The Government of India (GOI) has been trying to take political advantage by diverting the narco-terrorism in the state over the viral video of two women paraded naked, Manipur International Youth Centre (MIYC) has said.
MIYC, in a release on Monday, stated that the 26-second-long video has been taking a vital role in distracting the public from the prevailing clash, trying to destroy the territorial integrity of Manipur. The prevailing conflict will take a wrong turn if we fail to focus on the root cause of the current turmoil in the state, it added.
It also condemned the burning of houses of the accused in the recent viral video, saying that other innocent family members have been affected by the crime done by one of their family members.
According to media reports, more than 200 Meitei women were allegedly raped on May 3 and 4 when the clash broke out but the government fail to investigate officially of the said cases, it mentioned.
“Numerous central and state security forces have been carrying out search operation to arrest the miscreants involved in the viral video but the government turned a blind eye on the pleas of the people to find Hijam Luwangbi and Phijam Hemarjit, who went missing since July 6, 2023”, said the release.
It recalled that many Meitei civilians lost their lives during the Kuki-Naga war from the year 1992 till 1997 but remained neutral throughout the war to bring back peace.
MIYC expressed strong suspicion of political conspiracy on the two-month-old video which surfaced on the internet just a day before the parliament monsoon session. The PM addressing the nation in his 36-second-long video as an incident which have never happened in the country is an act to cover up the terrorism and genocide carried out by the Kuki militants in Manipur, it said.
It recalled the 2022 Gujarat riot where numerous women were paraded naked in the open and were raped and questioned on which Indian leaders and bollywood actors lamented the incident. It also questioned the PM for not speaking up on a similar incident of two women being assaulted naked in the open in Malda, West Bengal on July 19, 2023.
It alleged that GOI is taking advantage of the viral video to let the Kukis have their separate administration. As per some media houses, a separate administration for the Kukis has already been approved by GOI in a meeting between the Kuki militants and GOI, held at Hotel Ashoka, New Delhi on June 25, 2022.
It condemned the government for trying to suppress the Meitei community during the ethnic clash. Protesters are being sent to jail and speakers are being threatened and the Kukis are allowed to take out protest rallies against the government openly during curfew hours, it mentioned.
MIYC lastly appealed to the general public to support and encourage the clash hit victims.
