AMN / WEB DESK
A video clip of two Manipur women paraded naked and one of them gangraped by an armed mob has shocked the nation.
It was after the video surfaced, Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence on the Manipur violence. He condemned it while speaking to media outside Parliament on Thursday. He had not spoken a word on it though the violence has continued for more than two months despite Opposition parties and rights activists asking him to break his silence.
On Thursday Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, in a suo motu proceeding, denounced the incident and remarked that such incidents are unacceptable in a constitutional democracy.
While gangrape took place on May 4, the video surfaced on July 19 only when someone circulated it on the Twitter.
The incident took place a day after communal riots began between members of Hindu Meitie and Christian Kuki communities following the Manipur High Court granting Scheduled Tribe status to Meities. Kukis protested the court order as they felt that the majority Meities will encroach upon their rights available to them as members of ST community and also snatch their land in hilly areas where Kukis live. The violence that began on May 3 is still continuing. About 160 people have been killed so far and 50,000 displaced from their native places. While a large number of them are living in relief camps in Manipur, many others have taken shelter in neighbouring Mizoram.
Manipur, one of the seven northeastern states, is at the extreme end of the country bordering Myanmar. The state government is led by Bharatiya Janata Party and headed by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, belonging to Meitie community. Despite his failure to control the violence, he continues to be chief minister.
The video that went viral shows the men in mob groping and sexually assaulting the two women-one of them 21-year-old and another 52-year-old. Among those involved in sexual assault are reported to be as young as 14 to 15-year-old boys.
According to police FIR, the girl who was gang-raped was 21-year-old.
Media reports say that police, after CJI’s remarks and PM’s statement, arrested a suspect involved in the ghastly crime. The suspect has been identified as Khuirem Herodas.
Superintendent of Police (Thoubal district of Manipur) Sachidananda Soibam told mediapersons that police came to know about the incident through the video on July 19 only. He said the police were trying to identify and arrest the culprits through pictures in the video. However, family members of the survivors contested the police claim. They told mediapersons that they had registered an FIR on May 18 but the police did not take note of it.
They said that the police took one month in transferring the case to the police station under whose jurisdiction the shocking incident took place. But even after the case was transferred, the police did not initiate any action. They said that action began only after the video went viral on July 19.
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh tweeted : “A thorough investigation is currently underway and we will ensure strict action is taken against all the perpetrators, including considering the possibility of capital punishment.”
Was PM Narendra Modi waiting for viral video to surface, questions Opposition
Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s selective response only on an isolated incident, the purported video showing two women being paraded naked, the 10 opposition political parties in Manipur have asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was waiting for the viral video to speak up.
Since May 3, the violence in Manipur has been escalating, but PM Modi waited for over 70 days to break his silence, they said.
Now, Manipur is in a worse situation and everybody is under tension. Today, before the Parliament session, the PM broke his silence regarding Manipur, that too upon a viral video and this is shocking, the 10 opposition political parties said.
Like-minded 10 opposition political parties in Manipur joined and conducted a press meet on Thursday at Manipur Press Club, Imphal, regarding PM’s first comment on Manipur violence.
The 10 opposition parties involved in the press meet included the CPI (M), the CPI, JDU, AIFB, SS(UBT), AAP, RSP, TMC, and the MPCC.
Janata Dal United (JD-U) national executive member Nimaichand Luwang, representing all the 10 opposition political parties, expressed disappointment at the selective response by the prime minister.
He emphasised that while the viral video warranted condemnation, there might be other shocking incidents that also needed urgent attention and action.
The incident involving the two women occurred on May 4 and was reported to the Saikul police station on May 18, but no immediate action was taken, he said, pointing out that it was not until June 21 that the complaint was transferred to the Nongpok Sekmai police station.
It was only on July 20 that the prime minister finally broke his silence, promising strong punishment for the culprits, a sentiment later echoed by Chief Minister N Biren, who advocated for capital punishment, he added.
Nimaichand also questioned the chief minister’s authority to pronounce such severe penalties and urged him to focus on conducting a thorough investigation instead.
“What was he doing since May 18. Manipur has become a lawless state”, Nimaichand said, adding that the chief minister is fully responsible for everything that takes place in Manipur.
And even as the government promised that the Manipur issue will be discussed in Parliament, the House on Thursday failed to discuss the issue with both the houses adjourned till Friday.
both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till , 21 July, after convening thrice on the first day of the Monsoon session as the Opposition created ruckus and demanded a discussion on the Manipur violence in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Fifteen opposition MPs had moved, asking for the suspension of all business and discussion of the ongoing violence, as per reports.
Reportedly, the government tried to proceed with regular business but the opposition members shouted slogans of “Manipur Manipur” and “Manipur is burning” in the Lok Sabha. In the Rajya Sabha, calls for a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi led to a stalemate.
Since the violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, national leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and five TMC MPs, have visited the state. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained silent for more than two months.
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In that over two months violence, nearly 150 have died, over 300 others injured, over 70,000 people rendered homeless and displaced with their homes and villages burned.
However, it was the viral video of two women being paraded naked and the Monsoon Session of Parliament that led to the prime minister opening his mouth on Manipur violence on Thursday.
A day earlier on Wednesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the government was ready to discuss all matters in Parliament, including the two-month-long violence in Manipur.
However, both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned before the Manipur issue was even brought up even as the oppositions demanded for it.