SWORDS AND SANITY

Dr. Chayanika Choudhury

“The more you sweat in peace....

The less you bleed in war....”

Cultural diversity brings in a panorama of kaleidoscopic view of a society and their beliefs. The fragile thread of harmony in a land of diversity like that of Northeast India is sewn together by tolerance, social participation and self identification. At times the controlled chaos of the ethnic groups living under a roof upsurges agitation.

The Northeast India wombs several stories of communal conflicts giving birth to various states. The broad racial difference between India and its Northeast created a sense of alienation that subsequently led to demands of secession from India. The porous border of Northeast for immigrants only fuelled the fire. The time saw rise of numerous militant groups consisting of a confused, headstrong lot of young and old. The very core of security was shaken. A sense of insecurity prevailed due to frequent killing, kidnapping, threat and extortion. The people involved in the agitations; directly or indirectly, have a long lasting imprint on their mental health.

The strong sense of self identification and staying in contact with their roots may lead to ‘Social Exclusion’. The denial of social rights and access to social resources alienates the members of a group which are fundamental to social integration and observation of human rights.

The exclusionary forms of discrimination deprives people of equal opportunity of physical, social and mental health. ‘Acculturation’ is the process of blending between two different cultures, that is, of the culture of origin and the dominant prevailing culture. The bicultural individuals are found to be victims of self identity crisis and suffer from a term known as ‘Acculturation Stress’ inviting social and psychological stress. It includes depression, anxiety and psychosomatic symptoms.⁽³⁾

The common man suffered at the hands of insurgents as well as the security forces. The rise of violence saw a turbulent effect on mental health of the tender minds of children. Amidst the gunshots, the children were not merely bystanders but prime targets. The human cost reached its lowest point subjecting children to face risks to the security of life. They were forcefully recruited to the militant groups. It left them with garrison casualties in the long run after actual engagement with the enemy. Disruption of food supplies, water and threats to families caused children to flee home and take up guns. Child trafficking was on the rise. This vulnerable group was prone to sexual violence with high odds of contracting HIV/AIDS. Apart from violation of Article 21A, Right to Education, the low rate of education brought up a section of delinquent lot with low employment post insurgency.

The burden of mental anguish must not be undermined by the less visible physical wounds for the tender minds were not trained by the expectation of militant groups to handle the stress and shock of the trauma. According to studies conducted, the children who were a part of these later came up with the complaints of anxiety disorder and insomnia initially. Later on they were traced to have post traumatic stress disorder and personality disorders.⁽⁷⁾

Prolonged exposure to the stress eventually sets in a condition named “OLD SERGEANT SYNDROME”. Continuous exposure to lethal combat environment has a conditioning effect on the voluntary muscles (increased tension, tremors), involuntary or autonomic responses and cognitive responses (anxiety and fear). The loss of fellow combatants leads to questioning of one’s own mortality subsequently leading to anger and depression. ⁽⁸⁾

During World War II (Sobel 1949) termed it as OLD SERGEANT SYNDROME. The symptoms found in low intensity wars are acute stress disorders and delayed and chronic PTSDs.

The narrow stretch of 22km fancifully described as the “Chicken Neck” was always a fragile domain. The age long use of cannabis and raw opium in Northeast India is not unknown. ‘Madak’ and ‘Chandu’ are two major preparations of opium offered in socio religious events for smoking. The geographical proximity of Northeast with Myanmar and its perforated borders witnessed the influx of injectable heroin during the insurgency times. The dual problem of injectable drug abuse and spread of HIV/AIDS created a state of menace. It was seen that the young (15-30years) took up the habit of smoking raw opium. Later in life they had inclination for more refines drugs thus creating antisocial monsters. Studies have shown children as early as 10-12 years falling prey to addictive substances causing an alarming rate of delinquent activities in the society. ⁽⁶⁾

As hard drugs (heroin, brown sugar etc) were not easily affordable, they fall back on pharmaceutical drugs like relipan, correx, calmpose etc. The lust for easy money made them dive into the world of crimes from chain snatching to dacoities.⁽⁶⁾

During the conflict, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Manipur were prima donna of the Northeast. The women took indirect bullet hit during and after insurgency. They were not merely ‘bearing witness’ of the growing mushrooms of the militant groups. Women lived in fear laden with household responsibilities and danger of repercussion and sexual assault. According to a report by Asia-Pacific Human Rights Network, 200,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) were living in 78 relief camps of Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar districts of Assam. ⁽⁴⁾

Women were encircled with different unsocial activities leading to forced impregnation and termination of pregnancy. The widows of victims of communal violence were forced to eke out a living on their own for themselves ultimately causing social rejection, self deprecation, low self esteem and depression. Unable to tolerate the social blows, many have resorted to suicide.

‘Prolonged Grief Disorder’ is a term proposed recently in United States for the widows after the loss of their husband. The first of its kind study in India was done in Gujarat taking 110 widows after communal riots of 2002. It has been explained that the symptoms of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) are distinct from Major depressive Disorder (MDD), Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Bereaved individuals with PGD are at higher risk of adverse consequences like high suicidal tendencies, higher blood pressure, increase smoking and alcohol consumption.⁽¹⁾

Also, according to a study conducted in the Department of Clinical Psychology, NIMHANS, (November 2012-October 2015) women subjected to early childhood adverse events or any stressful life events show alcohol use disorder later in adulthood.⁽²⁾

Men were rehabilitated with jobs and monetary compensation for the loss on the other hand women found it extremely difficult to lead a normal life. The mental health of the people took a setback during the insurgency. The breach of a trajectory development of mental health has shown its long term side effects. Introduction of drug abuse and its growing roots has wrecked the society affecting the young and old alike. Widows and children of that saga reports of PTSD, anxiety disorder and substance abuse in the present times. HIV infected Widows and children of injectable drug users face social rejection, poverty, grief and show high risk behaviour.⁽⁵⁾ All those suffering and those who have suffered with after effects require rehabilitation to uplift them socially and emotionally. Rehabilitation should be individual centred which aims to better the coping mechanisms and the second being developing environment resources to reduce the stress. Aim must be to ‘restore hope’.

For Peace & People...