Manipur victim's mom wants to see bodies of son, husband

The mother of one of the girls who was stripped naked and paraded by a mob in Manipur wants capital punishment for the culprits and to see the remains of her son and husband who too died on that day.

She was speaking to PTI after MPs from the opposition bloc INDIA visited the victim's family.

Demanding capital punishment for the culprits, she said, "I trust the central government but not the state government."

She also said, "The thing I want to convey is that we the tribals, the minority, we can't live with the Meitei anymore, and second, if possible I want to at least see the dead bodies of my son and husband."

On 4 May, the day the 21-year-old woman was paraded naked, her brother and father were killed by the mob.

A delegation of 21 MPs from the opposition bloc is on a two-day visit to the state, and meeting people affected by the violence.

When Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi met the mother of one of the victims, she urged them to help her at least see the bodies of her son and husband.

She also told the two leaders the situation is such that Kukis and Meteis, the two warring communities, cannot live together anymore.

"Her daughter was raped, and her husband and son were killed by the mob in the presence of Manipur Police but till today, not a single police officer has been suspended," Dev told PTI-Video.

"They have got a huge shock. They are saying that there was a mob of more than 1,000 people, and they have made a specific demand, which I will raise with the governor," she said.

The girl alleged that she was raped in front of the police, but nothing was done to help her, she added.

Dev claimed that the girl is scared of the police now. "If a victim does not trust the police anymore then it is a constitutional crisis."

Kanimozhi said the victim's father served in the Army and protected the nation, but could not protect his family.

"It is so sad to see a woman whose daughter was raped. She lost her husband and her son on the same day and there is no justice for them," she said.

The viral video of the May 4 incident renewed the national attention on Manipur, where violence broke out nearly three months ago, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring hundreds.

The violence erupted on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts.