Thousands of Meitei and Kuki women organised massive protests across Manipur

Thousands of women of both Meitei and Kuki communities on Friday organised massive protests across Manipur vehemently, condemning the parading of two naked women by a mob in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on May 4.

Hundreds and thousands of women belonging to Meitei community organised protests in five valley districts -- Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching while the women belonging to Kuki communities held similar protests in the hill districts, including Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.

At the mammoth protests of the Kuki women, participants shouted slogans: "We Want Justice", "Book the Culprits", "We Want Separate Administration", etc.

They also held banners and placards that read, "Punishment for Rape should be nothing but death", "Rapists are nothing but monsters in a human face", "The world's most horrible crime committed against women", "Barbaric acts never witness before", "Worse than a Vietnam War", "Address the Kuki-Zo problems", "No Solution, No Rest", etc.

The leader of one of the women's organisations' said that every mother and daughter's heart is bleeding and broken, and "we are filled with pain and agony to witness the barbaric and inhumane act committed to our sisters".

"Even such crime has not been committed by the animals. The Meitei mobs are losing their human nature. We have never seen such a crime before," she rued and said that the Kuki-Zo women would not remain quiet unless justice is done to their sisters and the perpetrators and rapists are all booked and punished.

She also sought the support and cooperation of all women across the country in their commitment to upholding the principles of justice.

The protest, organised by various local clubs and Meira Paibis in the valley districts, expressed outrage and demanded justice for the two women victims, who were made to parade naked and sexually assaulted in a video that went viral on the social media on Wednesday.

While condemning the crime, the protesters also questioned the “conspiracy” behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi breaking his silence only after 77 days, focusing on a particular incident, leaving out all other acts of violence in the ongoing unrest in Manipur.

Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Friday said the people of Manipur consider "women as their mother" but the miscreants who molested and stripped two women naked have "tarnished the state's reputation and traditional culture".

Protests are being held across the state to condemn the heinous crimes, he told the media in Imphal and said that people are demanding that the culprits get the maximum punishment.

A mob of women set fire to the house of the main accused in the women parading case Huirem Herodas Singh (Meitei) at Yairipok village in Thoubal district late on Thursday evening, police officials said in Imphal.

The Manipur Police on Thursday night said that four accused, including Singh, have been arrested in connection with the shocking case.

Biren Singh, who also holds the home portfolio, told the media that interrogation of the arrested persons is being conducted by senior police officials and at this juncture, he would not be able to disclose the details.

“The state Police is making all out efforts to arrest the remaining culprits at the earliest. Raids are continuing,” the Manipur Police tweeted.