How do you feel when a state in our own country is burning, and the government remains silent?
What would you say about the mainstream media who turn a blind eye to the violence that ravages Manipur?
Has your heart not ached witnessing the heart-wrenching video of two women, stripped of their dignity and subjected to unspeakable cruelty?
I, like you, am filled with outrage and anger. The plight of Manipur demands our attention.
An Unfathomable Tragedy of Manipur Violence
Manipur, once a serene land, is now engulfed in a devastating inferno of violence that began on May 3, 2023. According to EastMojo website, the violence started with fake news and rumours. What started as a spark has now turned into an unrelenting blaze, consuming lives and shattering the very essence of humanity.
We forget we are humans when we start to see who has more and who has less privileges. We forget we are humans when we are just interested in own personal benefits. We forget we are humans when some evils in our society instigate us based on caste and religions.
The people of two ethnic groups, Meitei and Kuki, have been played and manipulated by politicians and different groups for their own gains over the years.
Tragically, the people have become blinded by manipulation, unable to see the harm they inflict upon their own communities by engaging in this senseless conflict. They are mere pawns, seeing only what the perpetrators of Manipur violence want them to see.
It’s been over 2.5 months, and they are still fighting every day and night. Looking for every opportunity to kill each other and do maximum damage.
The fire of hatred, indifference, and biases is burning inside them.
Hundreds of lives have been lost, thousands of homes turned to ashes, and numerous temples and churches vandalized.
As history has shown multiple times, women are most vulnerable, and Manipur violence has proved that yet again. Many women have been subjected to unimaginable horrors—raped, bludgeoned, burnt, shot, and lynched.
Recently, a 2-month-old video surfaced on the internet showing the brutality of some people against women. A video showing the harrowing conditions of two women forcibly being paraded naked by a mob. Later, those two women were gang-raped by some perpetrators of the mob. Those inhumans wouldn’t even have thought twice before raping them.
Can you feel the unbearable emotional and physical pain of these two courageous women? My soul trembles even to think slightly about it.
One survivor revealed that the police of Manipur themselves handed them over to the agitated mob. Even after they filed an FIR, no action was taken until the video surfaced and ignited public outrage.
How pathetic is it? Police are there for people’s safety and even they are not helping and saving them.
More than 60,000 people are homeless till now and have taken shelter in relief camps. Can we even imagine how hard their lives would be?
What People Have Done So Far
Initially, only some people were vocal against the violence in Manipur. Many were silent. Many were playing games of left and right along with politicians.
Many “Andhbhakts” were mute and silent against the violence. They were just seeing with their rosy eyes towards the so-called “Vishwaguru,” who was traveling to different countries during the violence.
Many people have started speaking and questioning the government and their actions since the “rape video” has surfaced.
But, I am not sure if Andhbhakts have changed their stance on this matter. I am not sure if their hearts have moved by the barbarism shown in the video.
More people are required to come forward. They need to wake up so that we can save our beautiful country from international shame and petty internal politics.
What Media Has Done So Far
The mainstream media, often touted as the watchdog of democracy, has instead become the puppet of those in power. Dubbed as Godi Media, it has refrained from covering the Manipur violence, turning a blind eye to the atrocities that unfold.
Key questions remain unanswered as mainstream news channels have failed to confront Manipur’s Chief Minister or the Prime Minister on this grave issue.
They were silent and instead of honestly covering the Manipur violence, they were creating headlines on France violence at that time. Later they focused on floods and rain-related news.
I have no problem if you are providing updates on those news, but what if you are not focusing on Manipur first?
And the ridiculous and absurd thing is that Godi Media went to France to cover their violence. They were asking France’s people about if they knew or heard about Manipur.
Can you understand the state of our nation’s media?
The way mainstream media showed their behavior during Manipur violence proves that heartless and greedy people are running them. They don’t have courage. They don’t have empathy and can’t feel the pain of Manipur’s people.
Only a few Indian media channels and publications, some independent digital media platforms, and some in the international media are covering the violence since it started. But are these media outlets enough?
Where are the big-mouthed shouting anchors? Those anchors, who talk every day on their respective big private channels, proving everyone that they are the only ones who can be considered “Pure Nationalists”?
Are these big media outlets being instructed by the people in power to stay away from the Manipur violence as this state is run by their government?
What would have been the situation if these violence and crimes had happened in an opposition party’s state? Would Godi Media go there? Would Godi Media ask legitimate questions to their government?
What Government Has Done So Far
Our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, didn’t say a single word for over 2.5 months. Neither has he given a single visit there yet.
He spoke only after a widespread outrage happened when people around the world viewed that video of “2 women being paraded naked by the mob of men.”
Modi spoke only when this 2.5-month-old video surfaced online. Modi spoke only when the Supreme Court of India stepped in and directed the centre and state government to take immediate actions.
