part of
Manipur Society. Sixty three percent of the respondents who felt that the women
organizations provided security to the organization also expressed that these women
organization has become important part of Manipur State which could not be ignored.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents replied that Meira Paibis has brought
security to the society and has become an inevitable part in the state of Manipur. According
to them, any major issues/problems in the State cannot be solved without them.

Whether the Organization has reduced Anti social Activities in the State

Regarding the opinion of the respondents about the existence of the women organization
reducing anti social activities, it is found that a large percentage (70%) of the respondents
felt that the existence of Meira Paibis in the state has reduced anti social activities like drug
abuse, alcoholism, theft, robbery etc. in the State. Very few respondents i.e. 3 percent replied
that the organization were not able to reduce the incidence of anti social activities in the state.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents, irrespective of their gender strongly

expressed that Meira Paibis has successfully reduced anti social activities in the state. Meira
Paibis has tremendously brought a change in the society as these organizations has been
working consistently in curbing down all anti social activities in the state right from its
inception.

Differences in Quality of Services Provided by the Government Agents and Meira

Paibis
As regards to the reason given by the respondents about the differences in services of
government agents and women organization, 65 percent of the respondents agreed that there
were difference in the services provided by the organization and the government. The
respondents also gave their explanation on this aspect. About 30 percent of the respondents
expressed that the most visible differences in their services was that the organization was free
251
from corruption and was approachable. Others differences as observed by the respondents
were – mother like attitude of the members and selfless services (29%), considerate and
sensitive to people s issues (23%) and quick in getting solution to problems (14%).

It is thus concluded that a majority of the organization expressed that there were vast
differences in the services provided by the organization and the government. According to
them, the organization members were like mothers to them who were considerate and
sensitive towards their problems. And moreover these organizations service were free of
corruption and did not charge any fees.

Opinion of the Respondents on the Situation of Manipur if Meira Paibis Did Not Exist

Regarding the situation of Manipur sans the women organization, it is found that nearly 55
percent of the respondents felt that the situation of the society would be in awful state with
increase in problems like crime against women, anti social activities etc.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents felt that the existence of the organization in
the state was important otherwise it would be in chaos and many unwanted anti social
activities could happen.

Approaching the Organization in the Future

As regards the opinion of the respondents on whether they would approach the women
organization in the future again, 86 percent of the respondents expressed that they would
approach the organization in the near future again if they faced another problems as they
were quite happy with their services. Very few respondents i.e. 9 percent were not sure
whether they would approach the organization again in the near future and gave their reasons
also. Giving preference to women, not fully satisfied with the judgement, lack of counselling
skill and creating more confusion were the reasons given by the respondents who did not
want to approach them again in the near future.

It is concluded that a majority of the respondents would like to approach the organization
again if needed in the near future. But some respondents were of the opinion that these
organizations gave more preference to women and were not fully satisfied with their
judgement as they created more confusion.

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Suggestions of the Respondents on the Organization for its Future Improvement

As regards the suggestions of the respondents for the improvement of the organization, 58
percent of the respondents gave various suggestions for the organization for its future
improvement. Some of the suggestions were – to have proper office and more formal
organization structure (32%), being more cooperative and worked with the government (5%),
easily available to the common people (5%), more vigilant on anti social activities (4%) and
holding more political power to represent people issues and problems (13%). A significant
percent i.e 42 percent of the respondents also found to be satisfied with the organization and
preferred not to give any comments on them.

To conclude, a majority of the respondents wanted to bring some changes in the organization
and suggested the areas of the organizations which needed to be modified. The suggestions of
the respondents were recorded based on their experiences while dealing with the
organizations’ activities and their members.

SUGGESTIONS

Based on the observations and findings of the study, few practical suggestions have
been put forward. They are as follows:

i) Suggestions for the Organization

Expand Network

There was no doubt that these organization worked in a narrow geographical area.
Most of the organizations were found to have poor networking at national level. So,
the organizations need to reinforce their own performance and widened their network
with liked minded organizations at the National level. A strong networking system
will help the organization in sustaining themselves. In this way, they can also receive
support from various civic organizations and companies who can fulfil their
technological needs, including designing and maintaining their official website.

Involvement of Educated and Trained Women

A majority of the organization members covered in the study were not highly
educated. So, the role of the educated middle class woman is very important. Their
absence makes the Meira Paibis as more of a women group from lower classes
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fighting for anti-narcotic abuse and anti- alcohol movements. Because of this reason,
these women organization are getting less support from other women’s organization
and networks at the national and global levels. It has also been the loss to women’s
organizations and the movement started by them for the society. So, the organization
members should also encourage this section of women and make them realized that
the organizations are not working for themselves but for the society only. And it is
high time for these women also to start taking active role in the organization.

