Editor,
I was heartbroken to read of the ghastly episode of a student being garlanded with shoes/slippers by the head teacher of a school because the student could not speak English. That is a hundred times worse than corporal punishment. Could there be similar incidents that have happened in the school but which went unnoticed by others? Is a person with such a pathetic mindset and who dares insult a student to the point of traumatising him really fit to be a teacher? But what pained me equally was the letter by Samuel Swett, “Traumas are hard to erase” (ST Aug 2, 2023). That he had to bear so much insult and pain on account of his mixed parentage is indeed extremely painful and it is possible that many children bear this pain silently and it affects them in their adulthood because they have not been able to share the pain and therefore to undergo therapy. And now I am also reminded of those two young women in Manipur who were paraded naked and one of whom was groped and another gang-raped by men who are also avenging some imagined hurt from the past on to the body of that young lady. How must it feel to be the victim of such monstrous behaviour! How will those two young women ever recover from the trauma they faced? The only saving grace is that they were not killed. But that is hardly any consolation.
There are many such traumatic incidents in Manipur and perhaps as the internet shutdown is removed many videos of the more heinous crimes against women and men will surface. Even those women, men and children living in makeshift camps because their homes are burnt will be wondering why they deserve such punishment. For such innocent souls the present war-like situation in Manipur where the sound of guns and bullets reverberates day after day is not just terrifying but it is etched in their minds and will take a long time to forget. Some may suffer deep psychological wounds that may not be easily healed. Where are the counsellors needed to heal these victims of trauma? At the moment the Kuki-Zo people in the camps are only praying that they are not attacked by the Meitei groups that have the police and the government on their side. The Kuki-Zo people feel they have been completely abandoned both by the State and Central Government.
Psychiatrists say that there are barriers to moving past and healing from trauma. There are signs that a person has not healed from trauma and they include the inability to look back on the incident or incidents that cause the trauma. When reminded of the event some people who are traumatised might sink into depression and anxiety. They may even consider self-harm and other negative behaviours. This means they cannot be normal for a long time. Doctors call this the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) because such patients continue to be haunted by the incident when they have sudden flashbacks. Therapy takes a long time and if the family cannot afford treatment that victim will sink into a stage of hopelessness.
It is true that having a prayer support group and a group that one can lean on is very helpful and could help the person suffering trauma from recovering faster.
Most of the Kuki-Zo people who have fled their homes in Imphal and elsewhere and are now in Mizoram, Meghalaya etc., are terrified of returning to Manipur. Those suffering from trauma especially don’t want to relive memories of escaping with their lives; their homes all gone. So what will happen to such people? Can they continue to live away from home for the rest of their lives? Even rebuilding their lives is going to be an uphill task; forget about their homes. This is a human disaster of immense proportions that the Central Government and people of this country have not given enough thought to.
It is at this point that the Kuki-Zo people who have fled Manipur need empathy from the people of the state that they have fled to with nothing but the only clothes they are wearing. Some groups from the US which includes Sikh organisations through their groups based in Bangalore have been reaching out to the victims of the present conflict and providing them with relief materials. This is such a kind thought. There have been other angels of mercy from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana who have come to provide medicines and healthcare in the relief camps. This reminds us that humanity is still alive.
Will such violence be repeated elsewhere in the country and at what cost to the mental health of people who are victims of such violence? Can the people of the North East and the country rise up and stand against communal violence? We hope and pray that they will.
Yours etc.,
Marylynne Nongtraw,
Via email
Where’s the concern for students?
Editor,
The fight between MCTA & the VC of NEHU is finally out in the open. One side is arguing that they are not adequately equipped to implement NEP and the other is trying to implement NEP no matter what. My only concern is about the impact on students. Is anyone thinking about them? Students are forced to accept the decisions of the top brass of the college and university. Please note that students have paid their college fees, hostel fees et al. Will the college administration refund the fees? Can they return the time that was scheduled for their classes? Agitations are not always the solution. Responsible people must think about the students and their future in this impasse. Many families make sacrifices to send their children to school and college and they are now worried about the future of their children. I hope that the impasse is resolved and students do not suffer on account of the tug of war between the MCTA and NEHU.
Yours etc.,
Debashish Kr Dhar
Via email