“Where is UNITY IN DIVERSITY?” Asks India’s Manipur. The Manipur Issue Explained!

The state of Manipur, which shares its borders with Myanmar, has been a victim of destructive violence since May 2023. What needs our attention is that post the violence-breakout, the internet was unavailable in the state for the upcoming months. Recently, when it was made available, a video was posted on Twitter that shook the nation. In this video, two women were seen being paraded naked and sexually assaulted by a group of men. Read the complete article to know about the seriousness of the situation in Manipur.

What Happened in the Past?

When Manipur was an independent province, it was facing attacks from the Myanmar borders. To cope with this, the British Government put the Kuki Army on the borders to protect the state. At that time, when the Kuki community was moved to borders, the Meitei community lived in the middle areas of the state. This explains that history is important in understanding the situation, as the two communities have lived away from each other since the start.

Power Caused the Differences

The Manipur issue reason is differences in power. As explained earlier, the Kuki community that lives on the outer parts are Scheduled Tribes (STs), whereas the people of the Meitei community are mostly Hindus. Therefore, the Kukis get reservations in several aspects but the Meiteis don’t. This became a matter of rage in the Meitei community that their cultural significance is being lost as all the administrative positions in the state, such as the police, belong to the Kuki community. But what’s interesting is that Meiteis have 40 MLAs out of 64 in the state. So, the Kuki debated why Meiteis needed more power since they had such influence.

Also, according to land reforms in the state, the Meitei people cannot purchase lands on the outer parts, whereas the people from the borders can purchase lands in the areas where the Meitei community lives.

The High Court Order

The argument by the Meitei community was taken to High Court, which, after understanding the situation, gave its verdict on May 3, 2023. As per its verdict, the Meitei people were granted ST status for 10 years. This caused immense rage in the Kuki community. They thought that not having enough MLAs from their end was what pushed them in the back again.

Manipur Two Woman Paraded Video Viral

The Manipur incident viral video on Wednesday was of May 4, 2023, a day after the High Court decision came out. In the Manipur issue video, it is evident that two men from the Kuki community, one in her 40s and the second in her 20s, are paraded naked. Later on, it can be seen that they are dragged to the fields and are brutally gang-raped. In an interview, the girl in her 20s told the Mob had killed her brother and father. Her village had also been burnt down. She further said that when the Mob was following her, she jumped into a police jeep where police officers were present, but they did not help her. Instead, the police handed her over to the Mob, knowing she would be brutally gang-raped.

The Media has Failed Us

It is an utter shame that people who live in other parts of the same country are getting to know the Manipur news today after seeing the Manipur viral video of woman months after the incident. As a nation, we have come to a point where serious matters are ignored, and some unimportant matters are made national headlines for months. Only we, the citizens, can do something for us. After all, it is our nation. Though Manipur is a northern state that is far away from other states, it is also an important part of our country, and looking that way, those people are our brothers and sisters too.

Supreme Court’s Take After the Video Went Viral

The Supreme Court of India stated that such acts are unacceptable in a constitutional democracy. The Court has shown its complete dissatisfaction with the administrative efforts in Manipur. It has strictly asked the Central and the Manipur Government to take action immediately and do what’s necessary. Failing this, the Court itself will interfere, knowing the seriousness of the situation. Though the Manipur incident original video has been taken down by the Government, violence is still continuing in the state, and the Court is expected to look after the current issues of Manipur.