Imphal: In a shocking incident that occurred more than two months ago in Manipur, a video has emerged showing two women from the Kuki-Zomi community being subjected to brutal sexual assault by a group of men and forced to walk naked down the street.
The disturbing video, which came to light on Wednesday, has provoked sharp reactions from across the political spectrum, prompting demands for immediate action against the perpetrators.
The incident, which took place on May 4 in Thoubal district, involved a group of 800 to 1,000 armed individuals, wielding weapons such as AK Rifles, SLR, INSAS, and .303 Rifles, entering the village.
The video, reportedly recorded when the violence first emerged in Manipur, shows two women aged 20 and 40 from the Kuki-Zomi-dominated hill district of Kangpokpi being paraded naked down the street and dragged to a field where they were brutally gang-raped by the men
The mob proceeded to loot and burn the village, causing mayhem and terror. Five members of the village, including the two victims and two family members of the younger woman, fled towards the forest to escape the violence.
The victims later filed a complaint at a police station in Kangpokpi district, where a zero FIR was registered and subsequently forwarded to the police station in Thoubal.
In their complaint, the victims disclosed that another woman in her 50s was also stripped by the mob and that the younger woman endured a brutal gang rape in broad daylight.
According to the victim's account, they were later rescued by the police and were on their way to the police station when they were intercepted by the mob, about two kilometres away. The mob forcibly stripped the three women naked in front of them and subjected them to sexual assault.
Despite the FIR being registered two months ago, there have been no arrests made in connection with the incident. The lack of action has led to widespread public outrage, with people from different political backgrounds coming forward to condemn the heinous act.
Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani engaged in a conversation with Manipur's Chief Minister N Biren Singh in response to the video, promising that no effort would be spared in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, however, criticized the Prime Minister's silence and inaction, stating that "India will not stay silent while the idea of India is being attacked in Manipur."
As the video spread, demands for intervention came from various quarters. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum, representing registered tribes in Churachandpur, urged the state and central governments, along with the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and the National Commission for Women, to take cognizance of the incident and act decisively against the culprits.
The Aam Aadmi Party also condemned the incident and requested the intervention of the Prime Minister in Manipur. Rajya Sabha MP from the Shiv Sena (UBT) Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed her concern over the silence surrounding the violence and ethnic-based atrocities, calling it "absolutely shameful."