Abstract

Bodos people have been facing conflict since forty years past directly or indirectly that makes a demoralizing effect on the lives and dignity of youth where they are in both position of victim and penetrator. Many personal stories involving torture cases, hurt cases, rape cases are existed. Large number of Bodo youth became the victims of physically and mentally tortured, gang rape and molestation. A quotation from the statement of Pramila Rani Brahma, she said, “……How can you expect people to stay non-violent when their daughters are being raped and their near and dear ones are being tortured and shot death? …..” (Kalidash Brahma, 2011). One worst events of Bodoland Movement was the horrible event at No. 12 Bhumka village in Kokrajhar district where nine Bodo girls and one old woman were gangraped by the Assam Police and Assam Police Task Force on the nights of 25 th and 27 thJanuary of 1988. (Amnesty International Report, 1988). Psychological impact means affecting of the thoughts, emotion or feelings that arises by a person which emerged during conflict and violence. The psychological impact on tribal youth in Assam emerges up some more aspects rather than that the type given by author Byrd McDaniel. In this paper the author would like to explain significant aspects of psychological impact which are not extreme but easily faced by tribal youth in Assam. The mixture method of qualitative and quantitative approaches was practiced using non-probability accidental sampling while a uthor visited several times accidentally to relief camps and homes. Scholar expects this article will throw light into the psychological problem to solve, could help to youths, authors, and community leaders which will be a piece of helping instrument of policy and plan makers.

Introduction

Psychological impact means affecting of the thoughts, emotion or feelings that arises by a person. According to the American Heritage Dictionary ‘psychological’ denotes ‘ arising from the mind or emotions or influencing or intended to influence the mind or emotions’. This affecting of the feelings and emotion may also occur when a person faces conflicts and violence. “Endemic violence may lead to feelings of insecurity, deprivation, anomie, alienation, mental disorder and loosening of social bonds, social disorganization, disintegration, of interpersonal and initial relationship etc.” (Shuseela Vhan, 1999). The mind of the individual is influenced by anxiety, stress or tension that is having link or is the outcome of conflict. It may be positive or negative; extreme or mild. Psychological impact is bound to reflect itself on one’s own personality as well as on one’s behavior and attitudes, vis-à-vis others. But the impact itself may vary depending not only on the personality structure and the character orientation of the person concerned but also on the level of his cognitive growth and development, the activities, schooling, and the daily living style. The psychologically impacted people could be comprehended with their emotional states in conjunction with other conditions. This psychological condition may includes feelings of ‘emotional insecurity’, anger, apprehension about future, distrust, tension in living with other groups, anxiety, alienation, revenge, aggression, shock, indifference, depression, frustration, nightmares and sleeplessness. And also it may be known through the inter-personal relationships with friends, classmate, teachers and neighbors.

The psychological impact on youth in Assam may cover some more aspects rather than that the type written by author Byrd McDaniel (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Feeling of Revenge, Psychological collapse and Feeling of listlessness). These four type of psychological impact, as per written by Byrd McDaniel, is generally rare considered to the level of psychological impact on youth in Assam since it (Byrd McDaniel’s) signifies the extreme or seriousness of victim/client, but it is immovable and endless. The aspects of impact may extend into Socio-economic life, Behavior and Socio-cultural. Some recent overflowed specific aspects of psychological impact on a youth’s life were seen during Bodo-Immigrant conflict, where due to this conflict, large youth group did exodus from some major cities of India and also it was seen during Karbi-Dimasa, Karbi -Naga conflicts and not to say the militant related conflicts which influence on youth of North-East India.

Current Status of Conflict

As much as intelligent of human being multiplies and increases due to the progress of science and technology, the conflict also increasing day by day in this present world. The majority of human beings are always contradicting. To control or guard one’s feelings and needs he/she has shift from that meadow to other and this is difficult to execute.

National

It may not be exaggerated if we say that India also one of the full of conflict country in the World. We can allude to several instances of incident of conflict within and outside the country; such conflicts which are going on and others have come to an end, especially, in North-east India states, i.e., insurgency problems or conflicts, ethnic conflicts and social movements. In Manipur the case of ‘Manorama Rape’ by Indian Army (Assam Rifle) was so emotionally flowed in the heart of the Northeast youths, which was followed by the conflict based on Armed Forces Special Power Act. 1958. Besides this, ethnicity as an ideological instrument has become central to the political mobilization initiated by the contesting elites to realize their political space defined in terms of Nagalim, Zalengam and Manipur, respectively. Such diametrically opposing pattern of political mobilizations has produced a conflict situation, or to be more precise, an “Ethnic Triangle” amongst the Nagas, the Kukis and the Meiteis. Conflict frequently occur in NortheastIndia due to the insurgency groups like NSCN, NDFB, ULFA, ATTF, ANVC, BNLF and NLFT, which groups we know most of them are still in action. The new problem due to the Naxalite Maoist in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkan and Andra Pradesh cover large amount of youth in India. Most of the schools were transformed into the police camp. It impacted in many ways toward the youth. The Kashmir conflict resulted in the exploited faction of the youths besides job (though having University degree) they were compelled to go for arms training. Kashmiri Pandits youth faced emotional problems when girls were raped continually to drive out the male KashmiriPandit. Thus, youth is a major absorbed group during the conflict.

