In the wake of the viral spread of a video from Manipur where two women were paraded naked in the midst of an acute violence in the state, the central-ruling Modi regime has on Thursday - July 20 issued an order to Twitter and other social media platforms to take down the video after it had triggered national outrage and indeed pushed Prime Minister Modi, who remained a mute spectator in the Manipur violence for two months, to break his silence. 

Hours after that video went viral, the Modi government has issued an order to Twitter and other social media platforms, directing them not to share the video. ANI has quoted the sources saying, "The government has issued an order to Twitter and other social media platforms, instructing them not to share the viral video of the two Manipuri women being paraded nude. It is imperative for social media platforms to adhere to Indian laws as the matter is currently under investigation."  

The visuals in the video were connected to a heinous crime that happened on May 4, a day after violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki communities - the predominant ethnic groups in Manipur. While Meiteis were of Hindu origin, Kukis, who are tribal people, had embraced Christianity. The Kuki people have a special right of hampering Meiteis to takeover lands from their habitats. However, on April 19, 2023, the Manipur High Court had ordered to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the majority Meiteis through which they can occupy the Kuki lands. 

This verdict from the High Court was instrumental for what we are witnessing in Manipur today. The ethnic clash between the Meiteis and Kukis had sharply turned into religious polarization. The oblivious nature of state and the central governments further fueled the violence that began on May 3. As there was a curb on the internet, the outer world was kept at bay from some of the barbaric crimes and tortures given to women. One of them came to light with a viral video on Wednesday - July 19 and has revealed the scourges happening in the 'jewel land' of India. 

In the video, a mob of hundred men were seen walking with two women who were made naked by them. The women belong to the Kuki community and the incident happened on May 4 when the mob entered the village of B Phainom in Kangpoki district. The mob had apprehended five people who tried to flee the village and of these five people, three were women and two were men. there was a man aged 56, his 19-year-old son, and 21-year-old daughter. The other two women were aged 42 and 52. 

The First Information Report (FIR) which was filed a fortnight later, on May 18, revealed that the mob had killed 56-year-old man and all the three women were forced to remove their clothes. The mob had gangraped 21-year-old woman and when her 19-year-old brother fought with the mob to resist sexual violence against his sister, he was eventually killed. The mob had then tortured two other women and they were paraded naked on a street while a mob of men was walking with them. 

In a gruesome act, some of the men were seen touching the private parts of the women and the video surfaced rampantly online on Wednesday, it has shaken the soul of the nation and stirred a quick flak on both the BJP ruling state and central governments. As per the FIR, charges of rape and murder were filed against 800 to 1000 unknown miscreants. In the midst of condemnations for the horrific event and for the collapse of law and order in the state, Chief Minister Biren Singh has said that the police have arrested a main culprit behind the chilling crime. He further said that his government will try to ensure capital punishment for the accused. 

How fake news became a part of blame?

As the chilling crime has brought the entire nation in one voice, the spread of fake news has become one of the reasons behind the incident. It was an image of what was claimed to be a Meitei woman. In the image, the woman was seen wrapped in a plastic bag and as it went viral, it was claimed that she was a Meitei woman and that she was raped and killed by Kuki men in Churachandpur on May 3 when the violence between two communities began.

On May 4, a mob of Meitei men, stormed the village of B Phainom and made two Kuki women to walk naked besides gangraping a teenage woman. It was evident from the statement from the survived woman who revealed that when the mob attacked her, they vowed, "We will do to you what your men did to our women." The men further said, "This is the revenge for the Churachandpur case." However, it was later found that it was fake news, but it had an adverse impact on the Kuki women.

The woman in that image was not a Meitei woman and it was identified as Aayushi Chaudhry from Delhi and she was killed by her own parents in 2022. On Thursday, Chief Minister Biren Singh said, "We saw the video and I felt so bad, it's a crime against humanity. I immediately ordered the police to arrest the culprits and the state govt will try to ensure capital punishment for the accused. Every human being should condemn it. Last night at around 1.30 am, we arrested the main culprit." 

The BJP government has also ordered Twitter and other social media platforms to take down the video. Prime Minister Modi had finally broken his silence as he spoke about the horror unfolded in the state. Speaking ahead of the commencement of the Monsoon session of the Parliament on Thursday in New Delhi, Modi touched upon the Manipur issue and vowed that no accused will be spared. Speaking on the video where two women were paraded naked, Modi said, "I am filled with pain and the incident is shameful for any civil society. No accused will be spared, we will never forgive those who are behind this." 

He said, "My heart is filled with pain and anger. The incident from Manipur that has come before us is shameful for any civilised society. I urge all the CMs to further strengthen law & order in the states - especially for the security of women and take the strongest measures. Be it any incident in Rajasthan or Chhattisgarh or Manipur or any corner of the country, rise above politics." "I want to assure my countrymen that no culprit will be spared. What happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven", Modi asserted.