Manipur: Ongoing Deplorable Horror
India’s north-eastern state of Manipur has been witnessing violent clashes since May. However, despite the intensity of violence and grave danger faced by the people of the state, there is a severe lack of attention being directed towards this region. Mainstream news outlets, especially television news, barely mention the state and the horrors witnessed by its citizens.
To understand the events transpiring in Manipur, it is first important to understand a few terms:
1) Scheduled Tribe: The Constitution of India designates those individuals belonging to communities who have historically been amongst the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India as Scheduled Tribes. It is a form of Affirmative Action aiming to ensure that those from marginalised communities are represented and not left behind.
2) Kukis: Kukis are a tribal community present across India’s north-eastern state primarily residing in the hills. They are a predominantly Christian tribe and hold the status of a Scheduled Tribe. The Kukis and Nagas make up approximately 40% of the population of Manipur. The Kukis and Naga's make up roughly 25% and 15% of the population respectively.
3) Meiteis: Meiteis are the largely dominant community in the state of Manipur and make up 53% of the state’s population. They are primarily based in the plains and most Meiteis practice Hinduism.
In May, violence erupted in a Kuki-dominated region of Manipur when members of the Kuki community were protesting against the demands of the Meitei community to also be categorised as a Scheduled Tribe. While clashes between the two communities have not been uncommon in the past, the level and intensity of violence have increased over the past few months giving rise to fears of not only the safety of the citizens of Manipur but also the potential for a civil war.
The reported death toll is said to be 142, but the actual figures are feared to be far higher. A report by The Wire indicates that the violence in the state has also displaced close to 60,000 people. Since May, the internet has also been suspended in the state and on July 9th, the High Court directed for the ban on the internet to be lifted on a ‘case to case’ basis.
These figures and internet shutdowns do not paint a fraction of the events unfolding in the state of Manipur because of the lack of information coming out of the state. A fact-finding team that visited the state from the 28th of June to the 1st of July described the events transpiring as ‘state-sponsored violence’. Despite these accusations, the mainstream media in India refuses to turn its attention to the state.
[The following paragraph contains graphic details]
The lack of information coming out of the state of Manipur is epitomised by the recent video circulating across the internet on the 19th of July that shows two women of the Kuki community being paraded naked, allegedly by members of the Meitei community. One of the women in the video is also alleged to have been gang-raped. While these details are nothing short of shocking, it is startling to know that the incident is alleged to have occurred on the 4th of May – nearly two and a half months ago and has only been brought to public purview now.
Despite the incident occurring in May and a report being filed then, the perpetrators have not yet been identified by the police. While the authorities and those responsible for the governance of the state were aware of this incident, it took a long time for the video to go viral for members of India’s cabinet to take cognizance of the severity of the issue. India’s Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani took to Twitter in the aftermath of the video going viral to express her ‘horror’ at the incident. Despite the statement being delayed and what is in all probability an act of damage control, it still is an improvement from the ad-hominem attack undertaken by Irani just last week against those questioning the government’s silence on the violence in Manipur.
The harsh reality is that the incident referenced above is unlikely to be the only such incident. The lack of information allowed to exit the state combined with the internet shutdown puts us in the unknown regarding the human rights abuses faced by the citizens of Manipur. The violence in Manipur has persisted for months with limited attention, however, it is incidents like this that are a wake-up call for us to seek accountability and for the immediate restoration of peace in the state.