Manipur
Suvendu Chatterjee
INDIA

Manipur, a small state in the north–east corner of India, is in deep social and political turmoil. Rising insurgency with political aims of secession from India have produced armed conflict.

In the confrontation between the state and non-state forces, violence, death and disaster affected many lives.

From its inception as north–east India the region has been an oddity. The entire north–east region is enigmatic to an outsider.

When I first landed at Imphal airport, the capital town of Manipur, instantly I felt the alienation. I found myself a foreigner in the eyes of the local people. My identity was also questioned by the state machineries.

Identity is the buzzword in North-East. All the movements in north–east are to do with the question of identity.

Even here, middle class values persist. Rickshaw pullers in Manipur often educated, and from ‘good backgrounds’ veil their faces to hide their identity. There are ethnic identities, male identities and of course female identities.

My photo essay revolves around identity. Rickshaw pullers hide their identity whereas the women in Manipur assert theirs through ' Meira Paibi' (mother's movement) which redesigns the concept of conflict, peace and democracy. Ultimately it goes beyond the icon of ' Grieving Mother'.