Before the video of the alleged incident of women being paraded naked and brutally assaulted in Manipur went viral on July 19, the National Commission for Women (NCW) had been apprised of the same through an appeal by two women activists and a civil society organisation called the North American Manipur Tribal Association (NAMTA) more than a month ago on June 12.
The appeal which was emailed to NCW Chairperson listed six incidents of violence and assault against women belonging to the Kuki tribe. The second one mentioned was that of the gangrape and assault on the women in B Phainom village of Kangpokpi District on May 4 which was captured in the video.
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The other incidents listed in the appeal are alleged harassment and abuse of students and staff from Kuki-Zomi communities in Manipur University campus, Imphal on May 3, harassment of two young women at Nightingale Nurse Institute in Imphal on May 4, the alleged rape and murder of two young women in the Konung Mamang area of Imphal on May 5, the killing of a 45-year old woman in Pheitaiching village of Kangpokpi district and sexual assault of an 18 year old in Wangkhei on May 15.
The activists who did not give their consent to be identified had compiled the incidents based on their interviews with the victims of physical assaults and rapes. “The number of affected parties are maybe more than reported,” the appeal, a copy of which is available with The Hindu, said.
The June 12 appeal underlined the serious gravity of “gender-based violence, appalling levels of women’s rights violations, and continued threats to the physical safety and psychological well-being of Kuki-Zomi women” and requested the commission to “take suo motu cognizance of the matter and if possible, constitute an Inquiry Committee”.
After the video created mass uproar across the country, NCW chief Rekha Sharma had on Thursday (July 20) tweeted that the commission has taken suo motu cognizance of the said incident.
When contacted, Ms. Sharma confirmed to The Hindu that the letter had indeed been received and as a follow up the NCW had written to the Manipur Chief Secretary on June 19 to take action.
“Till now, we have written four times to the Manipur government on May 23, May 29, June 19 and on July 20,” Ms Sharma said. She said that she had not received any response from the Manipur administration.
In the letter dated June 19, along with which the NCW chief said the appeal has been forwarded, Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi was asked to ensure mechanism for quick response to “incidents of violence and harassment of women” in the violence ridden State.
“Keeping in view the urgency and significance of the matter, I am forwarding herewith the representation requesting the State government for immediate support to the affected women and take appropriate action in this regard,” the letter said.
The letter on Thursday (July 20) to Manipur DGP Rajiv Singh, however, clearly mentions the incident captured in the video and asks for the immediate arrest of the accused persons as well as an Action Taken Report within four days.
When questioned as to why the NCW had not sent any delegation to the State, Ms Sharma told the media that situation was not conducive for that. “Do you think a delegation can go there?”
The NCW chief said that the commission was in constant touch with the officers in Manipur.
The Manipur Police on Thursday (July 20) arrested four accused after the incident of the brutal assault of the women in Kangpokpi surfaced.
More than 115 people have been killed and 40,000 displaced from their homes due to ethnic violence in the State that began on May 3. Tensions arose in the State after the majority Meitei community demanded Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and hill tribes opposed this demand.
