How Manipur reacted to the viral video: ‘Deep shame’, ‘selective response’, ‘misleading reporting’

Politicians, civil society activists spoke up against horrific violence. Some called for resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

Jul 21, 2023 - 08:30

How Manipur reacted to the viral video: ‘Deep shame’, ‘selective response’, ‘misleading reporting’

A day after the video of two Kuki women being paraded naked by an armed mob went viral on Wednesday, scattered voices of condemnation emerged from Manipur.

Several politicians, civil society activists and legislators in Manipur spoke out against the horrific violence. Some called for the resignation of chief minister N Biren Singh, who has remained at the helm despite ethnic clashes between Kukis and Meiteis continuing in Manipur since May 3.

Others, however, claimed the outrage was one-sided.

Imphal Times, an evening English daily, carried a front-page collage of about a dozen images of Meiteis killed during the ethnic clashes. It was accompanied by an editorial that criticised “Modi’s selective response”. On Thursday, speaking outside Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Manipur incident was “shameful for any civilised society”.

“After 75 days of eerie silence, Mr Modi finally spoke, but to the dismay of many, he addressed only one incident – the purported video showing two women parading naked,” the editorial said. “Mr Modi’s selective response raises questions about his motives. Many see his statements as an attempt to play the gender card and manipulate emotions to divert attention from the core issue – the urgent need for peace and stability in Manipur.”