GUWAHATI: Two Kuki-Zo women were paraded naked and allegedly gang raped on May 4, a day after the ethnic violence in Manipur broke out. The horrific incident came to light on Wednesday after a purported video went viral on social media.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) strongly condemned the incident and called it a “sickening” act. “Two-and-a-half month into the ethnic conflict in Manipur, evidence of atrocities committed against Kuki-Zo tribals continue to surface. A video that went viral today shows a large Meitei mob parading two Kuki-Zo tribal women naked towards a paddy field to be gang-raped,” the ITLF alleged.
After the video went viral, the police filed a case of abduction and gang rape. “As regard to the viral video of two women paraded naked by unknown armed miscreants on May 4, 2023, a case of abduction, gang rape and murder was registered at Nongpok Sekmai PS (Thoubal District) against unknown armed miscreants and the probe has begun. The state police is making all-out efforts to arrest the culprits,” Manipur Police tweeted.
The ITLF said the incident occurred at B Phainom village in Kangpokpi district on May 4. “The gang rape of the women happened after the village was burnt down and two men – one middle-aged and another a teenager – were beaten to death by the mob,” the ITLF said. “The 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 organisation said.
It demanded that the Centre, state government, National Commission for Women and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes take cognizance of the offence and initiate necessary measures. Meanwhile, a TMC team visited Manipur on Wednesday to meet people affected by the violence. In the Imphal valley, large groups of women hit the streets on Wednesday defying curfew responding to a protest call by Khwairamband Ima Keithel Joint Coordinating Committee for Peace.