Recently, a disgraceful video of Manipur went viral on social media. The video displays atrocity and violence being committed against two women. Reports state that the video originated on May 4th, 2023. However, the video and its screenshots went viral on July 19th, 2023. The Manipur CM Nongthombam Biren Singh has assured in a public tweet that the first arrest was made on 20th July 2023. Moreover, he states that all actions in accordance with the law will be taken against the perpetrators.
The question is now why when the state is trying to return to peace will a 2-month-old video resurface? Another question that arises is whether the video is a response to Meitei FAMBEI’s assertion to rethink Manipur’s merger with India.
The Horrifying Video and The Incident
An unknown mob of men attacked the B. Phainom village. The village chief was unsure of their identity; however, the state’s tension-filled environment makes him believe that they largely belonged to the Meitei group. Additionally, he was not sure of the kind of weapons they used to loot and burn the village.
The incident report states that a family of 5 fled to the forest to save their lives. When they were being escorted back by the police team from Nonpok Sekmai, the mob came back and snatched the family. They killed the two men of the family and gang-raped the three women. The viral video shows how two of these women were also forced to strip and parade naked on the road. The FIR report also indicates these women were gang raped.
The village head reported the incident on 21st June and filed an FIR. The police network has been hard at work to restore peace.
Moreover, the security forces are trying to resolve the terrorist nexus that has been at work in Manipur. Incidents like these were also being reported and duly investigated by the police.
Scheme 1 : Why is The Video Viral after Two Months?
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum proposed that the video was viciously made viral to increase the sufferings of the women. Another point of view is that the video went viral deliberately. It was to force the police to take strict action at the fastest speed possible. Manipur is currently peaceful; however, the resurfaced video may arouse new tensions in the region. As a consequence, the security forces will be required to spread themselves thin while facing pushback from the media and locals.
This video may also have political connotations. There may be a few political stooges of the ‘toolkit’ gang who do not want peace to last in the North East region of India. The BJP’s ‘Look East’ policy gave them a boost in the 2019 elections. These armed rebellions are sponsored by the narcotics nexus from China and Manipur. They ensure that their drug mafia is able to disrupt regional peace and keep the security forces engaged while they conduct their shady business. Thus, the viral video may be a strategy of the ‘toolkit’ gang to defame India and the BJP, to keep the focus of the security forces off the borders and the narcotics nexus, and to incite anti-India sentiments in all segments of the Manipuri society.
Scheme 2 : How is The Video Impacting the Meitei FAMBEI’s Declarations?
The current portrayal of Meitei groups shows them in a negative light. A large number of Meitei families were displaced after facing repeated aggression and suppression from armed Kuki groups. The state went up in flames just on the promise of the CM N. Biren to include the Meitei community in the ST category. However, the state government has had to backtrack on the promise and ‘give up’ in the face of local rebellions and violence. This has made the Meitei FAMBEI or Meitei People’s Assembly very unhappy.
The Meitei FAMBEI claim to be the original occupants of the land. Additionally, they state that the Naga-Kuki-Chin tribes were imported from China and Myanmar regions by the British. Thus, they claim ownership of the ST status as the original residents of the area.
Recently, the Meitei FAMBEI expressed their dissatisfaction through a meeting where they expressed the need to readdress Manipur’s merger with India in 1949. As per the 1947 Instrument of Accession introduced by India, Manipur was an independent dominion of India. Thus, it had autonomy similar to Canada. In 1949 Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh signed the agreement that merged Manipur with India. Thereafter it was ruled by centrally applicable laws and rules.
The recent marches by Meitei women against the security forces and the government’s handling of the situation have put the BJP government in a tough spot. The opposition parties have enough ammunition for the next 5 years to ridicule any decision using Manipur as an example. Thus, the declarations of the Meitei FAMBEI may be politically charged to put pressure on the government to accede to their demands. Therefore, a video that puts shade on the Meitei community may be a strategy by the opposition to stop the Central Government from caving the Meitei community.
Conclusion
The video of the two women is horrifying in nature. It shows the sheer lawlessness that existed in the state of Manipur during those first few weeks. Both communities are not blameless in the acts of violence that persevered in the state for months. However, the 2-month-old viral video and 1-month-old case are definitely political tools in the hands of the right people. The response of the government and the arrests will not stop the bloodthirst of George Soros’ vultures. Currently, the ‘toolkit’ gang is ready to incite violence, sow discord, and defy logic in any case related to Manipur. ‘Viewer Discretion and Logic, Both are Advised’.