Help me see husband, son's bodies: Mother of woman paraded naked in Manipur urges Oppn MPs

The mother of one of the two women who was paraded naked by a mob in Manipur on May 4 before being gang-raped, has urged a delegation of Opposition MPs visiting the violence-torn state to help her see the bodies of her husband and son, who were also killed on that day.

A delegation of 21 MPs from the opposition bloc is on a two-day visit to the state, and meeting people affected by the violence.

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When Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev and DMK MP Kanimozhi met the mother of one of the victims, she urged them to help her at least see the bodies of her son and husband.

The woman said the ethnic conflict in the north-eastern state has aggravated to the extent that Kukis and Meteis, the two warring communities, cannot live together anymore.

Dev said while the woman’s daughter was raped and her son and husband were killed by the mob in the presence of Manipur Police, no police officer has been arrested so far.

“They have got a huge shock. They are saying that there was a mob of more than 1,000 people, and they have made a specific demand, which I will raise with the governor,” she said.

The girl alleged that she was raped in front of the police, but nothing was done to help her, she added.

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Dev claimed that the girl is scared of the police now. “If a victim does not trust the police anymore then it is a constitutional crisis.”

Kanimozhi said the victim’s father served in the Army and protected the nation, but could not protect his family.

“It is so sad to see a woman whose daughter was raped. She lost her husband and her son on the same day and there is no justice for them,” she said.

The viral video of the May 4 incident renewed the national attention on Manipur, where violence broke out nearly three months ago, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring hundreds.

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The violence erupted on May 3 after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts.

(With inputs from agencies)