Outrage in Manipur After Kuki Woman Dies After 2023 Gangrape Trauma, Groups Demand Justice

Imphal: Several Kuki groups have demanded justice after a young woman from Manipur’s Kuki community died after years of suffering from injuries and trauma linked to an alleged abduction and gang rape during the ethnic violence that erupted in the state in May 2023. 

She passed away on January 10 while receiving long-term medical care in Guwahati.

What did the incident happened?

The victim was just 18 when the attack happened. According to her family and tribal organisations, she was abducted from an ATM booth in Imphal in May 2023 and taken to several locations where she was sexually assaulted. She managed to escape but never fully recovered from the physical wounds and psychological trauma, they said.

Why are people angry now?

Her death has stirred deep anger and grief among sections of the Kuki community. Tribal organisations describe it as a stark reminder of the violence their people faced during the clashes between Meitei-dominated areas of the Imphal Valley and Kuki-Zo-dominated hill districts. The unrest has left 260 people dead and thousands displaced since it began in 2023. Manipur has remained under President’s Rule since February last year.

Protests and candlelight vigils were held in Churachandpur and other tribal areas on Saturday. Leaders of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) say the woman’s passing shows how some victims of the violence continue to pay the price long after the immediate clashes. 

"Her death is yet another painful testimony to the ruthless manner in which the Kuki-Zo people have been targeted," the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) said in a statement.

What are tribal groups demanding?

Kuki organisations have renewed long-standing demands for a separate administrative arrangement for tribal communities in Manipur. They argue that shared governance with the Meitei majority has failed to protect their people and that a distinct setup is essential for their safety and dignity. 

The Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), Delhi & NCR, has called on the central government to recognise the woman’s death as a direct result of the 2023 violence. They say justice will be denied if her death is treated as anything else. 

"We categorically assert that her death must be officially recognised as resulting from the violence committed against her in 2023. Any attempt to treat it otherwise would amount to a denial of justice and an erasure of responsibility," the group said. 

The Kuki Students’ Organisation also urged the Centre to speed up the process of forming a separate administrative structure for the tribal population.

In a statement, the Kuki-Zo Women's Forum, Delhi & NCR, said that, "for nearly three years, she carried pain that no human being should ever have to bear."