Manipur sexual assault: In a first, Adivasis across India are protesting atrocities in North East

On Wednesday, as hundreds of Adivasis marched through Mumbai’s Aarey colony to mark World Indigenous Day, many shouted slogans asserting their rights over jal, jangal and jameen – water, forests and land. But some carried placards highlighting a tragedy that had unfolded thousands of kilometers away – the sexual assault of Kuki tribal women in Manipur.

“Our rights are being violated across the country,” said Aarey resident Rupali Bhonsle. “Those women in Manipur are also Adivasi, so we are demanding justice for them.”

In July, after the video of two Kuki women being paraded naked emerged on social media, disquiet spread across Adivasi groups in the country. In a show of solidarity, protests were held in Adivasi-dominated areas of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

“When I watched the video, I was too shocked,” said social worker Kirti Vartha who organised a protest rally on July 24 in Maharashtra’s Palghar. “Those women were violated to attack the entire community.”

In Sundergarh, Odisha, a protest was held outside the collector’s office on July 27. “The ones being attacked in Manipur are Adivasis and also Christian,” youth leader Shilpa Ekka told Scroll in a phone interview. “So we thought it was important to show support.”

Demonstrating solidarity

While both Adivasis in the mainland and...

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