Manipur, the land where the game of Polo was born is the ancestral territory of the Manipuri people.  It is situated in the northeast corner of India and bounded in the east by Myanmar (Burma). The present territorial area is 22,327 sq. km. It lies within 23.83°N to 25.68°E latitude and 93.03°E to 94.78°E longitude. A fertile alluvial valley extends north-south in the middle and it is surrounded on all directions by hill ranges of rich bio resources forming a part of the eastern Himalayas.

The structural violence emerging out of the creation of social and political structures that had deprived the rights of indigenous people of Manipur in terms of safety, respect, participation, economy, identity and culture, considered to be the base for the existing conflict. This is marked by the controversial merger agreement and imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA).

In such environment, the human rights has been an issue for the last few decades.Government of India deploys a large number of military forces in Manipur imposing the draconian law, AFSPA. Here are over 350 military stations for curbing the Armed Opposition Groups (AOGs). Reportedly the Chief Minister of Manipur, Mr Okram Ibobi said that 8,000 civilians and 12,000 members of Government Forces and AOGs have been killed till 2004 since the armed resistance began. From 2006 onwards on an average of 1/2 persons are killed extra judicially every day.   Manipuris have been undergoing a traumatic experience of gross human rights violations over the decades.

The people of Manipur in the hills and valley have been living so restlessly by fighting with the situation. Economic hardship, though a reality of basic needs, becomes secondary to safety of life ever since the threat to their right to life became a daily phenomenon. Every single human rights violation is followed by people’s protest. They come out to take to the streets; they have done whatever they can do; from sit-in-protest to self-immolation, from rally to mothers’ nude agitation, from economic blockade to general strike and from effigy-burning to hunger strike. All communities, age groups, people from different walks of life, students, all professional groups, women, children and even disabled communities join the protests.

The prevailing environment of human rights violations have compelled the people of Manipur to organize themselves to defend their human rights as the government remain silent spectators towards the human rights violations meted out by their armed force agents. In the early  1990s, the emergence of MEIRA PAIBIS (Women Torch Bearers) was the response to such environment who have been  acting  as the defenders of human rights of the people of Manipur. It is testified by the fact that the womenfolk of Manipur gives the very responsive volunteerism to the present demand which was proved by the history.