Use of media

It is observed from the study that these women hardly used modern means of
communication and media available to them. They are still stuck to the traditional
methods of using messengers for spreading their work activities. The geographical
scope of their welfare works and activities still need to be widened and should be
made known to the public. So, these organization members and social movement
leaders should be encouraged to take advantage of the media to accomplish their aims
and reach out to people. For instance, making public announcement to the press,
bringing out pamphlets that explain their demands, use mobile phones (and internet)
to exchange information and connect members across geographical areas. Further, the
use of media in their demonstration can also help the organization in catching every
aspect of their movement and their actions. And it can also highlight the ineptitude of
the local police or armies to the public and give justification of their deeds.

Centralised Coordinating Body

At present, the character of the central coordinating body of Meira Paibis has become
ambiguous as a large number of Meira Paibis/women groups have started registering
themselves independently. Theoretically built up on similar lines as the locality units,
the operating dynamics becomes radically different. So, it is suggested that they first
need to bring together the entire scattered organization properly under one roof and
worked together. For that, these organizations need a centralised body which can look
at the many small congregations of women in the state of Manipur.

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Effective Communication

In the course of the study it has been observed that the communications of the
organizations from a locality unit to another locality unit are outstanding. However,
communications at the higher level seems to be rather weakening, somewhat due to
the fundamental characteristics of the organization and its inexperience in the
handling of mass organization and insufficient participation of units in the
management cell. So, it is suggested to address these communication gaps of the
organization and worked closely under a single dynamic leadership to achieve their
goals and also to stay safe from becoming the target for political parties’ manoeuvring
and manipulation, in the democratic numbers game.

Proper Office Building

The study showed that majority of the organizations did not have proper office. So, it
is suggested that the organization should first focus on establishing a proper office
where the common people can reach them easily. The government should allot them
appropriate space for such organizations which are doing selfless services for the
society.

Abide the Law of the State

A significant percent of the respondents replied that they punished the offenders
according to their rules. The organization should understand the law and regulations
of the society and should not try to take law in their hand because nobody is above
law. They should be made realized that there are competent authorities such as police,
women commission, social welfare departments etc. to handle such problems.

Working together with Law enforcer of the State

Most of the organizations did not seek assistance from the local police. So, it is
suggested that the organization should try to adapt and work closely with the police as
this collaboration could yield fruitful result in combating undesirable activities in the
society. Their involvement will definitely bring control over the societal unwanted
behaviour and activities. Seriousness will come automatically in the services of the
women organization. Preventive service jointly organized by women organization and

255
police will surly reduce the gravity and seriousness of any problems. Moreover, it is
not the sole responsibility of the women organization to safeguard the society but it is
also the job and function of the police to protect and maintain peace in the society.

Used Of Professional Workers and Expertise

A majority of the organizations covered under study did not have any professionally
trained members. The organization should employed and involved professional
workers and expertise like social worker, lawyers, human rights activist etc. in their
activities who can guide and plan their strategies carefully. The involvement of these
expertises from various fields will support them in investigating and report human
rights abuses happening in the state. At the same time, it will assist the organizations
in getting support from other similar movements outside the State. It is also crucial
in creating awareness amongst donors and international institutions that can
undertake high-level lobbying.

Upgrade their skills and knowledge

During the course of the study it is also observed that the organization members
hardly attended any workshops/seminars to enhance their skills and knowledge. This
will adversely affect their work and activities and hence, it is suggested that the
members of the organization should go for professional trainings like attending
workshops, seminars, skill development etc. in order to understand the present
scenario especially while dealing with youths who are involve in anti social activities.
Greater emphasis should be given on the capacity enhancement for organization
members with regard to linking international standards with work at the local level.
Workshops on various laws and legislations applicable to different category of people
and situation would also be of great help to the organization members in resolving
problems and issues. Such workshops for members should be undertaken with the
help of resources person who are willing to give free service or at minimise fees.

Professional Integrated service

A majority of the organization did not offer any professional services to their
clients/beneficiaries. The lack of integration and collaboration of certain services

256
creates problems for people seeking assistance. These people are not aware of the
services available to them and in many times, such lack of information causes
financial strain to them and delays in getting their work done. Since, the society has
bestowed their trust upon these organizations, they need to go beyond counselling
services and add more facilities under one roof so that the beneficiaries need not to go
here and there seeking for assistance. So, integrated services like medical and
psychiatric treatment, shelter homes, vocational training, legal assistance etc. should
be made available as soon as possible.

