CC_India

heard women students and teachers, at local hospitals
women doctors. By the time we reached their homes
in the villages, in family groups the women would talk,
openly. Whereas the male interlocutors positioned the
women as ‘victims’, women’s narratives were of courage
and resilience.
In Odisha the anti POSCO front PPSS controlled the
resistance site and access was blocked by activists to the
three panchayats to prevent the entry of government
agents from taking over the land, and the police from
arresting activists charged under false cases. Access
was negotiated with difficulty through the intervention
of state level members of PPSS. Feminist researchers
needed to be wary of provoking male leaders in their
conversations with the women lest entry be closed. The
last leg of the field work in the anti POSCO site had to
be abandoned because of the mounting confrontation
with the paramilitary forces.
Working in volatile conflict and in so called ‘peace zones’
poses risks and constraints to both the researcher and
the respondent in all the selected sites. In Kandhamal,
Odisha extreme sensitivity had to be shown so as not to
render more vulnerable ‘victim/survivors’ in what was
still a hostile environment. In Rajouri-Poonch multiple
state agencies followed and harassed the vulnerable
respondents afterwards. In Tripura, the tribal respondents
were willing to talk about the violence of the
security forces, but extremely reluctance to talk of violations
by the tribal insurgents. A mix of fear and a sense
of betraying the cause held them back. Indeed one of
the biggest challenges has been to ensure that the
personal security of women and girls who participated
in this study was not compromised in any way. In the
interests of their security, and to pre-empt the possibility
of them being identified and further targeted, the
report withholds the identities of some of the women
who conversed with us.
In addition, many of us faced awkward ethical dilemmas,
especially on the question of researchers exploiting
‘victims/survivors’ for their stories, making them
relive trauma. “Take my photo? Okay. How much will
you pay?” crudely captures the backlash of a ‘victim’
community. Its corollary is raising false expectations of
being able to ‘materially’ help ‘victims’ in pursuing legal
redress and securing compensation.
WORKING DEFINITIONS
Militarisation & Militarism:
“Militarism is belief system that: endorses military
values in civilian life; believes in the construction of
a strong masculinity that is also a necessary component
of state power; legitimises the use of violence as
a solution to conflict and dissent; and closely intersects
with patriarchy and nationalism. Notions such
as national honour, national pride and the ambition
of being a great power form the basis of this militarised
nationalism in India. Militarisation involves the
increasing use of military power by states to further
their national interests, with the option of using military
threats and war as an extension of politics. It
implies the growing dominance of militarist values
in civilian institutions. Militarisation encompasses
the process whereby military values, ideology and
patterns of behavior dominate social and political
systems and influence gender relations, resulting
in the militarisation of the structural, ideological
and behavioral patterns of both state and society.”
— Anuradha M. Chenoy 4
Security & ‘Human Security’
“Most people instinctively understand what security
means. It means safety from the constant threats of
hunger, disease, crime and repression. It also means
protection from sudden and hurtful disruptions in
the pattern of our daily lives-whether in our homes, in
our jobs, in our communities or in our environment.” 5
—UNDP HDR 1994
Corruption
“The misuse of a public or private position for direct
or indirect personal gain”. 6
“Grand corruption” is an expression used to describe
corruption that pervades the highest levels of government,
engendering major abuses of power. A
broad erosion of the rule of law, economic stability
and confidence in good governance quickly follow.
“Petty corruption”, sometimes described as “administrative
corruption”, involves the exchange of very
small amounts of money, and the granting of small
favours. “Corruption is said to be “systemic” where it
has become ingrained in an administrative system. It
is no longer characterised by actions of isolated rogue
elements within a public service.” Nepotism 7 is so naturalised
that it is recognised as the norm. Extortion is
a form of corruption particularly routinised in conflict
affected areas.
UNEQUAL CITIZENS: Women’s Narratives of Resistance, Militarisation, Corruption and Security
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