Manipur Violence: ‘Shocked and terrified’, US reacts to viral video incident
The United States has reacted to the video of a brutal attack on two women in Manipur and supported the Indian Government’s efforts to seek justice for them. A senior Biden administration official said that the US is ‘shocked and horrified’ by the visuals of the attack.
Speaking to media persons, Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department said, “We were shocked and horrified by the video of this extreme attack on two women in Manipur. We convey our profound sympathies to the survivors of this act of gender-based violence and support the Indian Government’s efforts to seek justice for them.”
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself noted that such violence against women is shameful in any civilized society, according to a report published by the news agency PTI.
“We encourage a peaceful and inclusive resolution to Manipur violence and encourage authorities to respond to the humanitarian needs and protect the lives and property of all groups.”
On May 4, two Kuki women were paraded naked by a mob in the Thoubal district of Manipur and subsequently gang-raped. Almost two months after the incident, the video went viral on social media, triggering anger across the country and a sharp comment by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The incident occurred soon after clashes in Churachandpur where the Kuki community had protested against a proposal to grant scheduled tribe status to the dominant Meitei community.
More than 160 people have lost their lives, and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis account for about 53 percent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 percent and reside mostly in the hill districts.
In the United States, the small Manipuri diaspora has sought an immediate end to violence in the state and the imposition of the president’s rule, which it said is important to restore law and order in Manipur.