International

The World is a family. Ancient time, there were no more influence and development of technology, so, we could not know the event that happened at another corner place of the World at the same time. In ancient, country fought against other country, one kingdom occupied other kingdom by using power, killing the numbers of people. These deeds have been written in the name of World History, National History and State History etc. After that whoever studies these respective books only knows and reacts towards the situation and actions. But, now, as soon as events take place, we able to see fresh and close whatever it may be due to the science and technology influence. Thus, emotional feeling, opinion and sympathy will be more in this present World where there will be more and more physical and psychological violence in the present World. So, the psychological problems cannot be excluded. We come to know that youth were affected in the 1 st World War is known from the poem written by Wilfred Owen’s ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’. How the captivated girls were used for prostitution by the Japan soldiers during the World Wars is still throbbing toward the emotional feeling of the reader. We can further cite 2 nd world war, Civil right Movements and Aparthaid Movements.

During the conflicts or fight between the government’s army and militant groups the youth of the state, country are never escaped. They might be linked by militant groups forcefully or willingly because of the problem may be related to their community, state or nation etc. On the other hand, when the regular armies of the government do operation towards terrorist groups they might absorb the youth group of the community, state and country. How much this matter is truth we all know in practically! There are conflict and fighting between the government army and the militant groups in 60 countries and 319 numbers of Militias-guerrillas and separatist groups involved around the World. The conflict and fighting between the government army and the militant groups are still in continue in (Africa continent) Algeria, Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Somaliland, Puntland, South Sudan, (in Asia) Afganistan, Burma –Myanmar, China, India, Indonesia, Kyrzystan, Nepal, Pakistan, Pilipine, Tajikistan and Thailand, (In Europe) Russia and Spain, (in Middle East) Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, South Arabia, Syria, Turkey and Yemen, (in America) Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru. Besides the fighting between the regular army and terrorist groups, there are conflicts between the countries i.e., Sudan and South Sudan, North Korea and South Korea, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Pakistan and India, Israel and Palestine etc.

Background of Psychological Impact of Conflict on Youth

Modern conflict has had a devastating effect on the lives and dignity of youth, as well as on the health and educational services that are essential to family and community survival. Along with reproductive health complications, the adverse effects of conflict hit girls harder than it does their male counterparts, since deliberate gender-based violence and discrimination are also rampant in these settings. Essential services such as basic health care, including reproductive health care and counseling, are often disrupted or become inaccessible during conflict situations. This compounds health risks for all affected populations, at times when public health needs soar. Girls become the individual and systematic targets of sexual violence, specifically when rape and sexual assault are used as weapons of conflict directly or indirectly. Conflict increases the rate of new infections across affected populations, but girls are significantly more likely to become infected than boys. A recent post conflict study in Africa found that the HIV- infection rate of adolescent girls were four times than of adolescent boys. Rape, high-risk behaviors, the inability to negotiate safe sex, and sexual exploitation are risks that have disproportionately impacted youth. In ideal, adolescence is a challenging time of life. When conflict erupts, the risks associated with adolescence increase for boys, but multiply for girls. Trauma and lack of social support and services are especially harmful to young people and may have lasting effects on their physical and mental health. When social structures break down in the face of conflict and instability, young adults frequently engage in high-risk drug use or sexual behavior. Personnel and military forces openly or secretly demand for the commercial sex trade has serious ramifications for the entire community, particularly through the presence of sexual, physical and economic exploitation.

Violence against youth in Assam during conflicts is a widespread but a hidden phenomenon. It is known that numerous girls were raped, but it has been difficult to provide concrete evidence of what really happened. The tribal youth of Assam suffer from psychological related problems which are beyond Byrd McDaniel’s type, mentioned above paragraph. Many personal stories involving torture cases, hurt cases, rape cases are existed, so, among the tribal youth in Assam frequency of psychological problems is elevating.

