The US is highly worried about a viral video of two women displayed naked in India’s northeastern state of Manipur, a sexual assault case that outraged the nation. After two months of ethnic hostilities in the remote state, a mob allegedly gang-raped and exhibited naked indigenous women. After the video went viral last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence on Manipur violence. After Modi’s 30-second statement outside parliament on Thursday, police made some arrests. BJP rules Manipur.
A US State Department official termed the Manipur event “brutal” and “terrible” and expressed sympathy for the victims. The State Department spokeswoman urged authorities to react to humanitarian needs and safeguard all organizations, homes, and places of religion in Manipur. The victims, aged 21 and 42, reported the sexual assault in May during significant ethnic riots between the tribal Kuki-Zo, who are mostly Christian, and the Hindu Meiteis over probable changes to economic privileges offered to them and other tribal groups in Manipur. Scheduled Tribe classification would allow the majority Meiteis to acquire land in the highlands inhabited by the Kuki-Zo and other tribal groups and ensure government jobs. New Delhi sent thousands Indian paramilitary and army forces to the 3.2 million-person state to calm the unrest. Since May, intermittent riots and deaths have kept the state volatile. Since May 3, Manipur unrest has killed at least 130 people and displaced over 50,000. On Saturday, thousands of people, largely women, staged a sit-in in Churachandpur, Manipur, 65km (40 miles) south of the state capital, Imphal, to demand the arrest of everyone involved in the horrific attack of two women on May 4.
Religious and women’s leaders addressed the almost 15,000 demonstrators, who demanded BJP Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s dismissal. In Churachandpur, a Kuki-Zo stronghold, protesters placed mock coffins of minority community members murdered in the violence at a “Wall of Remembrance” site. The Kuki Women’s Organization for Human Rights’ chairman, Ngaineikim, accused Meiti Singh of organizing crimes and then feigning sorrow for the victims. In New Delhi, 400 people protested with identical requests. “We demand action against the perpetrators” and “Resign, Biren Singh” were their signs.
