A dishonourable honour
Updated On: 23 July, 2023 07:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Paromita Vohra
An internet ban was a fortress to facilitate this silence, within which majoritarian violence continued, uncurbed by the authorities.
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Illustration/Uday Mohite
On Friday, Biren Singh, “Honourable” Chief Minister of Manipur announced a statewide condemnation campaign following a viral video showing the gang-rape and assault of Kuki-Zo women in Manipur, and “tarnishing the image of the state”. The bodies of women are useful for the powerful: to brutalise for power if you want, display for outrage when it’s convenient—and invoke honour when you need some.
With the video’s emergence, a hundred questions emerged, months too late. The incident took place on May 4. A zero FIR (culprits unknown) was filed on May 18. But anyway, police had abetted the majoritarian mob, as police allegedly have during Mumbai’s 1992-93 riots and Gujarat in 2002. A complaint was sent to the National Commission for Women. On June 1, the website Newsclick published Honeilhing Sitlhou’s account of several related incidents including interviews with the survivors of this one. But layers of silence persisted—the Prime Minister never spoke about the violence in Manipur.
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