Imphal: Scores of Tangkhul women dressed in their traditional attire worn during the time of grief and sorrows gathered in Ukhrul district headquarters and held a sit-in-protest to condemn the horrifying act of parading two Kuki women naked by mob.
The peaceful sit-in-protest was organised by the Tangkhul Shanao Long (TSL) under the aegis of the Naga Women Union (NWU). Similar protest was also held at Naga-inhabited areas in Manipur.
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The women protestors were hold placards and raised slogans such as: End violence, respect women; arrest the culprits; hold the police accountable; peace and harmony now; we long for peace; our women our pride; respect our mothers, sisters, daughters among others.
Speaking to media persons, Agnes Shaiza, a representative of the Tangkhul women body strongly condemned the dehumanising act of parading naked two Kuki-Zo tribal women by Meitei mob and demanded to take immediate action against the culprits.
Shaiza maintained that we have seen many riots in many counties and places. But in this modern civilised world, people understand the importance of human rights and maintained accordingly.
She said that unfortunately, in her home state Manipur there is a communal issue which is in turmoil and the incident where the modesty of the women have been violated are being heard and reported.
“This is something we all detest and we strongly condemned the violation of the human rights, including robbing the modesty of the womenfolks, irrespective of community to which one belongs,” said the Naga woman leader.
She further mentioned that a woman from Maring Naga community was brutally killed by mob in Imphal recently in the pretext of mistaken identity.
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“You kill someone else and say it is a mistaken identity, how can we accept this kind of excuses. This is totally wrong and against rational thinking,” said Shaiza.
The woman leader also mentioned that four women from Ukhrul district were also physically and mentally assaulted by mob while on their way to the airport in Imphal two months back.
We demand the concerned authority to look into the matter and take immediate action against the culprits, said Shaiza.
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On Thursday, the Naga Women Union, an apex Naga women body in Manipur issued a statement condemning the incident where two Kuki women were tortured, stripped and paraded in a broad daylight.
Denouncing the action, the NWU said that the incident is a total dishonouring of women community as a whole.
Stating that the NWU along with different women activists from across the state have been advocating for peace and harmony, however, after seeing an ugly scene where women were molested in the most savage manner compels us to lost our patience and cry out in anger, said the women union.
“Women were treated as an object or a toy and even to this day we are striving for survival in different fields maintaining our dignity, our silent tolerate should not be considered our weaknesses. Every right thinking person must condemn such sickening act,” states the NWU.
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It further started that the Union regards morality and spirituality as the highest accord and strongly condemned such behaviour committed upon women.
“There is no means to justify at any cost neither the incident be called for any excuses. The competent authority must immediately booked all the involved perpetrators and punish befittingly to the depth of Capital Punishment for slaughtering womanhood if the rule of law still exists in the state,” it added.
Meanwhile, the United Naga Council (UNC) has stated that the beastly act of sexually assaulting right on the nose of the law enforcing agency and unleashing a reign of terror has shattered the basic principles of democracy.
The Tangkhul Women’s League, Delhi described the viral video incident as an “unmistakable symbol of human cruelty, grotesqueness and degradation of the women”.
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