Would Modi have spoken if this video hadn’t surfaced?
And irony is that what he spoke on this heinous crime has no significant value. Because his statement was hollow. His statement downplayed the pain of Manipur because he mentioned the names of other states ruled by opposition parties, where some women were sexually assaulted.
Do speak about other states when something wrong is happening there, but what’s the point of speaking about the past issues when you have to tackle a current problem.
Has it ever happened that BJP government and their representatives don’t say anything whenever there are problems in oppositions’ ruled states?
As usual, he politicized the event and tried to shift the attention somewhere else. He and his party members are very good at it. He was not honest when he said he was feeling the pain of those 2 women.
Because he didn’t take concrete actions despite knowing that Manipur has been burning for a long time now, and people have been killing each other every day. People have been becoming homeless every day.
Narendra Modi could have spoken earlier. He could have gone there and talked to groups involved in this violence. He could have instructed the Chief Minister of Manipur, N. Biren Singh, to end this violence by taking right measures.
But Narendra Modi didn’t speak for the violence. BJP didn’t speak for the violence. Their representatives didn’t speak for the violence.
Narendra Modi spoke that it’s a shame for 140 crore people of India. Is the shame only for the people of India? Is the shame not for Modi? Is the shame not for BJP and any of its members?
I think no; otherwise, he would have said that.
The government is shielding Chief Minister of Manipur, N. Biren Singh, otherwise a responsible CM would have resigned so far. N. Biren Singh is not a responsible and accountable CM; otherwise, he would have taken corrective measures a lot earlier. He is playing dirty politics by taking the side of Meitei, as he himself belongs to that community. Leaders shouldn’t take one side; they should be for all people.
According to The Hindu, the reason is political benefits. Divide and rule is BJP’s best policy. They are fueling disagreements and hostilities between tribals.
Despite the presence of the army, people are destroying properties, killing each other, and raping women. What does it show? It’s a testimony that the Government has turned a blind eye to the violence. Otherwise, violence would have been stopped by now.
Is the government accountable and responsible? No. If they were accountable and responsible, strict actions would have been taken to stop the violence.
In the name of action, as the video circulated on social media, the government has immediately instructed the social media platforms to remove the video and filter out information on Manipur violence. This was their first action.
If the government were proactive, violence would have been controlled a lot earlier.
But politics is above people’s lives and their dignity.
The Plight of Manipur Continues
Today, Manipur continues to suffer as the fire of violence still rages on.
But when I went to Google and tried to know about the current status of the violence, you will be shocked to know that there is no current news update from many media outlets except from a couple of privileged ones.
Google is not showing any current news on keywords: Manipur violence current status. No current results in news and videos sections of Google. Most results are beyond 2 weeks old. It seems like Google has been asked to filter out information on Manipur, like it’s happening on other social media platforms.
Government and ruling party are focusing mainly on the opposition party’s alliance “I.N.D.I.A“. Government IT cells, Godi Media, and Andhbhakts are only talking about it. Now they have a problem with the word “India” because opposition parties have adopted this name as an acronym for their alliance.
The opposition party is asking PM to give his statement in Parliament, but he is avoiding it. Doesn’t he have the courage? What does he fear? Is he not honest?
Now the BJP party has informed that the PM won’t give any statement on Manipur.
What would you say about a PM who escapes media’s questions and opposition’s questions? He has been proving again and again that he is afraid of answering tough questions.
Does a real leader ever do that? True leaders always communicate and win over opposition with their words and actions.
What about people? People have a short-lived memory in the digital age. Many of them may have forgotten about what they saw in that video.
Godi Media and Andhbhakts have again started polarizing the people on past events, opposition parties alliance, naming them, and trolling them. They may have also forgotten about the violence and that video.
What about people of Manipur?
People of Manipur are still suffering. They are homeless. They are jobless. They are cramped in relief camps. How are they surviving?
On top of that, more cases of horrific rapes and murders of women are coming up. Many stories may have been buried.
We don’t even have any idea what has been happening to children there.
But is there anyone who can douse the fire of this violence? In my opinion, the government might be thinking that the problem will resolve itself if they give it more time.
Politics of caste, religions, and economics is going on in Manipur, and they have forgotten its helpless people.
Hope, independent media and publications and digital news platforms keep covering the Manipur and show other people of India what exactly is happening there.
We hope the Government of India does something sooner to stop the violence and resolve the conflicts of ethnic groups, before it’s too late.
In the end, I request you people to fact-check the news, digital information, and propaganda. See both sides of a coin and don’t make your judgment just because you have read or seen something. See beyond what you see. Observe and analyze the things. Spread your voice in support of the people of Manipur.
My prayer and best wishes to the people of Manipur.
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