In a shocking sequence of events, a viral video from May 4 shows two women from Kangpoki district, Manipur, being paraded on the streets naked after being gang-raped in a field. According to the statement posted by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF):
“…The despicable scene, which happened on May 4 in Kangpokpi district, shows the men constantly molesting the helpless women, who cry and plead with their captors.”
“The horrifying 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,” ITLF further wrote, appealing to the National Commission For Women and the National Comission for Scheduled Tribes to intervene and arrest the aggressors.
According to The Wire, the incident happened after tribal clashes between the Meitei and Kuki community in Manipur on May 3. The violence began when tribal groups held a solidarity march against the demand to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community. A mob burned down houses and accosted five people who were trying to flee the violence. Two men in the group were murdered, and the other women were forced to strip.
The Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani had condemned the incident on her Twitter account yesterday and revealed that she had spoken with Chief Minister N Biren Singh to order the police and investigate this crime to take speedy action against the perpetuators.
According to Outlook, the Indian government has issued an order to social media websites like Twitter to take down the video
