Imphal: A gruesome video of two women belonging to the Kuki tribe in Manipur being stripped naked and paraded through the streets by a gang of Maithei men has been shared on social media and has caused national shock. One of the two women was also a victim of gang rape. Various parties are expressing their condemnations in this regard.
It has been reported that this incident which shook the country took place on 4th of May last in Bynom village in Kangbokbi district of Manipur.. In this regard, a case was registered at Kangbokbi police station on 18th May. In this case, the incident and its background have come to light only after the release of the video.
Some of the women escaped to defend themselves when the militants ransacked their village that day. 3 of them are in the hands of violent people. The thugs took off their clothes and took them in a procession. Only two women are seen in this video clip which has been released now.
This cruel incident, which humanity has denied, has angered many parties at the national level. Leaders of various political parties, state chief ministers, ministers and social activists have expressed their condemnation.
Smriti Irani – Union Minister: “The rampant violence against tribal women of Manipur is inhumane. I spoke to the Chief Minister of the state, Brain Singh, in this regard. He tweeted that the investigation is going on and the culprits cannot escape.
Mallikarjuna Kharge – Congress President: “Manipur has died. The Modi government and the BJP have turned democracy and the rule of law into a violent frenzy. India will never forget or forgive Prime Minister Modi’s profound calmness. “Even now, we should tell the people of the country what happened without blaming others,” he said.
Opposition parties including Congress have also decided to raise their voice in Parliament regarding this incident. It seems that the opposition parties will insist that Prime Minister Modi should give an explanation.
Rahul Gandhi – Former Congress President: “It is the Prime Minister’s silence and inaction that has led Manipur to this state. India will not remain silent. We stand with the people of Manipur. “Peace is the only way forward,” he said.
Khushbu – Member of National Commission for Women: “All those who committed this heinous crime should be given death penalty. Those men should be sent to the gallows. Those who are having fun should be severely punished. Be it communal riots, family feuds, personal vendettas, vendettas or any other issues, women are targeted. This is the act of inhumane people,” he said.
Center directs Twitter not to share video footage: A video of tribal women being stripped naked and harassed went viral on social media, sending shockwaves across the country. In response, the central government has issued an order to social networking sites including Twitter not to share the relevant video footage.
Background of the Riot: Manipur is ruled by BJP under the leadership of Chief Minister Fransingh. About 53 percent of the state’s population belongs to the Maithei community and the rest to the Kuki and Naga communities. Most of the Maithei community follow Hinduism and most of the Kuki and Naga communities follow Christianity. Imphal, the capital of Manipur, and its adjoining valleys are home to the Maithei community and the forest areas to the Kuki and Naga communities.
Out of the 12 Chief Ministers who have served in Manipur so far, 10 belong to the Maithei community. Present Chief Minister Bren Singh also belongs to this community. While the Maithei community is dominating the government and power in Manipur, it is alleged that the habitations and places of worship of the Kuki and Naga communities are being destroyed in the name of forest restoration work. In this context, the Maithei community held various protests demanding that they should be given tribal status like the Kuki and Naga communities.
The High Court heard a case related to the issue and recommended the state government to grant tribal status to the Maithei community. The Kuki and Naga communities started protesting on May 3 saying that their rights will be completely taken away.
A clash broke out between the Maithei community and the Kuki community in Manipur on May 3. So far 142 people have died in the riots that have been going on for more than 2 months. More than 500 people were injured. 65,000 people have lost their homes and become refugees. It is noted that 5,995 cases have been registered so far.
