Two years on, women who became tragic symbols of Manipur horror live in shadows

In Manipur, two years after violence killed 260, Kuki families live in fear, haunted by trauma, as protests and high security mark the anniversary.

Tens of thousands of people in Manipur will be out on the streets this Saturday, marking their protest on the second anniversary of the violence that has torn the state apart and killed 260 people. Security will be on high alert, nearly 8,000security personnel will be patrolling the streets, and leaders will be addressing rallies.

Saturday marks the second anniversary of the ethnic tensions and violence that tore Manipur apart. (HT_PRINT)

But two Kuki families will be away from the crowds, spending the day at small rented homes in Churachandpur town.

They once lived in their own houses in Kangpokpi district, from where a mob pulled them out on May 4, 2023, killed two male members, stripped the two Kuki women naked, gang raped them, and paraded them naked – their plight caught on video becoming the emblem of the horrors that roiled Manipur.

“Our case is such that we don’t come out in the open. My wife and the other young woman were paraded naked and violated while the mob recorded videos and later circulated it on social media. We want to forget everything, but this is a trauma that won’t heal quickly,” said the husband of one of the two victims,a 45-year-old woman. The other victim was 22.

In the last two years, the two families have changed houses at least four times, trying to live in places where they are not easily identified.

“But this is difficult. Until last year, my wife was suicidal. I cannot explain how I managed to convince her that it was not her fault, and how we needed to be strong. The younger woman became a recluse. She would not step outside her house and refused to talk to any unknown man. Even today she does not speak to outsiders,” said the 45-year-old’s husband.

He said a few months ago, the Assam Rifles (AR) helped the family get in touch with a top psychologist from Guwahati for counselling. Once every week or fortnight, the two women visit the Sector 27 Assam Rifles office in Churachandpur town for a virtual counselling session with the psychologist, said people aware of developments.

Unlike others, whose cars are not allowed inside the high security campus, the women – who come with their faces covered by shawls – drive inside and directly enter the room with video conferencing facilities, said the elder woman’s husband.There are no questions asked at the gate.

“The counselling session is helpful. Our community leaders are protecting us. We also speak to our pastor at the church. It is a work in progress,” said the man, a 65-year-old retired junior commissioned officer (JCO) who served in Jammu & Kashmir during the Kargil War.

A Kuki-Zo community youth leader, who has been given the charge to look after the two families, said, “They are not from Churachandpur but their case is such that people have seen the viral videos. This is why they have to change homes. Whenever they say they are uncomfortable, we immediately shift them to a new place. They had also shifted here during the peak of the violence. There is no normalcy in Manipur. The women are yet to come to terms with their new life here.”

Despite the community leaders’ attempts to get the women to meet new people and spend their time outside, the two women have expressed their inability to go out and meet people, said the Kuki-Zo community youth leader.

“My wife has trouble sleeping but she is slightly better. But the younger woman has developed anxiety issues. The incident has affected her psychologically. We may never feel what she is going through but we know what has caused it. But still things are slightly better now. If the administration can help them find suitable jobs, it would be of great help not just financially but psychologically too. This will also help in the healing process ,” the elder woman’s husband said.

The younger victim was a college student at the time but later dropped out. She lives with her mother.

The police say the younger woman’s father and brother were also killed by the mob that day. The first information report said a mob of 900-1,000 men armed with AK rifles, INSAS and SLRs, entered the victim’s village, burnt houses to the ground, looted and committed the crimes on the women at 3pm on May 4, 2023 – less than 24 hours after ethnic clashes between Kukis and Meiteis broke out.

On October 5, 2023, the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) filed a charge sheet against seven persons at a special CBI court in Guwahati. Last month, the Supreme Court said that the trial of this case and 26 others being probed by CBI will be held in Guwahati.

Manipur government officials aware of the case details said the two women successfully identified all the men in the test identification parade (TIP) and recorded their statements before a magistrate in August 2023.

“The TIP was held in Manipur itself. Despite their trauma and what they went through that day, they successfully identified all the accused. There were so many similar looking photographs on the table, of which they picked up faces of the accused. They have a strong case whenever the trial starts,” a senior government officer said.

The family said the last time they heard from CBI was sometime in June last year. HT reached out to CBI for a comment but did not get one immediately.

“I do not think the government has forgotten about this case but for some reason there is no development. We have not been called to the court even once. We still maintain that one main person has not been caught. Two years have passed, and we are still waiting for justice,” the husband said. Last month, the families were notified that two of the accused have sought bail.

Both families are now waiting with trepidation for May 3. That day, Manipur’s horrors will hit the national headlines again. Messages, photos, videos will be circulated on social media and phones. Among them will be the illegal, once viral and perennially traumatic video that changed their lives, two years ago.