New Delhi –
Two women were stripped naked and then paraded and raped in Manipur, India. The horror event was triggered by a conflict between two ethnic groups, namely Meitei and Kuki.
The inter-ethnic conflict in Manipur has actually been going on since May 2023. The inter-ethnic conflict was sparked by a dispute over access to government jobs and other benefits.
The conflict then sparked a number of bloody clashes. Houses and churches were burned causing tens of thousands of people to flee to camps provided by the Indian government.
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The Meitei ethnic group make up the majority in the area and most practice Hinduism and live in and around the Imphal region. Meanwhile, the Kuki ethnic group, who are mostly Christian, live in the local hill area.
The Kuki ethnic group protested against the demands of the Meitei ethnic group for quotas for public works and college admissions as a form of affirmative action. The protests have revived long-standing fears among the Kuki that Meitei could be allowed to acquire land in areas currently reserved for them and other ethnic minorities.
The conflict in the region left more than 140 people dead. This conflict was also the trigger for the mass inhumane acts against two women from the Kuki ethnicity.
Reported BBC and Hindustan Times, Saturday (22/7/2023), two women from the Kuki ethnicity were paraded naked and then allegedly raped. The horrific incident actually occurred shortly after the inter-ethnic conflict broke out in Manipur, namely May 4, 2023.
However, this tragic incident only went viral on Wednesday (19/7) and sparked public outrage in India. The victim, who is of the Kuki ethnicity, was initially rescued by the police along with three of his family members. However, a mob from the ethnic majority Meitei allegedly confronted the police and the survivors.
The mob is said to have killed a 56-year-old man. The mob then stripped naked and paraded two women which then went viral on social media.
The Police Are in the Spotlight
The incident then raised questions about the role of the police. The police’s role was further questioned after damning details emerged in a written complaint from a relative of one of the female victims, a copy of which was seen BBC. The written complaint stated that the mob allegedly took the survivors from police custody.
Two survivors accused police of being present but “doing nothing to help them”. Local police did not dispute the accusations. Several local media reports, citing anonymous police officials, said the police were “outnumbered” when the incident occurred.
A senior government official who declined to be named said police had received more than 6,000 complaints since the start of the violence on May 3 and the delay in handling the case could be due to the “small number of Manipur police”.
The official also said if the government had received the video earlier, the suspect would have been arrested sooner. Manipur Police did not respond to questions regarding the alleged slow handling of the case.
Read more on the next page.
2023-07-22 14:02:41
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