Counselling

The study found that counselling of their beneficiaries was done by untrained
members of the organization itself. So, the organization should made an effort to
appoint a professional counsellor to help out the people who are seeking help from the
organization in overcoming their emotional disturbances, depression and various
other psychological problems. The organization can also select some of its members
to undergo some short counselling courses.

Involving Income generation programme

The study found that, even though the organizations do not offer direct professional
services to the people in needy, but still they manage to assist poor people and try to
meet their needs by providing shelter and sometimes jobs. So, the organization should
focus in introducing light vocational and income generation programmes like toys
making, sewing, handicrafts, weaving, candle making etc. to help the victim/needy
become financially self-sufficient in the long run. The organization should also work
on a strategic plan that will develop better marketing and production of these types of
business, with the aim of attracting wider market of buyers. This activity in a way will
also help the organization to generate its own fund and will be able to sustain the
organization in a long way.

Used of proper planning and Strategy in their movements

The vulnerability of the women organization will be and in fact, is already particularly
evident in long-term campaigns and in confrontation with rigidly organized State
apparatus. Without effective strategy planning, the best of efforts tend to fizzle out in
257
the face of determined opposition from the government. These in turn lead to
disenchantment, loss of morale at ground level, vulnerability into welfare activities
and general lack of cohesiveness and coherence. So it is suggested to make a proper
planning and decide the right strategy before carrying out any of their protests or
movements. Such effective planning will bear more fruitful results by saving time and
energy, and also minimising any possible damage to public property as well as to
themselves.

Fund raising programmes

It is found from the study that a majority of the organizations were not involved in any
fund raising programmes. It is seen from the study also how these women's organizations
lack security of funding. So, it is suggested that the organizations should arrange more
fund raising programmes otherwise they would not be able to execute their activities
due to shortage of funds. The public should also not hesitate to donate money to such
organization as they exist for the sole purpose of protecting the society.

Involvement in Political Activities

The study observed that the women organizations’ members are averse to involvement
in political activities. So, it is suggested that the women organization members should
be conscious of their role as mothers and protectors of the society. They should play
an effective and constructive role in choosing the right representative of the State.
Unfair means practiced during the election period can also be checked by these
women groups so that there will be no room for cheating by local goons and
politicians. They are the best and most efficient institution for monitoring the works
of elected bodies.

Work Closely With Supportive Institutions

It is seen from the study that majority of the organizations found sensitive issues like
domestic violence, demanding extra Judicial inquiry of victim of encounter, justice for
murdered case etc. as most difficult issues to work and find urgent solution. So in this
context, the organizations should take extra cautious in handling such matters which
involves violation of human rights and should work closely with State Human Rights
Commission and Women’s commissions. They should make sure that all the related
258
cases are processed systematically and pending cases should be resolved fast. The
concerned authorities should apprehend the offenders and strict action have to be
taken in this regard.

ii) Suggestions for the Government

Consultation with the Leaders of the Organization

The study revealed that the women organizations mostly target the government for
taking irresponsible decisions and introducing policies not feasible in the state.
Women activists of the organization should be consulted by the government whenever
any new laws/legislations impacting the interest of the people’s rights are being
considered in the state of Manipur.

Give Space to Civil Society Organizations

The study has observed that the government hardly support the women organizations
and try to suppress their activities and movements. Agenda of protecting and
expanding space for civil society organizations through both law and practice should
be prioritised to influence the State governments, to respect civil society freedoms.
Civil society organizations like Meira Paibis in Manipur have become a vital part in
the state and they should be given the liberty to voice their opinion and express their
views on matters close to their heart and public interest.

Collaboration with the Women Organizations in Curbing down the Menace of

Drug Problems and bringing peace in the Society

The study found drug abuse to be one of the frequent issues faced in the locality of the
Meira Paibis. It is also a matter of great concern for the State due to its easy access in
the market. So, given the ability of the Meira Paibis, the government agencies should
mobilized and partnered with these women organizations to mobilize the community
and spread awareness about drug abuse and its ill effects. Many a times, large
consignments of drugs are seized from the vendors by the Meira Paibis and burnt
them down. Due to the intervention of these types of organizations, the rate of
domestic violence and petty crimes related to drug addicts/abuse had come down to a
certain level. Thus, encouraging, promoting and partnering with them would yield the

259
desired results of prevention of drug use and promoting peace in the society. The
government should also enlarge the capacity of community support structures to
support young people on drug prevention behaviour.

