Tension in Manipur hills areas after May 4 video of two women paraded naked surfaces

Police in Manipur said a case of abduction, gang-rape and murder has been registered at Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unidentified armed persons.

PTI, 20 JULY 2023 : The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of an alleged incident of women being paraded naked in Manipur and asked the state police chief to take prompt action in the matter.

Tension mounted in the hills of Manipur after a May 4 video surfaced on Wednesday showing two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a group of men from the other side, officials said here on Wednesday. 

The video was doing the rounds on the eve of a planned protest march announced by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) on Thursday to highlight their plight. According to a spokesperson of ITLF, 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 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."  The police are looking into the matter. 

While condemning the "sickening act", the spokesperson in a statement demanded that the central and state governments, National Commission  for  Women  and  National Commission  for  Scheduled  Tribes  take cognisance of the offence and bring the culprits before the law.

The Kuki-Zo tribals are planning to raise this issue as well during a proposed protest march in Churchandpur  on Thursday.    

Manipur state has been witnessing ethnic clashes since May 3 between majority the Meiteis, concentrated in Imphal valley, and the Kukis, occupying the hills. Over 160 people have been killed in the violence so far. 

“NCW condemns the Manipur incident. Taking suo motu cognizance, the DGP Manipur has been asked to promptly take appropriate action,” the NCW tweeted.

Earlier, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said she spoke to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh over the video who informed her that investigation is currently underway and assured that no effort will be spared to bring perpetrators to justice.

Police in Manipur said a case of abduction, gang-rape and murder has been registered at Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unidentified armed persons.

They said an all-out effort is on to arrest the culprits at the earliest.

A spokesperson of Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) said, “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.”

More than 150 people have lost their lives and several injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.