India: Massive protests erupt in Manipur after disturbing video goes viral

Massive protests erupted in India’s violence-hit Manipur state on Friday after a disturbing video showing two women being paraded naked went viral on social media. Public demonstrations were held through the streets of Churachandpur, fanning fresh ethnic tensions.

The video, which is said to be two months old, went viral on the internet on Wednesday, attracting condemnation from public, top political leaders and even the Supreme Court of India.

The incident is from May 4, where three women of a family were sexually assaulted, one of them gang-raped and her father and brother killed by a mob of about 1000 men.

Manipur Police said Thursday they had detained a man visible in the 26-second footage, from Thoubal district. As per the officials, the person is believed to be the mastermind of the incident.

Chief Minister of the state, N. Biren Singh, who hails from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), assured the enraged public that strict action will be taken against those involved in the crime. He also suggested capital punishment for the accused to ensure swift justice.

“My heart goes out to the two women who were subjected to a deeply disrespectful and inhuman act," the BJP leader tweeted on Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday also spoke about the sexual atrocities in Manipur on Thursday before the beginning of the Monsoon session of the Indian Parliament. 

“This a shameful incident for any society…who did this and who is responsible is another issue but this has put our nation to shame. I appeal to all chief minsters to tighten law and order. Whether it is Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh or Manipur...the issue of a woman's honour is above all politics,” he said while addressing the media.

Manipur has been marred by escalating violence since May 3, as the Kuki and Naga communities took to the streets in protest against an order of the High Court that urged the state government to grant the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community. 

This request aimed to enable land acquisition in the hilly regions, a privilege reserved exclusively for ST communities.

The demand for ST status, however, ignited tensions between various communities, leading to a wave of protests across the region. As conflicting sentiments collided, the strife escalated into violence, further exacerbating existing social and political fault lines in Manipur.