Encourage and provide provision to increase Political Participation in the State

It is seen from the study also that some section of the beneficiaries wanted the
organization members to join politics. Women's organizations should use a more
developed political system to campaign on major issue such as Inner line Permit, or
repealing of AFSPA etc. These women are disconnected from and disinterested in the
formal political process but they are not apolitical or apathetic. They consciously
reject the political party system, and instead choose to engage in civil society
organizations and protests to fight for social and political change. If given the
opportunity, theses Meira Paibis, as a social organization may become a
representative of the public and fulfil their hopes. Their active participation in the
local and state level politics can bring a significant change in the law and order system
of the State. They will become a part of the governing body of the State who will
decide what is good and bad for the society. So, the government should encourages
these women members and also provide enough provision to increase political
participation among these women organization members.

Need For a Consistent Funding Regime

Almost all the organizations under study did not seek grants from the government
because of delay process or inadequate amount of grants. Most of the organization
funds were managed through members’ contribution and few donations. There is an
immediate requirement for an organized and systematic long-term funding policy for
such organizations on the part of the governments and donor NGOs. Special funding
should be created to offer financial support to these civil society organizations so that
there is no paucity of funds for the initiatives taken up by these women organization,
which has always been in public interest.

Providing Adequate Infrastructures

Almost all the members of the organizations covered under the study expressed lack
of infrastructures in their organization. They have immediate requirements like office
260
 space, buildings, vehicles, chair, tables etc. So, it is suggested that funding agencies
and government should help these organizations which do not have adequate facilities
and infrastructures to run the organizations. Generous philanthropist may assist such
organizations in fulfilling the materialistic and non materialistic needs of the
organizations.

Bring Political solution to AFSPA (Armed Force Special Power Act, 1958) in the
Region

It is found that a large number of the organizations are still fighting the issues of
AFSPA. So, it is high time that the Government of India and all State Governments of
North- East India make an all out effort to find apolitical solution to the armed
conflict in north – east India so that the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers)
Act could be repealed immediately. Majority of the organization members covered
under study felt that it should be repealed as the Armed forces wrongly use this act
and has been violating human rights many a times. In order to make the decree of
Human Rights commissions more obligatory, section19 of the Human Rights Act1993
must be suitably amended. Restrictions on the Commission’s jurisdiction over armed
forces must be removed (Human Rights Act, 1993).

Address Research Needs

There is an urgent need to carry out extensive research in State like Manipur
where the situation of armed conflict has been in existence for the last several years.
Studies need to examine the efficiency of present protective measures, including
government policies to address the issues/problems faced by the people. Such
research will also help to identify and analyse the specific needs/problems of the State
and to regularly monitor and evaluate existing Laws/Acts enforcing in that specific
region.

iii) Suggestion for Police

Police services are necessary in any society. They protect society and give security
and peace to the people. The power and authority of police keeps behaviour under
control largely. Personal and social life is shaped due to protective laws and their

261
 implementation, processes and procedures. In short they are the implementing authority
under various laws. But the study found that a majority of the beneficiaries and
organization members did not want to approach police which indicates that the role of
police has not been played as it was expected. People are aware about this government
machinery, but majority of people don’t take benefit of it, because people feel that
contacting police is as good as inviting troubles. Similarly many people are not aware
about many social aspects to be dealt by police. So it is suggested that, police personnel
should deal the social aspects from social security and social welfare point of view and
not just merely from legal perspective. They can also provide protective services for
these women who are safeguarding and patrolling the society at night. In fact they
should also played preventive service, as their involvement will exercise control over the
various anti social activities happening in the society. Lack of awareness makes people
commit crime or to violate norms, rules and laws, so the police should also played
important part in awareness creation programmes of social legislations, its
implementation, punishment, evil impact of punishment, loss of social status and respect,
personal and family happiness etc.

Scope for Social Work Practice

The contribution made by these women’s organization (Meira Paibis) through various
social movements for the welfare and protection of the society is quite considerable in
the state of Manipur. They are self acclaimed voluntary social workers of the society.
Even though they are not professionally well trained, still they are women with a sense of
pride in their profession and social purpose to which they belong to. In many of their
movements, they have strongly voiced their opinion and spearheaded in many issues
including women empowerment, human rights issues, abolition of the social evils, state
integrity, etc.

Social work is also a branch of knowledge which aims in increasing human happiness in
general. Social work is a professional service which based on scientific knowledge and
skills. Social work is also aim in protecting the needs of individual and group. Social
workers planned collective actions/movements so as to deal with various problems of the
society within a democratic system of values. Frequently, they play the role of a mediator
between the people and the state and other authorities, to champion particular cause and

262
to provide support, when state action threatens or neglects the right and freedom to
individuals or organisations.

The study had one of the objectives to understand and examine the scope of professional
social work practice in relation with the activities and movements organized by these
women organizations as these social workers are more trained personnel with the
knowledge of human dignity, liberty and the humanitarian outlook.

