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.

The First Nupilan (Women’s Uprising), 1904 and the Second Nupilan, 1939, were the episodes where the womenfolk of Manipur revolted against the British Colonial Rule and  its policies. The present Meira Paibi movement is also one of such response against the unprecedented human rights violations by the government armed forces under the draconian Armed Force Special Powers Act, 1958.  Today Meira Paibis involve itself into a most significant institution in the society. Perhaps, the Meira Paibi of Manipur may be  a unique phenomenon in the movement for the promotion and protection  of  human rights in the world.

The Meira Paibis always keep vigil the whole right against any possible threat to the human rights of the people. The security forces always indulges into human rights violations during the night time and during such period the Meira Paibis are more active. They keep vigil on  any arbitrary arrest,  extrajudicial killings, torture, etc. by holding up  Meira ( torch ) made up of  bamboo, fueled with  kerosene and  a piece of cloth. They keep on guarding the locality the whole night every day from the clutches of the security forces. They intervene and rush to  face to face challenges with  the government armed  forces whenever  forces unleashes evasion over people’s human rights in the name of (military) combing operation. On many occasions, they could save many innocent people from the arbitrary arrest and torture by the security forces. They organize and conduct protest rallies, road blockades, sit in protests, boycott, hunger strikes, public meetings, seminars, etc. from time to time for the cause of defending human rights.

Through its perpetual service for the people of Manipur, they have gained a distinct legitimacy - the legitimacy not based on the legal sanction of the state but on the moral and social approval, consequently they have occupied a prominent placed in Manipur society, socially, economically and politically. The role played by womenfolk through this institution of  Meira Paibi is an enormous asset as far as protection of human rights is concerned