May 2019 , Manipur, India

School principal who is 46 years old sexually assaulted a minor student at a hostel operating under his school.
His Name is Thokchom Dharma. He carries a Vaishnava name but based on his action he doesn’t know the meaning of his name. Yes, he has a wife with three children.
Maibam Manojkumar, Special Judge of Imphal sentenced him to 7 years in jail and a fine of INR 50000 ($530 USD)
Edhou said “According to the Manu-saṁhitā, a woman should never be given freedom. When she is not under the protection of her husband, she must be under the protection of her sons. Women cannot properly utilize freedom, and it is better for them to remain dependent. A woman cannot be happy if she is independent.”
What happens when woman are not protected ? Her husband is definitely not protecting her. He is ruled by his lusty desire running around committing such crimes to people under his care. With such incident happening again and again, woman are forced to be financially independent to take care of herself and the children. Yes, it’s a struggle and woman aren’t happy. Who should woman depend on ?
Edhou is preaching about woman cannot be happy if she is independent. I wish Edhou will focus on preaching about the responsibilities and duties of man.

Written by Monica Ingudam
“Tha Tha Thabungton (talk to the moon)” is a collection of micro memoirs reflecting the author’s diverse life experiences. Her writings aim to highlight pertinent narratives of Manipur, drawing from her upbringing amidst conflict, her interactions with individuals through podcasting for FindingTheVoices, Library Of Manipur, social services and her recent involvement (May 2023 conflict) in supporting relief camps for displaced persons.