However, in Manipur, the practice of social work scope with regards to the women
organization has not been explored due to its unpopularity as a Profession in the State.
Furthermore, social work training institutions are limited in number and are unable to
meet the State’s demand for social work professionals. Recently, Indira Gandhi National
Tribal University started MSW programme in the State. It is still a growing profession. It
is not only the government officials but many academicians are also not aware of the
existence of the discipline called social work. They perceived social work training as
something to do with public welfare activities like the one done by any self-acclaimed
social workers. Even the women organization members were also not familiar with the
profession. And practicing social work effectively in these conflict situations will be a
demanding task and will require the social work to develop and maintain high level of
knowledge and skills.

Even though the scope of social work practice in Manipur is bleak at present, still it is
not impracticable in the future.

At the most feasible level, it can be mentioned that the scientific knowledge and skills of
the professional social workers and the rich experiences of these women (Meira Paibis)
have ample of scope for working together in the near future in handling diverse problems
in various situations, and which in turn can make the movements of these women
organisations stronger and effective. Like these women organisations (Meira Paibis), the
main integrated aspects of social work also deal with the welfare of the society and give
support to people when they encountered problems in their lives.

The scope of social work in Manipur with regards to these women organization has been
briefly presented below:
263
 Social workers can guide, motivate and facilitate these women in all their endeavours
to achieve their goals through systematically planned strategies and tactics in a
legitimised way.
 The involvement of social workers will help the organization in counselling and
dealing with drug addicts and alcoholics, rape victims and youth and adult
offenders/victims as they are trained to respond to disasters and emergencies as well
as to every day personal and social problems.
 There should be coordination and networking among the organizations working for
the protection of people and society and this can be effectively done by the initiatives
of the social workers. School of social work and social workers come in contact with
no. of government and nongovernmental organizations. They can make used of their
contacts and relationships for referral services and specialized service for needy
beneficiaries who came to seek assistance from the organization.

 Social workers can create awareness by organizing meetings and workshops in the
organization and community regarding various important laws and legislations. Such
knowledge will increase the ability of the organization members to deal with various
issues related to the society and seek legal assistance when they need it.

 Social workers can raise funds for the organization through donors and sponsors and
motivate the organization to engage in income generation activities and generate fund
for the organization.

 Massive awareness and training programmes needed to sensitise the public and about
the problems of alcohol, drugs and its ill effects in the community. School of social
works and trained professional worker can assist the organization and take the
initiatives to design such programmes for the purpose and conduct trainings.

 Sensitive issues like human rights violation can be handled competently in

collaboration with social workers. Programmes can be arranged for the policy
makers, judiciary and law enforcers so as to make them more sensitive and
responsive in their handling cases of violation of human rights.

264
 Social workers can act as a pressure group for influencing the government for
developing more protective services and policies for these women organizations who
are look after the locality of their society in night.

 Social Workers can also initiate professional training programmes, workshops,

seminars for the organisation members to make them more effective and capable in
handling the diverse problems.

 Further, social work professional can also help and assist the women organization in
preventing tragedies happening in the families/society, to give confidence to the
community and the state to be safe.

265
Appendices :

i) Bibliography
ii) Interview schedule for the
Organization Members
iii) Interview schedule for the
Beneficiaries
iv) Map of Manipur State
 APPENDIX-1

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 APPENDIX-2

BHARATI VIDYAPEETH DEEMED UNIVERSITY

Social Science Centre, Pune (India)

PhD in Social Work

Topic: A Study on the Social Movements by the Women Civil Society

Organisations (Meira Paibis) in Manipur

Koni Potsangbam Dr. B.T.Lawani

Research Student Research Guide

(INTERVIEW SCHEDULE FOR ORGANIZATION MEMBERS)

I) Demographic and Socio-Economic Background

1 Name

2 Name of the Organization

3 Address of the organization

4 Job profile in the organization

5 Age a) 31 – 40 years
b) 41 – 50years
c) 51 – 60 years
d) 60 and above

6 Marital Status a) Married

b) Unmarried
c) Widow
d) Divorced
e) Separated

273
7 Religion a) Hindu
b) Muslim
c) Christian
e) Buddhist
f) Others (specify):

8 Caste a) Open
b) SC
c) ST
d) Others (specify):

9. Educational Qualifications a) Illiterate

b) Primary
c) Secondary
d) Graduate
e) Postgraduate

10 Family Monthly Income Rs.

11 Occupation

12 Native place a) Urban City

b) Semi urban
c) Rural

II) Family Constellation:

Sr
Name Relation Sex Age Education Occupation
No.

