Security officials in Manipur are urging the deployment of more women paramilitary forces to tackle individuals posing as 'Meira Paibis' (women torchbearers), who have not only disrupted the movement of central paramilitary forces but have also been involved in serious criminal activities, as per their assessments.
The Assam Rifles currently has a limited presence of women personnel, and officials believe they are inadequately trained for handling law-and-order situations. To address this concern, officials are advocating for the inclusion of more women battalions, particularly from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), equipped with riot gear.
These impersonators, claiming to be 'Meira Paibis,' have resorted to threatening tactics, including disrobing themselves, and obstructing army convoys, thereby halting reinforcements from preventing attacks or intervening in armed conflicts. The vigilantes demand identification from officers and jawans, further complicating security operations.
Notably, women activists, often armed with sticks, patrol key intersections on the Imphal road, preventing assistance to tribal communities in the hills. Even journalists covering the situation in Manipur are not spared from their scrutiny.
In the current setup, there are three CRPF Mahila companies and ten companies of RAF with Mahila platoons, totaling 375 personnel. However, officials consider this strength inadequate to counter the hundreds of women activists engaged in vigilante activities.
Recent incidents involving these imposters have highlighted their involvement in serious crimes, including the murder of a Naga Maring woman on the outskirts of Imphal. They were also instrumental in the release of 12 cadres of the banned KYKL terror group, including the main accused in the killing of 18 soldiers in 2015.
Historically, 'Meira Paibis' have been torchbearers in the fight against various forms of social injustice in Manipur. During difficult situations affecting the communities, every woman in Manipur assumes the role of a 'Meira Paibi,' as explained in a paper titled 'A Brief Review of Meira Paibi: A Women's Movement in Manipur' published in the 'Asian Review of Social Sciences' journal.
In the pre- and post-independence periods, women's organizations, including Meira Paibi, played pivotal roles in fighting social injustice. Initially formed in 1904 and 1939 by elderly women aged between 50 to 70 years, the Meira Paibi group was also referred to as 'Imas,' meaning mothers in Manipuri. However, after independence, women of all age groups actively participated in the Meira Paibi organization, collectively striving for social change and justice in Manipur.
