The north-eastern Indian Province of Manipur has been on fire since May 3, 2023, when an ethnic clash erupted between the Meitei people, a majority who live in the Imphal Valley, and the tribal community from the surrounding hills, including the Kuki people. Till July 4, 142 people were killed in the violence, and more than 300 left seriously injured. Approximately 54,488 people are reported to be displaced, internally. On July 20, 2023, the Manipur Police claimed that they arrested a person, who was allegedly part of the mob that paraded two Kuki women naked on May 4. The video of the women walking naked surfaced on July 19, over two and a half months after the incident took place.
Immediately after the video surfaced, Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, the Chief Justice of India (CJI), urged the Narendra Modi Government in New Delhi to take action in the case of the viral video of Manipur women being paraded naked by a group of men. He also expressed serious concern over the disturbing incident, and condemned the video as a gross constitutional failure. "Using women as instruments of perpetrating violence in a hostile environment is simply unacceptable in a Constitutional Democracy. It is time that the Government steps in and takes action. The Apex Court asserted that it will be forced to initiate action, if the Government does not," stressed the CJI.
The video, which spread on social media on July 19, has triggered a strong reaction across India. The Manipur Police claimed that the video was taken on May 4. Those women were reportedly assaulted near Nong Pok Sek Mai Police Station in Manipur's Thoubal District. However, an organisation has claimed that the incident took place in Kangpokpi District. The Opposition parties have slammed the Police for taking no immediate action against the culprits even after receiving a complaint in this regard on July 18. It may be noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power in Manipur.
One of the two women has shared her horrific experience with the press. She told the media that the miscreants had forced them to undress in public by threatening to kill them. Although she lodged a Police complaint on May 18 with the help of her village head, the Police did not take any action against the miscreants. The 21-year-old lady stated that she and another woman in her 40s were surrounded by a mob, who not only forced them to strip, but also groped them and sexually molested them.
Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) has issued a statement, saying that the "despicable scene, which happened on May 4 in Kangpokpi District, shows men constantly molesting the helpless women, who cry and plead with their captors". The Forum added: "The horrifying ordeal suffered by these innocent women is amplified by the perpetrators' decision to share the video, which shows the identity of the victims, on social media."
Whataboutery?
Surprisingly, Prime Minister Modi has maintained silence on the continuous violence in Manipur for the last two and a half months. On July 20, he broke his silence, stressing: "Today, as I stand among you in the temple of democracy, my heart is filled with sorrow and anger over the incident in Manipur. This incident is a shameful act for any civilised society. The perpetrators of this sin, the wrongdoers, whoever they are, the entire nation is feeling ashamed… 140 crore citizens are feeling embarrassed." The PM's remarks came minutes before the beginning of proceedings in both Houses of the Parliament where several Opposition members had given notice, seeking adjournment of proceedings to discuss the situation in Manipur. It has seemingly become difficult for the Modi Administration to suppress the issue.
With the fate of the women from the Kuki-Zomi community, it is seen that women, as usual, bear the brunt of violence owing to ethnic clashes and riots. Chief Minister of Manipur N Biren Singh, in an interview with India Today on July 20, said: "You should not listen to allegations, but look at the ground reality. Hundreds of such incidents have happened, that is why the internet is banned." However, history has shown that besides sexual assaults, there are other adverse sociological impacts of riots on women, including on their age of marriage and motherhood. One can only wish that such an incident should not take place any further. Else, the very existence of the Indians as rational beings would be in jeopardy.
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