ii

iii

iv

vi

274
III) Information related to Meira Paibis

13 Who else in your family is a member of Meira Paibis a) Mother

other than your? b) Sister
c) No One

14 Does your family support you to be a member of a) Yes

Meira Paibis? b) No
c) To some extent

15 What motivate you to join the Organisation? a) By choice

b) By compulsion
c) Accidental
d) Any others

16 Have you ever faced any bitter experiences in your life a) Yes
which have made you to join Meira Paibis? b) No

17 Since how long you have been a member of Meira a) From last one year
Paibis? b) 1 – 5 years
c) 6 – 10 years
e) 11 years and above

18 How often do you participate in a meeting of the a) Once a week

Meira Paibis? b) Once a month
c) Twice a month
d) Not Fixed

19 Please specify your job duties and responsibilities in

the Organization?

______________________
______________________
______________________

20 As a woman do you face any problem working at a) Yes

night? d) No
e) To some extent

21 Are you able to maintain a balance between your a) Yes

domestic chores and your organizational activities? d) No
e) To some extent

22 Whether your involvement in the organization has any a) Positive

impact on the family relationships? d) Negative
e) Neutral

275
23 Is your involvement and work with the Organization a) Spouse
appreciated by the following d) Other relatives
e) Society
d) Neighbourhood

24 What according to you has been your major

contribution to the organization?
______________________
______________________
______________________

IV) Information related to Organizational Policies and Activities

25 What is the major reason behind the existence of

Meira Paibis?

26 Whether the organizations objectives have a) Yes

changed since its establishment? b) No
c) To some extent

27 What is the mode of election for selecting the a) Voting

main executing members of the organization b) Merit based nomination
c) By consensus

28 What are the working hours of your Organisation?

29 Whether Meira Paibis activities are confined only a) Yes

at night or not? b) No
c) Both day and night

30 On what basis do you divide your members within

the Organisation?

How many members are there in one group? a) 2-4 members

31 b) 4-6 members
c) 6-8 members
d) 8-10 members
e) More than 10 members

276
32 How do you communicate within your group? a) Face to face
b) Telephone
c) Correspondence
d) Any other

33 Where do you meet your fellow members for a) Club

Patrolling your locality? b) Members house
c) Any other

34 In case of emergency, what kind of

communication signal do you use amongst
yourselves?

35 Whether your organization has denied giving a) Yes

assistance to anyone? b) No

36 If yes, give reasons. ______________________

______________________
______________________

37 Do you charge fees for your services? a) Yes

b) No

38 Where you able to plug the source of narcotics or a) Yes

illegal liquor? b) No
c) To some extent

39 Do you provide professional services to your a) Yes

clients/beneficiaries? b) No
c) Referral services only

40 If yes, what kind of services is provided by your a)Medical treatment

organization? b)Counselling
c)Vocational training
d)Others :

41 Is it mandatory for women in every native a) Yes

household to join Meira Paibi?
d) No
42 Can you withdraw from your organization a) Yes
anytime you wished?
d) No

277
43 As a woman oriented Organization, do you give a)Yes
preference to women?
b) No

c) Give equal preferences to

both the gender

44 How Meira Paibis organization is different from

other women organization?

45 Can you give any specific reason why male

members are not involved in your organisational
activities?
V) Information related to Issues and Areas of Intervention

46 What has been the most frequent issue in your a) Drugs

locality which you have been intervening b) Alcohol
recently? c) Domestic violence
d) Combing operation by
military force
e) Any other

47 Please mention some of the issues which your a)_______________

organization usually intervene?
b)_______________

c)_______________

d)_______________

278
 48 How does your organization deal with people a) Refer to police
indulging in anti-social activities? d) Give penalty according to
Organisation
e) Any other

49 Which category of offenders do you find most a) Women

common indulging in anti-social activities? d) Men
e) Youth
d) All

49 What is your opinion on AFSPA (Armed

force Special power act)?
______________________
______________________
______________________

50 Whether most of the activities of the a)Yes

organization still deal with the issues related b)No
to AFSPA?
c)To some extent

51 Which is the most burning social issue

Manipur is facing at present?

52 What according to you is the most difficult

issue, which your organization has ever
handled?

