Manipur sexual violence: AISA organises protest, demands Biren Singh’s ouster

Scores of protestors, including women from Manipur’s Kuki- Zo tribes, gathered at the Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The protest, organised by All India Students Association (AISA), was called in the wake of a disturbing video, which went viral on social media a few days ago, showing a mob of young men parading two Kuki women naked on the street.

“The fight between the two communities is still going on. Women are being raped. We demand the immediate resignation of Manipur CM N Biren Singh,” said a protestor who wished to remain anonymous.

The horrifying video, which started doing rounds of social media on July 19, showed dozens of men parading and assaulting two women who had been stripped naked. The images prompted massive outrage across the country. 

The protestor also questioned BJP’s silence over the issue, “The government claims they have made few arrests based on the video evidence. But what about political justice?”CPIML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said. 

“The incident is from May. It’s been two months since the women were paraded naked, but no action was taken. The government acted only after the video went viral,” a protestor from AISA said.

We condemn the incident and immediately demand resignation from the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Manipur CM. 

A police complaint was filed by the husband of one of the victims, yet arrests in the case were made only after July 19. According to the FIR, at least one of the women, aged 21, was gang-raped. The other woman, as per the police complaint, is 42 years old.

The incident is said to have happened on May 4, in the valley district of Thoubal, a day after deadly ethnic riots broke out between the mainly Hindu Meitei and predominantly Christian Kuki-Zo tribes in the remote state in India’s northeast.