Translating, telling, and preserving the stories of Manipuri women to give voice to those often forgotten
Peace is breath of air untainted by greed, gun-smoke, grieving mothers and starving orphans. Anjulika
Thingnam Anjulika Samom is an independent researcher and feminist activist from Manipur, in northeastern India. Her work moves across research, writing, and political engagement, with a particular focus on historical memory and women’s voices. She collects and translates stories, testimonies, and literary works by women, giving dignity to narratives often excluded from official discourses.
Through her research and translation work, Anjulika has helped bring Manipuri women’s writing to a wider audience, translating texts from Manipuri into English and making accessible a cultural and political heritage of great value. Her research addresses themes such as war, colonialism, resistance, and the role of women in shaping collective memory.
She has collaborated with Zubaan, a feminist publishing house and organization in New Delhi, participating in projects that intertwine academic research, art, and activism. In particular, she has worked on collecting testimonies from elderly women who lived through the years of the Second World War, conveying their experiences through both oral and written narratives.
Her commitment is grounded in the belief that women’s memory is a political and peace-building tool: remembering becomes an act of justice, and storytelling a form of resistance. In her work, Anjulika combines artistic sensitivity with scholarly rigor, building bridges between communities, generations, and cultures, and contributing to a vision of feminism rooted in local realities yet open to the world.
The situation of women in Manipur, a state in northeastern India, is shaped by a complex interplay of tradition, conflict, and activism. Despite a long history of female empowerment, women in Manipur face significant challenges related to gender-based violence, discrimination, and political marginalization.
Historically, women in Manipur have played a central role in social and political life. The Meira Paibi movement, which began in 1977, is a prominent example: women patrolling the streets with torches to protest human rights violations and the militarization of their territory. These activists, often mothers and grandmothers, challenged authorities through nonviolent resistance, becoming symbols of resilience and justice. Figures such as Irom Sharmila, who undertook a 16-year hunger strike against a special law granting extraordinary powers to the armed forces, also testify to women’s commitment to defending civil rights and peace.
Despite progress in some areas, severe inequalities persist. Manipur has the lowest sex ratio at birth in India, with only 757 females for every 1,000 males, a stark indicator of systemic discrimination. Women are also victims of ethnic violence. During conflicts between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in recent years, many Kuki women reported sexual abuse and rape by armed Meitei groups, with devastating consequences for both the victims and their communities. Moreover, women face everyday challenges related to domestic violence, early marriage, and limited access to justice, in a context of entrenched patriarchy and conservative social structures.
Despite these difficulties, initiatives are underway to promote women’s economic and social empowerment. The government of Manipur has introduced regulations to limit nighttime work hours for women and improve workplace safety, in line with national laws against sexual harassment. Markets have also been established to allow women to sell their products directly, bypassing intermediaries and improving market access.
However, the path toward equality remains long. Women in Manipur continue to fight for justice, security, and recognition of their rights, facing both internal and external challenges. Their resilience and determination testify to a deep commitment to social change and peace. Despite the obstacles, they remain a vital force in building a more just and inclusive society.
