Interview | Manipur MP in whose constituency women were paraded naked says more shocking videos may appear when internet ban is lifted

Dr Loroh S Pfoze, Lok Sabha MP from the Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency, spoke to ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy on Thursday about the situation in the northeastern state especially in the backdrop of the shocking video of women being paraded naked.

New Delhi: Amid the shock and nationwide outrage over the emergence of a video where two women were paraded naked by dozens of men in Manipur, Dr Loroh S Pfoze, Lok Sabha MP from Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency, Thursday said that when the internet ban is lifted from the northeastern state, more such videos may appear in the public domain.

In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat on Thursday, Dr Pfoze said it was not just two women who were molested, there were many similar cases that took place in the trouble-torn state that has been witnessing brutal ethnic clashes for several months now.

"The barbaric incident in which two women were molested by miscreants took place on May 4 at around 5 pm. It is not just two women. More such incidents will surface. These two women were molested and gang-raped and this happened in my Kangpokpi constituency. It is very unfortunate how this mob was moving around. We had expected that the law enforcement agency would be everywhere, taking care of the vulnerable sites. But whenever we came to see this mob, we did not see any police personnel patrolling in the area."

"It is not about the communities anymore. It is about the dignity of a woman. Women are being molested and their naked bodies are being paraded. The bodies which are so sacred. These are being paraded naked. Such things are very very unfortunate. Very shameful, very barbaric, very satanic... they were taken out paraded and taken into the paddy field. The mob came in and mass raped them. This is very unfortunate. How painful for womenfolk to see this. Not only for the Kuki community but also for Meitis — the womenfolk are feeling the pain or sufferings perpetrated upon them," said Naga People's Front (NPF) MP Dr Pfoze.

Asked about a reply to a query that even after more than eighty days the situation is still volatile in Manipur, Dr Pfoze said, "The government should come down heavily on miscreants. Unfortunately, even after the camping of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for three days and the Union Minister of State (Home) staying in Manipur for 20 to 25 days, to assess the situation. But I think so they not done enough."