This morning, I woke up to a video that surfaced online post two months of Manipur violence, and it has disturbed me to the core. The video shows two women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted on the streets by a mob. The women belong to the Kuki-Zomi community. The same mob is also accused of burning down houses and then gangraping one of the women in the video and even killing the man who was accompanying them.
This horrific incident happened a day after ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, with the crux of the conflict being the Meitei community’s demands for Scheduled Tribe status.
Ritu shared narratives from different communities in Manipur on the violence. She started her story saying, “Manipur has been in the news for the war-like situation in the state. The disturbing photos and videos that went viral on social media describe the sorry state of affairs and how people themselves became enemies to each other. Regarding this matter, I spoke to many people from Manipur to know their opinions about the miserable condition of the state, and the reason for tragic rioting and violence. ” You can read her full story here.
Manipur has been battling with a prolonged clash between the two ethnic groups – Meiteis, that form the largely Hindu majority and Kuki-Zomi, the largely Christian tribal minorities, has led to widespread violence and displacement since early May. The total number of those killed in these riots has crossed at least 125. So much has been happening in Manipur, and nobody seems to bat an eyelid. The video of these women surfaced online yesterday, and it’s been in the news ever since. But what about the things that happened without the presence of a camera? Who is responsible for that? Who should be held accountable?
Women Have Always Been The Target Of Power
Crime against women in Manipur is not just limited to the recent video. The Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW) registered as many as 78 crime cases against women in 2022. Based on the data, there were 40 rape cases, 28 assaults, 20 crowd control assaults, ten forced detention, and nine murder cases. Manipur also witnessed a lack of society and community support for the victims.
One of the victims spoke to Indian Express and said that “The police were there with the mob which was attacking our village. The police picked us up from near home and took us a little away from the village, and left us on the road with the mob. We were given to them by the police.”
However, this is not the only case of women in Manipur being assaulted. According to this ground report published by The Print, in the ongoing ethnic riots, angry mobs used women’s bodies to take vengeance. They used rape as an ‘instrument for violence’ and to denote their power in the war.
On Churachandpur violence, a lawyer said how countless other rape cases are forgotten in the hills as they’re not reported as they are just deemed to be a ‘part of the war’.
The excruciating trauma endured by these two women also stands as a powerful condemnation of the state’s law enforcement and judiciary, demonstrating their shocking indifference towards addressing gender-based violence.
Media has, time and again, failed to bring light on gender-based violence. Will we never talk about it till it blows up or becomes viral?
Today, two months after the horrific incident came to light, Manipur police have finally arrested one of the main accused of the video. However, had the video not gone viral, would the arrest be made?
The delay in arresting the culprits and providing justice only serves to traumatise the victims further, and it sends a chilling message to other potential predators that they can continue their barbaric acts with impunity.
The Culture Of Silence
Why is the reporting on Manipur done with the focus being only on “violence between two clashing groups”? What about the women and children of Manipur who are affected by this? Why does nobody ever think about it?
While some print and digital media outlets still reported on the violence, TV news channels, that have a much wider viewership, remained unbothered. No prime-time anchor thinks it’s worth reporting and informing people about everything going down in Manipur.
Ronaldo Laishram wrote a letter to the PM on the ongoing crisis in Manipur. He wrote, “The situation on the ground is outrageous. Homes are being torched, and an atmosphere of fear, heightened by the presence of armed Kuki militants, pervades the local communities. The people of Manipur feel unprotected, with feelings of insecurity exacerbated by the sense that their pleas for help are falling on deaf ears.” You can read his full story here.
Manipur has been facing the invisibilisation of such events, which is manufactured by shutting the news out by disconnecting the internet, which causes a communication blackout and makes disseminating information impossible. It’s not just the media that does not report on such issues. It’s also the government that enforces internet shutdowns in the name of national security.
After the video went viral, PM Modi broke his long silence and speaking to reporters ahead of the Monsoon session of the Parliament that begins today said, “This a shameful incident for any society…who did this and who is responsible is another issue but this has put our nation to shame. I appeal to all chief ministers to tighten law and order. Whether it is Rajasthan, Chattisgarh or Manipur…the issue of a woman’s honor is above all politics.
But is this statement from the PM after a long silence of over 70 days enough? He finally broke his silence on Manipur, but isn’t it a bit too late?
As a woman living in India, this horrific incident has shaken me to the core. I can’t even think about the pain and trauma the women in Manipur must have endured. This incident makes me think about certain things. Are conversations on women’s safety done only for the sake of it? Countless campaigns and speeches from our leaders on making India a safe country for women later, where do we stand in terms of women’s safety? Will we only bother to talk about it or speak up, when it goes viral?
The culture of silence can be broken when young people talk on issues, ask for answers and speak up. Hence, we must express ourselves and demand for action to be taken.
What do you think about this? Do share your thoughts with us on Youth Ki Awaaz, for speaking up matters and your voice matters.