Outrage in India has been sparked by a recent video showing two Christian women being paraded naked and assaulted by a mob in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur.
In Manipur, which has experienced violent ethnic clashes, the video that surfaced on Wednesday depicts a mob sexually assaulting naked women while parading them toward a field.
The men of the Hindu Meitei group attacked the women, who belonged to the Kuki-Zo tribe, which is primarily comprised of Christians.
The police announced that they had filed a report of gang rape and had detained two suspects, adding that more would be detained soon.
Following the video’s virality, the chief minister of Manipur, 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.”
The opposition parties have criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the recent sexual assault and the ethnic violence in Manipur.
Members of the Kuki-Zo tribe claim that the state and federal governments are indifferent to the ethnic group and that these words and deeds come too late.
The two survivors’ families claimed that on May 18, they reported the incident from May 4 to the police. However, it took the authorities over a month to transfer the case to the police station where the crime was committed.
The family claimed that no action was taken even after the transfer and added that the authorities only reacted on Wednesday after the video went viral.
After ethnic clashes between the Christian Kuki-Zo and Hindu Meitei tribes in Manipur broke out the previous day, the incident took place on May 4.
Due to a state-wide internet ban in effect since May 3, the video became widely popular after more than two months.
The incident “shamed India,” according to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and “I assure the nation, the law will take its course with all its might.” There is no forgiveness for what occurred with the daughters of Manipur.”
“It should make any civil society ashamed. Modi declared before the monsoon session of the Indian Parliament, “My heart is filled with pain and rage.
Indian Supreme Court Chief Justice DY Chandrachud stated that the court was “deeply disturbed over the video.”
The chief justice warned that if the government didn’t inform the court about the actions being taken against the accused, “We will take action.”
The chief justice continued, “In a constitutional democracy, it is unacceptable.”
The atrocities were committed against women from the Kuki-Zo tribal community in a village in the Kangpokpi district, according to a statement from the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF). The women had experienced group rape.
The village was burned down, and two men—one middle-aged and one young—were beaten to death by the mob before the women were gang-raped, according to the ITLF.
The fact that the Hindu nationalist BJP controls Manipur must be mentioned.
A government proposal to grant the Hindu Meiteis reservations in government positions and educational opportunities led to the outbreak of violence between the two communities.
At least 130 people have died as a result of clashes between tribal members of the majority Meitei and the minority Kuki communities, and 60,000 more have been displaced.