There is clear evidence that youth suffer severe forms of abuse during, and often after, armed conflict. F our girls were forced inside the Yankeli Baptist Church by the commanding officer and his subordinates; there the girls were interrogated, tortured and raped by the army personnel, girls were all under 18 years of age, and Miss Rose of Ngaprum village, Ukhrul, committed suicide the day after she was raped by two army officers. (Case studies from Nagaland and Tripura, National Commission for women, New Delhi, 2005). As it is, the issues related to the physical and psychological impact can be traced back to the Roman Script movement up to the present. Many youth of Bodo community lost their organs due to unbearable tortures of police, military during Roman Script movement, left handicap and mental health problems. Bodoland movement, a Social Movement brought untold sufferings to the youth of Bodo community. The atrocities of police, mass raid, mass arrest and tortures were being triggered by the state government upon the youth, ABSU activist and the supporters of the separate Bodoland movement belonging to both Bodo and non-Bodo community. Large number of Bodo girls became the victims of gang rape and molestation. In this regard, a quotation from the statement of the Pramila Rani Brahma, the then President of the All Tribal Women Welfare Federation is worth mentioning said, “……How can you expect people to stay non-violent when their daughters are being raped and their near and dear ones are being tortured and shot death? ………” (Kalidash Brahma, 2011). One of the worst events of Bodoland Movement was the unpleasant incident at No. 12 Bhumka village in Kokrajhar district. In their report to Amnesty International, Presidents of All Bodo Students Union and All Cachar-Karimganj Students Association stated that nine Bodo Girls and one old woman at No. 12 Bhumka village in Kokrajhar district of Assam were gangraped by the Assam Police (AP) and Assam Police Task Force (APTF) on the nights of 25 th and 27 thJanuary of 1988.

Sexual violence occurs frequently in all phases of armed conflict and may be carried out by armed forces, military groups, or civilians. The sexual violence against girls and women may result in pregnancy. Children born of forced maternity are more likely to suffer infanticide, stigma, neglect, and discrimination, and their mothers may be rejected and ostracized by their communities (Carpenter 2000).

Aspects of Psychological Impact on Youth in Assam Violences

Author wants to show some important areas of psychological related problems that can be considered as ‘psychological impact’, emerged among the youth during and after the conflicts, are as follow.

Stress: It means pressure, mental or emotional strain; affects the mind, body, and behavior in many ways, and everyone experiences stress differently. The factors of stress base on loss of property, relatives, friends and the loved one in conflicts. This is mostly related to the psychological feelings among the youth of Bodo community in Assam. Both physically and mentally weak were depicted from the explanation of Swmdwn, age 24, who was resident of a relief camp at Helena NursingCenter in Kokrajhar.

Feeling of Revenge: The topic ‘feeling of revenge’ is very interesting to discuss, almost human being have existed in it.Conflict may let to grow bitter experiences that make community sentiment among youth. It may lead them to think of taking revenge against other communities. For example Santhal and Bodo conflict occurred when the dead bodies of three female youth were found at a forest which situated in Shantal Community dominated area in Kokrajhar. In this modern world youth take revenge by different ways- murder, police case, insult etc. The feeling of revenge come in most cases of different reasons – insult, scold, conflict, torture, fraud, failure, accident etc. Ninety five percent of pre-tested respondents support in revenge out of 100%. The feeling of revenge is a psychological impact which may create another ethnic conflict again.Sometimesfeeling of revenge lead to end up their lives by committing suicide if they become helpless to take revenge and that incident is unforgettable.

Emotional Insecurity: Among youth in conflict affected area, impact demonstrates constant anger, low self-confidence, feeling vulnerable and over dependency are symptoms of emotional insecurity. It develops compensatory behaviors such as arrogance, aggression, or bullying, in some cases. Abraham Maslow describes an insecure person as a person who “perceives the world as a threatening jungle and most human beings as dangerous and selfish; feels rejected and isolated person, anxious and hostile; is generally pessimistic and unhappy; shows signs of tension and conflict, tends to turn inward; is troubled by guilt-feelings, has one on another disturbance of self-esteem; tends to be neurotic; and is generally selfish and egocentric.” (Maslow, 1942, pp 35). Conversations with them reveal that t hey feel insecure, lack of confidence in their own value, and no more of their capabilities, lack of trust in themselves or others, or have fears that the present positive state is temporary, and will let them down and cause them loss or distress by “going wrong” in the future.

Aggression: Such a form of psychological extortion – an attempt to force reality to produce the desired feedback, even by acting out in bullying by individuals and groups in various social contexts. Aggression occurs mainly when someone disagree your opinion or someone is against you. The author could observe such behaviors among the youth which are related to the experience of the conflicts while he visited to several relief camps at Henena Nursing Center, Hati Mata, Cultural Complex, Madan Dubi, Malundubi, Naigaon, Maider Koro, Titaguri M.E. and High School in Kokrajhar. He has observed that the aggressive is to do something against the culprits for which they had to stay and spend sleepless nights in the relief camps.

