NSWON condemns crime against women in Manipur; calls it an attack on humanity

The NSCN IM Women’s Organisation, the National Socialist Women’s Organization of Nagalim (NSWON), has condemned the Manipur viral video incident and ‘acts of savagery’ and ‘depravity’ meted out against women and girls in Manipur, saying “Humanity is under attack”.

In a statement, NSWON wrote, ” The National Socialist Women’s Organization of Nagalim (NSWON) is left aghast and terrified of the nightmarish situation in Manipur where there are threats to women’s rights, particularly their livelihoods and dignity. What can be more horrific for women and girls when they were paraded naked, fondled and tortured in full glare of the people and media. The scene is simply heart wrenching and disturbing. This is a crime against humanity.”

“NSWON is lost for words to condemn such act of savagery and depravity meted out against women and girls in Manipur’s ethnic conflict between the Metei and Kuki-Zo communities, NSWON further wrote in the statement.

The women’s organization termed the incident an attack on humanity in the most ruthless and cruel manner that finds no parallel in the history of Manipur.

The NSCN IM Women Organisation listed out all the incidences of violence against women in Manipur:

• Lucy Marem of Narum village, Pallel, Chandel district, was mercilessly killed on July 15, 2023, at Sawombung (Ukhrul Road), Imphal East district, by the Arambai Tenggol after being handed over to them by Meira Paibis.
• The most painful thing that can happen to a woman as human being is the B Phainom village incident when a woman’s son and husband were beaten to death and her daughter gang-raped by the predators.
• Two Kuki-Zo nursing students were lynched by a mob and left to die in the street. But they survived miraculously.
• A Kuki woman was kidnapped from Checkon, Imphal, and raped twice in Langol and Ngariyan hills. She narrowly escaped getting murdered.
• A Kuki mother and her two daughters were mercilessly killed in their Uripok residence in Imphal.
• Two young girls, Florence Hanging and Olivia Chongloi from H. Khopibung, working in Gamma Automatic Car Wash, Konung Mamang, Imphal, were raped and brutally killed on May 4, 2023.
• A woman Meena Hangshing (a Meitei married to Kuki) and her 7-year-old son, along with another Meitei woman relative, were on the way to Imphal in an ambulance for the treatment of the son, who was injured by bullets fired by the Meitei mob. In the middle, they were waylaid and burned down the ambulance with three of them locked inside.

The NSWON also condemned rape being used as weapon of war or tactic of terrorism against women in Manipur, and the sexual violence and killing of women, girls and child in the strongest terms.

“Our hearts cry out in anguish when our sisters are treated in the most contemptuous manner. We cannot imagine that this ethnic conflict would go down to such level to outrage the dignity and modesty of women and also killed them after gang raped, as if they are not human being. This is not what is expected in today’s world of civilization. Respect for women’s rights is one way of identifying ourselves in this new millennium,” the statement said.

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