ABSTRACT
On a Saturday morning in December 2012 I attended a rally protesting crimes against women and children in Manipur. In the warm winter sun a crowd gathered in Haobam Marak Lourembam Leikai on the grass outside the Meitei Artistes Union building on Mayai Lambi Road, a long road from the centre of the city out to the south of the Imphal valley. Women from different ethnic groups and different ages – from school children to matriarchs – milled around while members of the organising NGO arranged them into different sections ready to march. Protestors held placards in different scripts, Meitei Mayek, Bengali, and Latin. Slogans like ‘We Want Justice’ and ‘Repeal AFSPA’ were common among the marchers. There were also placards featuring the names of people killed, raped or tortured. Some of these feature the date and the police station where the incident was reported. One marcher held a sign warning ‘Don’t Invite Women War’. A local politician flagged off the rally surrounded by press photographers and in the presence of some notable local film stars.
