New Delhi/Imphal: The Joint Women’s Organisations in New Delhi staged a protest demonstration at Manipur Bhawan against crime against women in Manipur.
The protest was in response to the horrifying incident of alleged sexual violence, forcible stripping, and parading of women in Manipur, which has been reeling under ethnic violence for nearly three months.
The demonstration saw an impromptu gathering of women leaders.
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The leaders unequivocally held both the “BN iren Singh government in Manipur and the Modi-Shah’s BJP government” at the Centre responsible for the escalating ethnic violence and demanded immediate action to restore peace in the region.
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They further demanded fast-tracking of the case along with accountability of the policemen responsible for dereliction of duty.
The organisations also demanded the resignation of Biren Singh and the implementation of urgent measures to bring peace to Manipur.
AIDWA, AIMSS, CSW, NEFIS, NFIW, Pragatisheel MS, and Zimmedari SWO acknowledged that concrete evidence may not have emerged yet, but they believe that sharing the ground report will help mitigate the situation to some extent.
The protestors further said that shedding light on both sides of the story and taking proactive measures to address the crisis is equally important.
A Binodini Devi, Vice-President of AIDWA, Manipur State Committee, who actively participated in the protest, stated, “It is not the time to be demotivated. Let the entire world know the truth. Taking action, no matter how small, is better than doing nothing and failing.”
Mariam Dhawale (AIDWA) highlighted the disturbing nature of mobile-recorded videos that have surfaced on social media, showing a group of men parading two women naked on the streets.
In addition to this incident, there are allegations of killings and molestations of Manipuri women during the ongoing ethnic violence.
The act of recording and sharing these videos on digital platforms, thereby revealing the identity of the survivors, was strongly condemned as it violates the dignity and rights of the victims.
The incident in question occurred on May 4, shortly after the ethnic violence erupted on May 3 this year.