Seminar on Conflict and Mental Health in Northeast India
- Part 1 -

Aheibam Koireng / Hanjabam Shukhdeba *

Seminar on Conflict and Mental Health in Northeast India on January 23, 2016

Seminar on Conflict and Mental Health in Northeast India
Organised by:
Department of Social Work
Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU),
Regional Campus, Manipur

A National Seminar on "Conflict and Mental Health In Northeast India" was held on January 23, 2016 at the Conference Hall, Tribal Research Institute, Imphal. The seminar was organised by the Department of Social Work, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), Regional Campus, Manipur and sponsored by ICSSR, New Delhi.

Prof. Akshyakumar, Clinical Psychologist, formerly with Department of Clinical Psychology, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal and Prof. MC Arun, Director, Centre for Manipur Studies, Manipur University were the Presidium Members of the Inauguration Session of the seminar.

Prof. Akshyakumar delivering the keynote address stated that when the armed struggle started in Manipur or Assam, many people have lost their lives. It is the people who are related to the deceased who suffers. It is them who acquire the problem of mental health. The prevalence of mental health such PTS, anxiety, depression, etc. on account of armed conflict in Manipur is high. He stressed that what is important is to identify whether people are maintaining mental health.

In order to find these out, one has to be aware of the early signs and symptoms such as sleeping hours, allergy, physical pain, feeling of unusually confused, upset, worried and other forms of behavioural changes (including mood fluctuations and persistent thinking about an incident), etc. The person who is suffering from mental health problem may not be able to recognise these early signs.

Thus, persons who are close to these people must be of help. He added that mental health problem can develop at any time in the life of a person. Then he spoke about the characteristics of a sound mind. A person with a sound mind can have quality time with his surrounding with a sense of happiness, purpose and security. The opposite are the characteristics of a person with unsound mind and often live under hallucination.

Prof. MC Arun stated that the root cause of armed conflict in Manipur is due to the dehumanising condition of the Manipuri people. There was contradiction between the minority superiors and the majority inferiors in the state and this gave birth to the phenomenon of insurgency. Initial targets of the insurgents included rapists and corrupted officials including doctors so as to remove the dehumanising condition.

At this initial phase, the people gave tacit support. But after the 80s, the insurgents have been perceived by the commoners as another oppressor who imposes what to wear and what to speak, etc. Since then, the people are caught in between two oppressors, the State and insurgents, thereby increasing the incidences of mental health. There is a decrease in the intensity of armed conflict but the intensity and incidences of mental health are ever increasing.

Prof. MC Arun cautioned that these understandings largely remain hypothetical. Therefore, proper study to document the prevalence of mental health is a must, a task to be undertaken with professionals such as doctors. The study would be useful to empirically establish the link between armed-conflict and mental health.

Dr. Hanjabam Shukhdeba Sharma proposed the vote of thanks.

In the first technical session titled, "Conflict, Militarization and Mental Health", Chaired by Dr. Aheibam Koireng, Asst. Prof., Centre for Manipur Studies, Manipur University, 4(four) resource persons presented papers.

Dr. Malem Ningthouja from the Indian Institute of Advance Studies, Shimla presented a paper titled, "Torture and Mental Health". He said that torture can be understood as pain caused to human life that last and remain for longer period of time. When torture is shifted from individuals to society it becomes a social issue. There are many term uses round the globe. India was declared as a disturbed area so AFSPA 1956 was passed by the Government of India.

The Act was amended in conflict area like J&K and also in states that wanted to get independence. According to him, there are two factors of torture. First one is military & political or institutionalised form of torture. The second form of torture which challenges the human rights which are somewhat related with the constitutional laws. The system of the society causes torture to the society and individuals.

Self intended torture by accepting torture to face the torture or for the cost the society. Law enforcing agencies uses law as tools for torture and form an informed kind of torture. Capitalist superstructure imposts torture to the individuals to asquint their desire.

Dr. Homen Thagjam, MB College, Government of Manipur presented a paper on "Theorising Violence and Mental Health". He noted that violence is being used in the paper to connote the political form. The birth of modern states (nation-states) was through a tumultus and violent struggle of the people. It was forged through blood and war. And embedded in this violent product was a violent nature which holds the monopoly over violence in te Weberian sense.

Modern state is in pursuit of homogenization and stands for the same. In order to achieve this goal, it uses violence in the name of security and development. Those who oppose it simply because they have a memory which so different from the one the nation-state holds are termed as the internal enemy or the objective enemy who needs to be terminated. He cited examples from Manipur and Algeria to illustrate his opinion. Citing Franz Fanon, Dr. Homen stressed that the first symptoms of mental health begins with the question, "Who am I or who are we?".

Dr. Nelson Loitongbam from the Department of Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science, Imphal presented a paper on "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following ethnic clashes in Manipur". He observed that mental health is gradually recognized as an important development issue, especially in the case of conflict-affected zones.

Traumatic events and the way people cope with them have a crucial role in development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), somatization, and dissociative disorder. He added that although conflict is associated with an increase in the prevalence of mental disorders, there are few population based studies carried out in conflict-affected areas and low income countries.

To be continued....