Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 20: The prime minister Narendra Modi, the chief justice of India DY Chandrachud and the entire nation expressed anguish over the “truly disturbing video” of two women being paraded naked on the streets in Manipur even as the victims alleged that they were virtually “handed over” to the mob by the police.
The mob, they claimed, had also killed the father and brother of the younger woman in the video before they were gang raped in a field and then paraded naked in full public view through the streets.
Both houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day on the first day of the monsoon session on Thursday as the opposition created a ruckus demanding a discussion on Manipur suspending the day’s business.
The incident of the women paraded naked was of May 4 but the video surfaced only on Wednesday since there was no internet in Manipur from the day unrest began in the north-eastern state on May 3. And though the victims said they had lodged a police complaint on May 18, the police made the first arrest only on Thursday of one Heradas, a 32-year old youth seen prominently in the video. The police said identification of other accused was in process and they would soon be arrested.
The details of the incident surfacing said the women were dragged away by a mob from police protection as ethnic violence flared up in the state early May. The father and the 19-year old brother of the 21-year old woman were killed by the mob before she and two other women in the group, a 42-year old and another 52-year old were stripped naked and gang raped, but the 52-year old woman was not among the women paraded naked.
The trigger for the egregious act was allegedly a fake video. According to police sources, the two women were part of a small group that had fled for safety towards a forested area on the margins of hills-valley on May 4, when the ethnic strike escalated dramatically amid attacks and counter attacks between two communities.
Violence erupted in Manipur on May 3 between the valley-majority Meitei and the hill-majority Kuki tribe in Manipur over the Meiteis’ demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. The clashes started soon after a tribal solidarity rally in the hill regions.
A mob, acting on rumours – believed to be fake – that women from their community had been raped, allegedly raided a village and chased the group. The group comprised two men and three women. Three belonged to a family – a 56-year-old man, his 19-year-old son and 21-year-old daughter. Two other women were with them, one 42 years old and the other aged 52.
According to the FIR, the group, on their way to the forest, found a police team from the Nongpok Sekmai police station. Around 2 km from the police station, the group, along with the policemen, were accosted allegedly by a mob of about 800 to 1,000 men. The mob allegedly snatched the group from the custody of the police.
The 19-year-old boy was allegedly killed at the spot when he tried to save his 21-year-old sister from the mob. A police complaint filed by relatives of the women reveals that one of the women was gang-raped. Based on the complaint, the police said a zero FIR was registered on May 18. The case was transferred on May 21 to Nongpok Sekmai police station, where the incident took place.
But the victims have blamed the police for the horrific incident claiming that they were “handed over” to the mob by the police. Detailing the incident, the younger victim alleged: “The police were there with the mob which was attacking our village. The police picked us up from near home, and took us a little away from the village and left us on the road with the mob. We were given to them by police.”
She said while there were “too many” men who were part of the mob, she was able to recognise a few of them, including one who she said she had known to be a friend of her brother’s. But so far the police have not approached the victims to identify the assailants.
Though a complaint was lodged on May 18, the police apparently slept over the incident till the outrage in the country erupted after the video went viral on Wednesday. Heradas who was captured from Thoubal district was seen in the video in a green t-shirt, the police said. According to the officials, the accused was believed to be the mastermind behind the incident, they said.
The police are trying to establish the identity of the other accused in the video through facial recognition technology. About a dozen teams are working on the case, the police said, though it is not clear why no action was taken for 77 days. “The situation was difficult and the initial focus was on crisis management and relief,” government sources said on the delay in action.
A massive protest rally surged through the streets of Manipur’s Churachandpur following the disturbing video that captured the public humiliation and abuse of two tribal women amid the state’s ethnic clashes.
The Supreme Court condemned what it called the “deeply disturbing video” of two women paraded naked in Manipur and said the visuals showed “gross constitutional failure.” The CJI Chandrachud, asked the government to take action and also keep the court apprised about the steps being taken to ensure the safety of women in the region. If the government didn’t act, the Supreme Court would, warned the Chief Justice, adding that the court would take up the case on July 28.
“We are very deeply disturbed about the videos distributed yesterday. We are expressing our deep concern. It is time that the government steps and takes action. This is unacceptable,” Chandrachud said. “If the government does not act, we will. We are of the view that the court must be apprised of the steps taken by the government so that perpetrators are booked for such violence. What is portrayed in the media and visuals which appeared shows gross constitutional violation,” the Chief Justice said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his heart was filled with anguish and anger over the horrific video of two women paraded naked in Manipur and said the guilty would not be spared. “I want to assure the nation, no guilty will be spared. Action will be taken according to the law. What happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven,” Modi said in his remarks before the start of the monsoon session of parliament.
“As I stand next to this temple of democracy, my heart is filled with pain and anger. The Manipur incident is shameful for any civilised nation. The entire country has been shamed.”
While condemning the Manipur horror, Modi also referred to incidents in Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and said: “I appeal to all Chief Ministers to strengthen law and order in their state, especially regarding our mothers and sisters, and take strictest action, be it in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh or Manipur. In every corner of India, we should rise above politics and act against heinous crimes.”
Modi’s dragging the two Congress-ruled states bracketing with BJP-ruled Manipur for the shameful incident immediately drew protests from the chief ministers of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel.
Reacting sharply, Gehlot tweeted: “Nothing is more important to us than the safety and dignity of women. After the gruesome gang rape in Jodhpur, the three accused were arrested in just two hours. Whereas BJP took 77 days to nab just one accused in the shameful incident of Manipur. Time to answer on crime: Congress — two hours, BJP — 77 days.”
Gehlot was referring to the July 16 gang rape by three students of a minor Dalit girl on the campus of Jai Narain Vyas University in Jodhpur. The accused, who allegedly held the girl’s male friend, also a minor, captive while committing the crime, were arrested by the police shortly after the incident.
Baghel slammed the PM for dragging in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan while speaking about Manipur. “Manipur has been burning for the past three months, but Prime Ministerji did not speak about it even once. For the first time he spoke about the incident. He did not speak about Manipur but instead roped in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Even when he or Amit Shah came to Chhattisgarh, they did not mention law and order as an issue. But now he is comparing Manipur to Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh as elections are nearing in these two states. He did not speak a word on crimes occurring on the premises of Uttar Pradesh courts and hospitals, nor on treatment of tribals in Madhya Pradesh,” Baghel said.
Following the surfacing of the video, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh assured the public that stringent measures would be taken against all culprits involved in this heinous act, including the possibility of capital punishment. Several police units were promptly formed to investigate the incident and ensure swift justice.
A state of 3.2 million residents bordering Myanmar, began in early May following a court order urging the state government to contemplate extending the economic benefits and quotas enjoyed by the tribal Kuki people to the majority Meitei population. The violence had initially subsided by mid-May, but sporadic conflicts and killings resumed soon after, leaving the state in a state of unrest. The conflict has left hundreds injured and more than 40,000 displaced from their homes.
The Kuki tribe has demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister. Over 120 have died in the ethnic violence and thousands have been internally displaced and are now living in relief camps.