PI Sangkhumi fought for four decades to bring legal reforms in the lives of Mizo women. These legal reforms caused immense suffering to women in Mizoram. Before the reforms were finally revised, the women went through every possible hardship. Married women especially used to meet with utmost miseries. As much as they were oppressed socially, they had no favourable legal rights either. For example, married women had no right over the property.
They would get nothing in the name of the property, be it mere gifts. Even the gifts which the wife had received in her marriage. Everything belonged to the husband. He could divorce his wife anytime anywhere he wanted and kick her out of the house. He was not even legally bound to financially aid her after divorcing or rather kicking her out of the house.
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Moreover, the region had also other turbulences as well such as violence and political instability
These turbulences also added more to women’s miseries. The rape problems above all were also at their peak. One such incident goes back to 1966 when two young women were brutally gang raped by army jawans. That year in November, the MNF strikes an attack on a convoy of army personnel. They were advancing towards the Champhai village in east Mizoram.
To avenge this incident, army jawans set fire to the villagers’ homes. The army jawans abducted two of the daughters from a prominent community of the village. They held them in a small hut and raped them. There was no justice that prevailed over those women. However, after 47 years, the authorities announced a compensation of Rs 5 lacks to each of them.
Even though there was no authority who thought of considering women’s conditions, women of the region finally stood up for themselves
Such incidents awoke them to comprehend that nobody is going to fight for them. Hence, various women’s groups came together and raised a strong voice for their collective rights.
Most importantly, those women were also aware that traditional systems, customs, and social expectations were the main causes of their oppression. Since they knew the roots of the problems, finding the solution for fixing them wasn’t difficult. Finally, in 1974 the MHIP was created which meant binding women together. Their first and main target was to convince people to change the orthodox customs and traditions which oppressed women.
They did not only target social customs but legal systems as well. They convinced the legal system to prohibit regressive practices against women. The MHIP finally got the victory in making the system consider judicial and legislative changes in the marriage, divorce, inheritance, and succession laws. These changes proved to safeguard the interests of ordinary women.
While all the women of the region fought together for their rights and justice, the president of MHIP, PI Sangkhumi was the main pillar of it
She encouraged the women of Mizoram to stand up for themselves. She woke them up from their miseries. She showed them how to fight. And, she became their voice which reached the legal and social authorities after a long struggle of years.
According to Pi Sangkhumi, she is happy now. Though women’s conditions are not fully improved yet, they have come a little far ahead from where they were earlier. She stated that Mizo women are becoming entrepreneurs now, getting financially independent, and strong enough to fight against injustice. Nonetheless, they still have a long way to go as they haven’t reached their final destination of equality and justice.
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Author: Simran K Parmar
A post graduate in English Literature, secular humanist, critical thinker, an outspoken atheist, follower of equality and a lover of philosophy. craftedfashion94@gmail.com
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