Depression and frustration: Besides first and second person the concentration and attention of individuals toward the daily activity become irregular or postpone. The pressure of influence may depend how much the injured person is closed to individuals, sometime that may be loved one or relative, due to this there will be in great pain of depress or frustration of feeling and thinking what to do? When a person gives up hope of achieving what he was dreaming of become frustrated. It happens when he fails after trying many times but goes in vain. Sukhushree, age 23 a resident of relief camp said, “I have no more hope since the helping of government never reach to our need.” Because they can’t still take place at their own land, further their all flock of animal were seized. Typically, people with depression find it hard to go about their day-to-day activities, and may also feel that life is not worth living.

Trust: Trust is the biggest thing to build up and continue a relation. Trust let us to form healthy relation and depend with one another i.e., for love, for advice, for help with our plumbing, but as trust also risk, it breaks the relationship, brings hate, hostile, phobia. It’s being observed that most of the trust is broken. For example, Udang (21), resident of relief camp at Hatimata said, “I don’t trust the people of this community.” He discussed with author for long hour duration, the practice of some anti social activity was explained. Such, youth of communities have been exhausting their trust since there were conflicts. If that community genuinely wants to help them it would be quite difficult to trust them though it’s easy to bring trust amongst youth especially from a tribal community.

Feelings and thoughts: Feelings and thoughts along ethnic lines among the youth could be considered as an area of psychological impact since this can be observed among the youth of conflicts area. To know exact one’s feelings and thoughts are very difficult to be known and predicted unless it’s being expressed. And no one can stop someone’s feelings and thought of course it can be changed to some extend by counseling and motivating. To cite an example, the researcher asked a youth, “Why did you not join the job?” He answered the researcher that the place where he worked was dominated by another community. Such considerations are increasingly visible now. He had a feeling that he might not be treated equally with other community’s staff.

Personality and attitude: Several negative attitude and weak personality rather than positive forms were observed at relief camps in Kokrajhar. Youth are in suspicious, unable to express due to confusion and doubt. Most of youth are not willing to express their hopes i.e., “I don’t want to study anymore. Our land has been occupied by other foreigner.” The attitude, which consists of three components i.e., affective- feeling, cognitive-beliefs, and behavior-predisposition to act, of youth are impacted due to the conflicts. The youth involved into the conflict in the name of rescuer, warrior or helper to the victims, they are impacted through feeling, beliefs and it leads to their actions.

Family environment and Alertness: Family environment is compelled to change after the conflicts in many ways leading the feeling of family members. The cohesion and ‘we feelings’ may decrease or increase due to the conflict faced by the family members. No doubt, the involvement of family members into the conflict influence toward the family, sometime the family member might be hurt, tortured or killed. So, the feeling of the revenge related like, hostility, aggression and depresses related trauma, nervous etc. are emerged. Anger as “a strong feeling of displeasure and antagonism aroused by a sense of injury or wrong.”(Fitzgibbons,1986). Human beings’ feeling of such anger or alertness toward the conflicts or war is one cause of it. The disturb thoughts may be being function in the mind of elders in different way unlike the feeling of earlier. As such result the environment of the family is psychologically influenced. Members of the family face the stereotype conscious or alertness toward the conflicts because of psychological impact of conflicts. After conflicts the youth are assumed to be more alert and sensitive towards war, fighting, and having meeting and discussion.

Schizophrenia or Mental Illness: Schizophrenia is characterized by the alteration of senses; the inability to sort out incoming stimuli and to make appropriate responses; an altered sense of self; and radical changes in emotions, movements, and behaviors, is one major current problem that is growing in study area.The situation could be related to the conflicts and ethnic violence. According to North East Research and Social Work Networking (NERSWN), a Kokrajhar based NGO, the cases of mental illness are increasing in BTAD since the last two years, the twin districts of Kokrajhar and Chirang have reported many cases of mental illness hit by violence.

Conclusion

Youth are the brunt groups during the conflicts that involves both in penetrator and victimization who will be physically tortured, abused and killed. Conflicts breed the anger, emotional insecurity, apprehension about future, distrust, tension in living with other groups, anxiety, alienation, revenge, aggression, shock indifference, depression, frustration, nightmares, and sleeplessness to youth group. “Conflicts have far more negative than positive impacts on all aspects of life in the community. Very seldom does the threat of conflict lead to positive effects.” ( Louis Mosake Njomo, 2006 ). Curative approach and developmental approach are psychological interventions strategy accepted by World Health Organization that approach psychological related issues to measure and reduce the issues, which help youth recovering their psychological related issues e.g., feelings of revenge, depress frustration and develop personality, make positive attitude and trust. Every individual become responsibility to protect the youth from mental health problems, not only of the government’s responsibility. Government is to solve the issues that are from various sources with the initiation and consensus. Now, building peace in the mind of human beings is needed doing peace awareness and motivation that could be intervened through the community, society, organizations, institutions, schools, government bodies and NGOs.

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