Ima Keithel: The World’s Largest Women-Run Market“媽媽集市”——世界上最大的婦女經(jīng)營(yíng)集市

At first glance， Ima Keithel is much like any other market. Lines of vendors are here from dusk until dawn， eagerly flogging everything from fresh fruit to fish and fabrics. But after walking through its huge network of more than 5，000 stalls spread across three multi-story buildings and a sea of surrounding tin shacks， one unique aspect becomes hard to ignore： every single trader， without exception， is a woman. “We are just like family， we’re sisters，” says Meilani Chingangbam， a 65-year-old who has been selling religious ritual products like incense and shrine decorations at the market since 2002. “It’s a beautiful place to work. Everyone is trusting and kind.”

乍一看，伊瑪·基塞爾集市和其他集市差不多，一排排攤販從黎明到黃昏在這里熱情兜售著各色商品——從新鮮水果到魚(yú)和織物，應(yīng)有盡有。然而，穿行于三幢樓房和周?chē)黄F皮棚子里總共5000多個(gè)攤位之間，你會(huì)很快注意到一個(gè)特點(diǎn)：所有商販都是女人，無(wú)一例外。“我們就像一家人，是姐妹?！?5歲的梅拉妮·欽岡巴姆說(shuō)道，“在這里工作很棒，大家相互信任，都很友善?！彼龔?002年起就一直在該集市銷(xiāo)售宗教儀式商品，如香和神廟裝飾品。

Ima Keithel， meaning “mother’s market” in the local Meitei language in Imphal， the capital of India’s northeastern state of Manipur， is said to be the largest women-only market in the world. Men can enter the space， but only to buy goods， or to work as porters or guards.

因帕爾是印度東北部的曼尼普爾邦的首府，在當(dāng)?shù)氐穆崞諣栒Z(yǔ)中，Ima Keithel義為“媽媽集市”，據(jù)說(shuō)這是世界上最大的純女性商販集市。男性也可以進(jìn)入這片區(qū)域，但僅限于采購(gòu)商品，或是充當(dāng)搬運(yùn)工或保安。

During the early morning rush， the scent of eromba， a local dish of mashed potato， bamboo shoots and dried fish chutney， sizzles through the air. In one corner， a group of matriarchs are huddled around discussing problems with delayed deliveries and subpar produce. All the while， women stop by to leave offerings at the shrine of Ima Imoinu， the goddess of wealth and business and the market’s main protector.

清早總是一片忙亂景象，空氣中飄散著“埃隆巴”的氣味，這是當(dāng)?shù)氐囊坏啦似?，由土豆泥、竹筍和魚(yú)干酸辣醬制作而成。幾個(gè)領(lǐng)頭的婦女聚集在一個(gè)角落，協(xié)商著關(guān)于交貨延遲和產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量欠佳的問(wèn)題。而與此同時(shí)，女人們?cè)谝连敗ひ聊僚颀惽榜v足，奉上貢品——伊瑪·伊莫伊努是財(cái)富與商業(yè)女神，也是這個(gè)集市的主要守護(hù)神。

The crowded aisles are stacked high with all manner of delightful treasures： fragrant pinewood and jade-colored betel nut leaves， handcrafted pottery and bamboo baskets， fine silken blankets and rugs in technicolor1 hues. Filling the spaces in between them are rows of traders wearing vibrant pink， yellow， red and green shawls. “You can get absolutely anything you could dream of here，” says Lina Moirangthem， a local Meitei tour guide. “The market is cheap and right in the heart of the city. The entire state’s economy practically runs thanks to these women.”

擁擠的過(guò)道上堆滿(mǎn)了琳瑯滿(mǎn)目的貨品：有香香的松木和翠綠的檳榔葉，有手工制作的陶器和竹籃，還有色彩斑斕的精美絲綢毯子和地毯。過(guò)道之間是一排排商販，她們都披著披肩，粉的、黃的、紅的、綠的，很是鮮艷。“你能想到的任何東西，在這兒幾乎都可以買(mǎi)到?！甭崞諣柈?dāng)?shù)貙?dǎo)游莉娜·莫伊朗特姆說(shuō)，“集市位于市中心，商品都很便宜，這些婦女帶動(dòng)了整個(gè)曼尼普爾邦的經(jīng)濟(jì)。”

Per custom， only women who are married can officially trade in the market， and to gain a space in the official area， a woman must be nominated by a retiring vendor， who will usually choose a successor she is related to like a sister， daughter or cousin. Priya Kharaibam， for example， is the third generation of her family’s pottery traders at Ima Keithel， following on from her grandmother. “I am proud to run the family business，” says the 34-year-old， flanked by a wall of terracotta pots.

