Rage over video unites Manipur; can it act as a bridge between warring groups?
It took a horrific video to jolt the Centre and the state government out of their collective stupor about the enormity of the crisis in Manipur.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to finally break his silence on the violence in the northeastern state, and the Manipur police was forced to act on the distressing incident 76 days after its occurrence.
The video — that was purportedly shot on May 4 and surfaced on Wednesday — showed two women being paraded naked and molested along a village road in Manipur’s Thoubal district.
The incident was swept under the carpet for 76 days despite a police complaint being lodged on May 18 and an FIR being registered by the police in June.
Also read: Manipur women paraded naked before gang-rape; will Modi break his silence now, asks Oppn
The police swung into action only after the viral video evoked sharp reactions from various cross-sections of society across the country. From film stars to politicians cutting across party lines, condemnation poured in.
The Supreme Court and the National Commission for Women also took serious exceptions to the incident. They asked the state government to take prompt action against the perpetrators.
PM’s first reaction, after 77 days
Amid all these condemnations came the prime minister’s first reaction to the Manipur conflict that has been raging for two and a half months now.
“My heart is wrenched due to the incident in Manipur. The entire nation feels ashamed; such incidents of violence are disgraceful for the whole country and every citizen,” he was quoted as saying by a news agency.
About 200 people have been killed in clashes between Meiteis and Kukis since the violence broke out on May 3. Around 60,000 people have been displaced as Meitei and Kuki areas became balkanized. Over 200 churches and 500 temples have been attacked. More than 4,000 arms and 5 lakh ammunition have been looted from police armouries by mobs from the warring communities.
The perpetrators mostly went scot-free. Around 3,000 sophisticated arms in the hands of the civilian population are yet to be recovered. This is largely because the BJP-led governments in New Delhi and Imphal all along had a business-as-usual approach in dealing with the conflict.
Also read: End silence and act now, Mizoram CM tells PM Modi over Manipur
A change of approach?
The surfacing of the May 4 video seems to have changed the approach to a certain extent.
Not only has the prime minister reacted to the incident, but also for the first time since the outbreak of the conflict, both the warring communities have been unanimous in their demand for stern action against the perpetrators of a crime.
The police, too, stirred into action after sitting on the complaint for days.
One of the accused, identified as Huirem Herodas Meitei, 32, of Pechi Awang Leikai was arrested by Manipur Police in connection with the incident on Thursday.
“After taking suo-motu cognisance of the incident after the video surfaced, the Manipur Police swung into action and made the first arrest this morning,” Chief Minister Biren Singh tweeted.
“A thorough investigation is currently underway and we will ensure strict action against all the perpetrators, including considering the possibility of capital punishment. Let it be known, there is absolutely no place for such heinous acts in our society,” the chief minister added.
Later, in a press statement, he said talks had been held with various civil society organizations of different communities, businessmen, and leaders of religious institutions as part of the peace-restoration process.
“As we have lived together for a long time and must live together in future, too, misunderstandings among communities can be sorted out and addressed with talks, so that we can live together again peacefully,” he added.
All-round condemnation
Another BJP MLA from the valley, Rajkumar Imo Singh, demanded capital punishment for the perpetrators so that “no person dares to repeat the heinous crime again.”
“Let us not spare any of these people involved,” he went on to add.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the umbrella body of several Meitei civil society organizations, too, strongly condemned the “barbaric and uncivilized” act of violence on the two women.
“The entire people across the state and nation are in deep shock. The COCOMI team, with all its might, is trying all possible means to hunt down the culprit wherever they are,” the umbrella body said in a press statement.
It said the entire Meitei society is in “deep shame and anguish” over the incident.
“The COCOMI firmly believes that all those involved in the barbaric act will not be spared by the Meitei community in any way and befitting punishment will surely be given to everyone involved in the crimes,” it said.
Also read: Manipur CM has assured of strict action: Smriti Irani on video of women paraded naked
It further alleged that several woman protestors were “beaten black and blue and manhandled” by Indian Army personnel on the evening of June 30 in Moirang area of Bishnupur district. But the national media did not highlight it.
A silver lining?
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum, the umbrella body of the Kuki groups, demanded that the governments and other authorities take all “necessary measures” to bring the culprits to book.
Biren Singh, in an interview to a national TV channel, claimed hundreds of such incidents happened over the past two months of violence. Yet, no action was taken; nor was any voice raised against any of the incidents until the video came to light.
The only silver lining amid the insanity the state has been witnessing is the unison Manipur has shown in seeking exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the May 4 crime.
It is now to be seen whether this collective anguish can act as a bulwark against such depravity in future and act as a bridge between the warring communities with a sense of “enough is enough”. After all, as the cliched saying goes, the darkest hour is just before the dawn.