VI) Financial aspects

53 What is the funding source of your a) Charity

Organisation? b) Donation
c) Government
d) Others

54 Whether the funds are adequate in running a) Fully adequate

the organization
b) Adequate to some extent

c) Totally inadequate

55 If not, how do you manage?

279
 56 Do you arrange any fund raising programmes a)Yes
in collaboration with other
organization/body? b)No

c) Planning to organize

VII) Networking and collaboration with Other Organization

58 Do you have networking with similar kind of a) Yes

the organization?
b) No

59. Is there any professional trained worker a) Yes

working with the organization? b) No
c) Don’t Know

60 Does your Organisation take help from other a) Yes

Organisation like NGO’s /Voluntary b) No
Organisation? c) To some extent

61 How do you help mutually?

___________________

____________________

____________________

62 Level of networking with other organization a) Local

b) State
c) National
d) International

63 Does the police department help your a) Yes

Organisation in carrying out its activities? b) No
c) To some extent

280
VIII) Methods and Strategies used in their Movements

64 Is your Organisation active in protests a) Yes

and demonstration? d) No
e) To some extent

65 Which strategy does your organization a) Peaceful talks

follow most of the time? b) Violence Agitation
c) Can’t say

66 Has your organization ever use a) Yes

violence as a means of achieving your
goals b) No

c) Can’t say

67 If yes, please specify the events

____________________

____________________

____________________

68 Meira Paibis mostly organized strike/ a) Government

b) Army
demonstration against the c) Militants
d) All the above
e) Depends on the issue

69 Did your organization achieved most of a) Yes

the demands b) No
c) To some extent
d) Negotiate most of the time

70 How are the strikes /demonstrations a) Hunger strike

b) Sit and protest
organized? c) Rally
d) Calling state Bandhs
e) All the above

281
 71 Please mention some of the demands of a)__________________
the Meira Paibis for organizing such
strikes/demonstrations. b)__________________

c)__________________

d) __________________

72 Do you ever felt that political leaders in a) Yes

the State are mainly responsible for b) No
creating problems? c) To some extent
d) Can’t say

IX) Present and Future plans of the Organization

73 At present, do you feel that there are sub groups a)Yes

in the whole organization? b) No
c) To some extent

74 Do you want to bring about any changes in your a) No

organisation structure and functioning b) Need to change
c) Involve more activities

d)Avail more time for rest

e) Others (specify):

75 What are the immediate needs of the a)Proper office Building

organization
b)Vehicle

c)Others :

76 How does government support your a) Funds

organization? b) Technical support
c) Any other

77 What is the attitude of government official when a)Cooperative

you approach for any help? b)Non-cooperative
c)Unpredictable

78 What difficulties the organization is facing at a)Financial

present? b)No support from the government
c)Others

282
 79 Do you think Meira Paibis must also have male a) Yes
members? b) No

80 As a member of Meira Paibis are you satisfied a) Yes

with the work and services provided by the b) No
Organization? c) To some extent

81 Do you feel that Meira Paibis s spirit is as strong a) Yes

as it was when it first started 3 decades ago? b) No
c) It has somehow withered

82 If no, please give reasons.

83 What is the biggest challenge your organization

face today?
____________________

___________________
____________________

84 What are the futures plans of your organization

____________________

____________________

____________________

85 Pleases mention some major achievements of

your organisation?
____________________

____________________

____________________

Date: _____________ Signature of the Respondent

283
 APPENDIX-3
BHARATI VIDYAPEETH DEEMED UNIVERSITY

Social Science Centre, Pune(India)

PhD in Social Work

Topic: A Study on the Social Movements by the Women Civil Society

Organisations (Meira Paibis) in Manipur

Koni Potsangbam Dr.B.T.Lawani

Research Student Research Guide

(INTERVIEW SCHEDULE FOR BENEFICIARIES)

I ) Demographic and Socio-Economic Background

1 Name

2 Sex a) Male
b) Female
3 Age a) 31 – 40 years
b) 41 – 50years
c) 51 – 60 years
d) 60 and above

4 Social Status a) Married

b) Single
c) Widow
d) Divorced
e) Separated
5 Religion a) Hindu
b) Muslim
c) Christian
e) Buddhist
f) Others (specify):
284
6. Caste a) Open
b) SC
c) ST
d) Others (specify):
7. Educational Qualifications a) Illiterate
b) Primary
c) Secondary
d) Graduate
e) Postgraduate

9 Occupation a) Teacher
b) Ngo worker
c )Business
d )Unemployed
e) Homemaker
f) Farmer
g) Others:
8 Family Monthly Income Rs.

