Women paraded naked, gang-raped amid Manipur violence; tribal body demands justice as video sparks outrage

Violence-hit Manipur saw fresh outrage this week as a video of two Kuki-Zo tribal women being paraded naked and then gang-raped went viral. The incident - vehemently condemned by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum- purportedly took place in Kangpokpi district after B Phainom village was burnt down. The ITLF said the mob had beaten two men to death before turning against the two women. 

According to reports quoting an ITLF statement, the incident took place on May 4. The now viral clip shows the two women being paraded naked before a large group as they move towards a paddy field to be gang-raped. ITLF said that men were seen constantly molesting the helpless women as they cried and pleaded 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,” India Today quoted the ITLF release as saying.

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The horrifying clip has also made its way into social media platforms, gaining thousands of videos and sparking criticism. Mint however could not independently confirm the details shared by ITLF about the clip.

Violent clashes between different communities has continued to rock Manipur over the past two months, killing at least 100 people and leaving many others injured. Officials warned on Wednesday that over six lakh bullets and around 3,000 weapons are still with the warring communities in the strife-torn state. Experts have also warned about the possibility of banned terror groups re-emerging in the state.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday said the government was ready for a discussion on the situation in Manipur during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, but termed a "caveat for disruption" the opposition's demand for a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.

(With inputs from agencies)