按照慣例，只有已婚婦女才能在該集市正式做生意，若要在正規(guī)區(qū)域有攤位，必須獲得一位準(zhǔn)備退休的老商販的指派，而老商販一般會(huì)從其親屬中選擇接替者，像是姐妹、女兒或堂表姐妹。比如，普里婭·卡賴(lài)巴姆是她家在“媽媽集市”從祖母起的第三代陶器銷(xiāo)售商?！澳芙?jīng)營(yíng)家里的生意，我覺(jué)得挺自豪。”這位34歲的婦女說(shuō)道。她身旁有一堆赤陶罐子。

The creation of Ima Keithel dates back to the 16th century Kangleipak Kingdom， when it began as a makeshift， open-air market for bartering crops. To bolster the war efforts against the neighboring Burmese， in 1533 conscription was made mandatory in Manipur and all men were trained as warriors from a young age to protect the kingdom’s perimeters， which run along the border with Myanmar. It was left， then， for the women to run the city.

“媽媽集市”始于16世紀(jì)的康萊帕克王國(guó)，起初是一個(gè)交換農(nóng)作物的臨時(shí)露天市場(chǎng)。為增強(qiáng)作戰(zhàn)力，抵抗鄰國(guó)緬甸，1533年曼尼普爾邦開(kāi)始強(qiáng)制征兵；所有男性在很小的年紀(jì)就被訓(xùn)練成士兵，去保衛(wèi)與緬甸接壤的王國(guó)邊界地區(qū)。于是，維系城市運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)的重任便落在了女性身上。

“The market was run by women of the state in open air，” says Lokendra Arambam， a former scholar of the region’s precolonial period at Manipur University. “It began as an all-female activity of selling fish， vegetables and other economic products.”

“當(dāng)時(shí)曼尼普爾邦的婦女們就在露天市場(chǎng)做生意。” 曾在曼尼普爾大學(xué)研究該地區(qū)前殖民時(shí)期的學(xué)者洛肯德拉·阿蘭巴姆說(shuō)道，“從一開(kāi)始這里就是純女性集市，她們賣(mài)魚(yú)、蔬菜，以及其他經(jīng)濟(jì)產(chǎn)品?！?/p>

Thanks to Imphal’s easily-accessible， strategic position at the center of Manipur， the city gradually grew to become the economic hub of the region， and the women of Ima Keithel became more and more influential. But beyond the day-to-day business trading and exchange， the hardy matriarchs of Ima Keithel have also played a crucial role in social and political activism in Manipur throughout the 500-year-old history of the market right up to this day. In 1891， for example， the women’s protests forced a backtrack on reforms introduced by the British colonizers that favored external trade over them. In 1939， angered at the British policy of exporting local rice to other parts of India， they confronted the army in what was the Anishuba Nupilan， or Second Women’s War and won.

因帕爾位于曼尼普爾邦的中心，由于其四通八達(dá)、具有戰(zhàn)略意義的地理位置，這座城市逐漸發(fā)展成為這一片區(qū)的經(jīng)濟(jì)中心，而“媽媽集市”的婦女們也越來(lái)越有影響力?！皨寢尲小逼褚延?00年的歷史，除了日常的商貿(mào)活動(dòng)，這里強(qiáng)勢(shì)的女性主事人們?cè)诼崞諣柊钌鐣?huì)和政治活動(dòng)中也發(fā)揮了重要作用。例如在1891年，婦女們發(fā)起抗議，迫使英國(guó)殖民者撤銷(xiāo)實(shí)行更有利于對(duì)外貿(mào)易而對(duì)她們不利的改革方案；1939年，英國(guó)殖民政府要把當(dāng)?shù)卮竺踪u(mài)到印度其他地區(qū)的政策讓婦女們很是氣憤，于是她們發(fā)動(dòng)“第二次婦女之戰(zhàn)”（Anishuba Nupilan）與軍隊(duì)對(duì)峙，并最終獲得勝利。

More recently， when the state government announced plans to build a shopping mall on the market’s site in 2003， they organized weeks-long mass strikes， bringing the economy to a standstill and forcing a reversal. Even now， the women hold regular protests to exert influence， and their input has a serious sway on local elections. “There’s a huge strength of women working here，” says Thoudam Ongbi Shanti， president of one of the market’s vendors’ groups. “But we are not extraordinary people， we just want to make ends meet. We want to be responsible mothers.”