10 Native place a) Urban City

b) Semi urban
c) Rural
II) Family Constellation:

Sr No. Name Relation Sex Age Education Occupation

Ii

Iii
Iv
V
Vi

285
III) Information Related to Meira Paibis:

11 Is there any Meira Paibis organization in a)Yes

your locality? b) No
c) Don’t know
12 Are you familiar with the kind of activities a)Yes
carried out by these women organization? b) No
c) Don’t know
13 If yes , pleases mention:

14 Whether any of your family members is a a) Mother

member of Meira Paibis? b) Sister
c) Wife
d) No One
15 Do you participate in meetings of the Meira a)Yes
Paibis? b) No
c) Sometimes
16 Besides you, did any of your family a)Yes
members take assistance from the b) No
organization? c) Sometimes
17 Do they charge any money from you for the a)Yes
services? b) No

IV) Information related to the Intervention of Meira Paibis:

18 Please mention the problems that you were
facing which made you to take assistance
from the organization.
a) Military activities (torture,
unwarranted arrest etc.)
b) Land Confiscation
c) Domestic violence
d) False accused
e) Others please specify_________
____________________________

286
19 Didn’t you approach police? a)Yes
b) No

20 If yes, how was their response? a) Cooperative

b) Non cooperative
c) Laidback attitude

21 Did you personally approach the Meira a)Yes

Paibis for assistance? b) No

22 If yes, why did you approach them? a) Since suggested

b) Felt they could be trusted
c) Felt it would be easier to
communicate with
d) Could get earlier response

23 If no, then who approach? a) Family members

b) Neighbourhood
c) Others:
24 What was the redressal method used by the a) Counselling
Meira Paibis in your case? b) Negotiation with the other Party
c) Punished the offender according
to their rules
d) Threatening and give warning to
the other party
e) Others:
25 How did the problematic situation impact a) Private property destroyed
you and your family at that time? b) Injuries accident to family and
relatives
c) Underwent Psychological stress
d) Others :

26 To what extent was the situation considered a) Very urgent

287
 being urgent at the time of receiving b) Urgent to some extent
assistance from Meira Paibis? c) Not urgent
d) No answer

27 To what extent did the services provided by a) Very helpful

the organization helped you to cope with the b) Helpful
situation that you found yourself in? c) Helpful to some extent
d) Not helpful
e) No answer

28 If not, why?

29 What would have happened to you and your a) Worse situation

family if you did not receive this assistance? b) No change
c) Better situation
d) Suicidal tendency
e) Others:______________
______________
30 Was your complaint/problem addressed to a) Yes
your satisfaction by the Meira Paibis? b) No
c) To some extent
31 What alternative types of assistance would a) Approaching police
have helped you cope with your situation at b) Seek help from other NGO
the time? c) No alternatives
32 Since their intervention in your life, how a) Twice or thrice times
often the Meira Paibis members have visited b) Several times
your house? c) As and when required
d) Not visited
33 Does the organization has rendered you any a) Yes
materialistic assistance? b) No

288
 34 If yes, please mention. a) Financial
b) Phone
c) Household items
d) Others, please specify.
35 After the incident, were you more involved a) Yes
in any of the activities of Meira Paibis b) No

36 If yes, through.... a) Workshop

b) Public gathering
c) Small group discussion

37 If not, why?

V) Information related to the Services of Meira Paibis:

38 Do you think that the Services of Meira a) Yes

Paibis reach the people who were in most b) No
need of it at that time? c) Don’t know
39 If no, why?

40 What is the level of impact of the a) Low

organization in improving your life and b) Medium
family? c) High

41 How was the behaviour of the Meira Paibis a) Very Supportive

members during the assistance, b) Good
c) Average
d) Bad

42 Whether the Meira Paibis members are a) Easily accessible

289
 easily accessible to you? b) Difficult to access
c) Accessible to some extent
d) Never made available on time

43 How do you rate the quality of services a) Not good

given by these organizations? b) Good
c) Average
d) Excellent

44 Are you satisfied with the work undertaken a) Yes

by the organization? b) No
c) To some extent
45 If no, what are your expectations? Please
suggest.

46 Do you think Meira Paibis has become an a) Yes

inevitable part of the Manipur society? b) No
c) To some extent

47 Do you think that Meira Paibis have played a) Yes

an important role in providing security to the b) No
members of the society? c) To some extent

48 Did you find any difference in the quality of a) Yes

services provided by government and Meira b) No
Paibis? c) To some extent

49 If yes, what is the difference?

290
 50 Do you think Meira Paibis has greatly a) Yes
reduced anti-social activities in the state of b) No
Manipur? c) To some extent
51 If Meira Paibis did not exist in Manipur, a) Chaos and disorder
what would be the situation of the State? b) Rise in crime rate against women
c) Increase in anti social activities
d) All the above
e) Others:_________________
__________________
52 If you encounter another such problems in a) Yes
the near future, will you still contact Meira
b) No
Paibis?

53 If no, why? a) They create more confusion

b) Delayed in justice
c) Not satisfied with their judgement
d) Others:_________________
__________________

54 Please provide us with any additional

comments and recommendations that might
improve any future activities of Meira
Paibis.

Date: _____________ Signature of the Respondent

291
 APPENDIX- 4

MAP OF MANIPUR STATE

292