International Women’s Day was enthusiastically celebrated at MDU Hall, Imphal on March 8, 2008. More than six hundred women and men from different communities from every nook and corner of Manipur participated in the celebrations.

All those who addressed the meeting condemned the colonial and imperialistic attitude of the Indian ruling class and Indian state towards the people of Manipur. They expressed their deep desire to transform this situation in favour of the people by overthrowing the present system and putting a new system in its place so that the people of Manipur could live free from all kinds of oppression and exploitation.

S.Leirangtombi (advisor of AMAWOVA) gave the keynote address. She pointed out: "reforms can never solve the inherent crisis of imperialism and colonialism. We need to prepare mechanisms which are necessary to steer people's struggle towards a new Manipuri society, which must be qualitatively different from the past and present. We have to unite as a single powerful force to make Manipur free from any sort of oppression and exploitation."

Dr. L. Pardesi, leader of COHR and of the Peoples Democratic Movement, and advisor to NECOHR, pointed out that International Women’s Day is celebrated to intensify the struggle of the oppressed and exploited women against the oppressors and exploiters. He said "women can never get rid of oppression and exploitation unless and until the people have political power in their own hands. Do women want to live the same status like men who are oppressed and exploited under the existing social and political system? No! Capitalism and imperialism are really abhorrent to our people. All the progressive organizations of Manipur must help and educate the people in order that the people can be empowered to determine their own destiny. People should not be made to tail them. The oppressed and exploited people have to form local committees to usher in the steps for the empowerment of the people. Local committees of the people must be empowered to ensure participation of people in the political process. Consequently, people will not be marginalized while taking political decisions. In the course of the elections, people must select their own candidates through their local committees to fight the reactionary agents of the bourgeoisie."

Dr Pardesi explained that if the representatives of the bourgeois parties are left unchallenged, the political power will remain in the hands of the bourgeoisie through their ‘dakus’ and ‘goondas’, who are expert in looting and killings. He added that the Indian elections must be used as one of the means to help us smash the basic foundations of capitalism and imperialism while the anti-social bourgeoisie are exploiting the elections to safeguard their status quo deceiving and suppressing the people. To win the elections, now-a-days the bourgeoisie are using any and every possible means like guns, bombs, bribery, booth capturing, proxy-voting and even killing individuals who support their rival candidates. This is nothing but the reflection of moribund bourgeois culture. The oppressed and exploited can never benefit within this system, because it is beneficial only to the small minority of the capitalists who are squeezing the blood of the working people.

Dr Pardesi called upon the activists to see through the political intrigues of the bourgeoisie, and take up the responsibility of establishing the local committees which are the political embryo to smash the status quo of the oppressors and exploiters. The joint struggle of men and women is necessary to emancipate the oppressed and exploited from the yoke of capitalism and imperialism. We must not allow the bourgeois state to divide us along any sectarian line — religions, nationalities, languages and caste, etc. Many opponents of many hues may emerge in the course of our struggle to empower the people but we must fight against them relentlessly with our united force until our goal is reached. Let us move forward to challenge our enemies with the slogan, “Power to the people!”, loud on our lips so that the capitalist world can be shaken.

Lulu Kamei of Kabui Mothers Association pointed out that our ancestors fought against the British colonialists. Now even though the British colonialists cannot be seen, we are not independent from colonial rule. She called upon the women and men of Manipur to continue and develop the revolutionary struggle handed over to us by our ancestors.

L.S. Baite pointed out that the women of Manipur have been opposing all efforts of the enemy to divide the people. We need to follow the revolutionary path of our ancestors.

M. Chinglen pointed out that the rulers will be trembling to see the large gathering of the people sitting here to participate in women’s day. There can be no change in Manipur unless and until the blood sucking devils are driven away from our society. Irabot says, ”Capitalists have robbed our means of life.” Hence our duty is to bury capitalism in a deep grave dug by the oppressors and exploited.

Bhubon pointed out that we are the offsprings of the women who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the oppressed and exploited. Hence we must endeavour to bring the reality of our ancestor’s dreams.

People's Voice hails the International Women's Day Celebration organised by the progressive forces of Manipur as an important step in uniting the people of Manipur against the machinations of the Indian ruling class who want to keep the people of Manipur divided and marginalised from political power.