最近一次是在2003年，曼尼普爾邦政府宣布計(jì)劃在市場(chǎng)原址興建購(gòu)物中心，她們組織起長(zhǎng)達(dá)數(shù)周的大規(guī)模罷工，導(dǎo)致經(jīng)濟(jì)停滯，最終迫使政府撤銷(xiāo)決定。如今，她們?nèi)詴?huì)定期舉行抗議活動(dòng)，在有關(guān)事情上施加影響力，而她們的訴求常常會(huì)對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)氐倪x舉產(chǎn)生重大影響?！霸谶@兒工作的婦女們蘊(yùn)藏著驚人的力量?！痹摷幸粋€(gè)商販小組的組長(zhǎng)圖達(dá)姆·翁格比·尚蒂說(shuō)，“但我們不是什么超人，我們只是想維持生計(jì)，好好養(yǎng)育孩子?！?/p>

These days Ima Keithel is a microcosm of Manipur’s egalitarian society. The state has one of the highest female literacy rates in India and it is seen as a pioneer for gender equality across the country. And while the vast majority of Manipur’s population is the local Meitei ethnic group， true to its progressive values the market also houses Hindi women as well as those representing the state’s 33 indigenous groups. Tungdar Makunga， a 50-year-old vendor from the Maring tribe who occupies a spot in a part of the less formal tin-roofed outer area， is among them. “Even though I only started here recently and I’m not officially registered， the other women are very cooperative and friendly，” she says. “They make space for me if I need it.”

如今，“媽媽集市”是曼尼普爾邦平等社會(huì)的縮影。曼尼普爾在印度是婦女識(shí)字率很高的一個(gè)邦，被認(rèn)為是促進(jìn)全國(guó)性別平等的先驅(qū)。雖然曼尼普爾邦大部分人口為當(dāng)?shù)氐穆崞諣栕迦?，但“媽媽集市”秉承進(jìn)步開(kāi)放的價(jià)值觀，也接納講印地語(yǔ)的婦女以及代表該邦其他33個(gè)本土族群的婦女。50歲的通格達(dá)爾·馬昆加便是其中之一，這位女商販來(lái)自馬林部落，在集市相對(duì)不那么正規(guī)的外部鐵皮棚區(qū)域有一小塊地方做生意。她說(shuō)：“雖然我剛來(lái)不久，沒(méi)有登記注冊(cè)，但大家都很友好，愿意幫我，我需要的時(shí)候，她們還會(huì)為我騰地方?！?/p>

Others have used the freedom of the market to break out of traditional social norms. The 80-year-old fabric seller Nongmai Them Khumsonbi says that when she was a newlywed her husband， at the time a low-paid government clerk， opposed her wish to become a trader at the market because he did not believe a woman should work. “He didn’t want me to go out，” she grins. “But I won the argument. And I eventually started earning more than him.”

還有的婦女利用集市給予的自由來(lái)擺脫傳統(tǒng)社會(huì)規(guī)范的束縛。80歲的農(nóng)邁·特姆·庫(kù)姆松比是位布料商，她說(shuō)剛結(jié)婚那會(huì)兒，丈夫是個(gè)政府職員，收入很低，卻反對(duì)她去集市做生意，認(rèn)為女人不應(yīng)該工作?！八辉敢庾屛页鋈侇^露面?！彼χ貞浀?，“兩個(gè)人爭(zhēng)論好一陣，最后我贏了。結(jié)果是我開(kāi)始掙得比他多。”

Not everything has been a smooth transaction for these women， however. In January 2016， a magnitude-6.7 earthquake sustained serious damage to the market buildings， and it took almost two years to rebuild. Closures that lasted more than a year during the pandemic also took a toll on the livelihoods of the traders. But now business is back in full flow at this pioneering yet centuries-old market of mothers in remote northeastern India， every day a mesmeric mix of vibrant colors， sounds and smells—and the positive effects for the women are priceless.

然而，這些女人們?cè)诖俗錾庖膊⒎鞘率马樌?016年1月發(fā)生的6.7級(jí)地震使集市的樓房建筑遭到嚴(yán)重?fù)p壞，用了差不多兩年時(shí)間才重建好。新冠疫情期間，集市關(guān)閉一年多，也讓商販們的生計(jì)受到打擊。但現(xiàn)如今，在偏遠(yuǎn)的印度東北部，這個(gè)具有開(kāi)拓性卻已由母親們經(jīng)營(yíng)了幾個(gè)世紀(jì)的集市上，商業(yè)活動(dòng)已全面恢復(fù)，鮮艷的色彩、不同的聲音和氣味每天都在此匯聚，讓人著迷。而最寶貴的是集市對(duì)婦女們產(chǎn)生的積極影響。

“I love my work from the heart， I do it passionately，” says Oinam Ongbi Jayela， a 64-year-old tailor and widow. “But it’s not just work. I’m relaxed here. It makes me happy to be with these women. Being here， I feel that I will live for a long time.＂

“我真心喜歡我的工作，干起來(lái)充滿(mǎn)熱情?！?4歲的寡婦裁縫奧伊納姆·翁格比·賈耶拉說(shuō)，“但除了工作，還有別的東西。在這里我很放松，和這些女人在一起讓我非常快樂(lè)。要是一直在這兒工作，我覺(jué)得自己會(huì)很長(zhǎng)壽呢?！?/p>

1 technicolor色彩鮮艷的，艷麗多彩的。