Outrage after women paraded naked in India state

• Posted on July 20, 2023July 20, 2023
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

A video showing two women being paraded naked by a mob in the violence-hit northeastern state of Manipur has sparked outrage in India.

The police say they have opened a case of gang rape and arrested a man, adding that others will be held soon.

On Thursday, the monsoon session of parliament was disrupted as lawmakers demanded a discussion on the issue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said the incident had “shamed India” and that “no guilty will be spared”.

“I assure the nation, the law will take its course with all its might. What happened with the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven,” he said, finally breaking his silence on Manipur more than two months after violence began.

The Supreme Court also expressed its concern over the assault. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said the court was “really disturbed over the video” and asked the government to take action.

Police say the assault on the women took place on 4 May but it made national headlines on Thursday after the video started going viral on social media. The federal government has asked all social media companies to delete the video from their platforms.

At least 130 have died and 60,000 have been displaced since ethnic clashes started between the Meitei and Kuki communities in May in Manipur.

The horrific video of the two women was widely shared on social media on Wednesday. It shows them being dragged and groped by a mob of men who then push them into a field.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) said in a statement that the atrocities had been committed in a village in Kangpokpi district against women from the Kuki-Zo tribal community. It also alleged that the women had been gang raped.

-BBC