Twenty-three-old Monika Khangembam is one of a kind. This MA student has been fighting for a cause that’s close to her heart and this drove her towards participating in the Global Changemakers Asia Youth Summit 2011 organised by the British Council.
“The event had 60 global change makers from across the Asia-Pacific region. There were four of us from India. We had to put up a two-minute video on YouTube about our area of activism, achievements etc,” reveals Monika, whose subject was human rights. “I was advocating against The Armed Forces (special powers) Act which applies to the North East part of India and also Jammu and Kashmir. This act enables the army to shoot a person on mere suspicion.”
During the week-long programme, Monika got an opportunity to interact with former minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor. “He was very understanding and showed concern for the issue. The other participants were so inspiring. There were people younger than me like an 18-year-old who was working against human trafficking. I also met an Australian song writer and a person from New Zealand who’s volunteering to help victims of the Japan tsunami.”
Hailing from Manipur, Monika has witnessed suffering across her hometown. “This act results in numerous murders and fake encounters. I have seen youngsters in Manipur protest when shootings happen. As part of the NGO Human Rights Alert, we’re spreading awareness through campaigns in Bengaluru, Delhi .etc.”
She recollects not being able to go to school for two months due to the protests! “My teen years were traumatic. We’ve seen so much violence and bloodshed. I’m scared for the future generation.” Monika still keeps in touch with her ‘changemaker’ buddies. “We all have one thing in common — we want to do something for the society. Our aim is to make people aware of this issue and provide legal aid to the victims. Helping widows and children is also a crucial aspect,” she says.
