Shocking video emerges of sexual assault in India’s Manipur state amid ethnic violence

A graphic video of two women being sexually abused in public in India’s northeastern state of Manipur has provoked outrage and condemnation. The video, which went viral on social media on Thursday, shows the terrified victims surrounded by a mob of men, many brandishing long canes or sticks as weapons. The incident took place on May 4, according to the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), in B. Phainom village in Kangpokpi district, where clashes broke out between the majority Meitei ethnic group and the tribal Kuki minority over a demand for special tribal status.

The ITLF said in a statement that the two women belonged to the Kuki-Zo tribal community and were forced to walk naked towards a paddy field to be gang-raped. The statement also said that the men constantly molested the helpless women, who cried and pleaded with their captors. According to a police complaint filed by a relative of one of the women, one of them was gang-raped by at least four men, while another woman was also forced to strip but managed to escape. The complaint added that the assault occurred after their village was burnt down and two men were beaten to death by a Meitei mob.

The shocking video has sparked widespread anger and protests across the country, with many demanding justice for the victims and an end to the violence in Manipur. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the incident as “shameful for any civil society” and said that “the law will take its course with all its might”. The main opposition Congress party also criticized Modi’s handling of the issue and accused him of being silent for too long. The Upper House of Parliament was adjourned minutes into reconvening for the Monsoon session after opposition MPs sparked an outcry over the refusal to discuss the issue of Manipur.

The violence in Manipur has been going on since May 3, when thousands of students, mostly from the Kuki tribe, took part in a rally against the Meitei community, who have petitioned for special tribal status. Among other things, tribal status would enable the Meitei to buy land and provide more opportunities for government jobs. Over 100 people have been killed and tens of thousands more displaced since then. Reports from the ground detail chilling accounts of shootings, looting and sexual assault.

The horrific act of sexual assault in Manipur is not an isolated case, but a reflection of how rape is often used as a weapon during conflict. In most large-scale incidents of violence in South Asia and elsewhere, appalling instances of sexual assault and gang rape have been reported, with the scale of the brutality sometimes uncovered only decades later.  Survivor accounts show that the crime is often attributed to revenge against the “other” through violating the bodies of women – seen as a site of honour for their communities. The state’s mechanisms to end the conflict – such as the army and other security forces – have also been accused of brutal sexual violence in places such as Indian-administered Kashmir and the north-eastern states.

“The price that women pay for this violence done on their bodies is often hidden and very private. The women’s movement has been bringing attention to this for decades, yet it continues,” says Anuradha Chenoy, former professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.

The emergence of the video from Manipur has exposed the plight of women caught in the crossfire of ethnic violence and the failure of the state to protect them. It has also raised questions about the role of social media in spreading fake news and inciting hatred among communities. The need for peace, justice and accountability is urgent and paraamount. 

Source: 

(1) What is happening in India’s Manipur? | Sexual Assault News - Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/21/what-is-happening-in-indias-manipur.

(2) Manipur on edge after video of man’s chopped head surfaces amid outcry over sexual assault case. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/shocking-video-emerges-of-beheaded-man-in-manipur-as-ethnic-clashes-continue-women-allegedly-gangraped-101689965626825.html.

(3) Manipur sexual assault case: 4 accused remanded in 11-day police custody; another suspect's house torched. https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/manipur-sexual-assault-case-4-accused-remanded-in-11-day-police-custody-another-suspects-house-torched-11004841.html.

(4) Assault on Manipur women: Authorities claim naked parading was not linked to fake news. https://www.wionews.com/india-news/manipur-women-paraded-naked-was-spontaneous-act-say-authorities-618069.

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