Indians are shocked by the shameful treatment of two tribal women, who were stripped naked and paraded before a crowd and then gang-raped in a field, in Manipur state. The video has now gone viral.

Manipur state, in North-east India, has been on the boil and in the news for the last two months due to sectarian and religious violence. The two principal groups, Meitei, principally Hindus and the Kuki, principally Christians, have been agitating for some privileges.

Now a viral video reveals that on May 3 two women, from the Kuki tribe, were paraded naked and gang-raped. The matter lay buried. Only when a horrible video of the macabre events leaked on the social media around mid-July, after over two months, the police, public and leaders of India, woke to the situation. Had the video not been leaked on the social media, the incident would have remained buried.

How can such macabre incidents occur in a modern India, purporting to become a super economy and power? How can any women be treated so brutally, in any country, at any time? One hears of brutal crimes against women and children during times of war. As a child, I heard of the horrific treatment of women during the partitioning of India in 1947. Recently, I read about 20,000 Ukrainian children being held hostage in Russia.Though there is no overt battle  in India currently, there is a silent combat on, between those who believe that India belongs to the majority religious elements, and others who believe in a secular all-inclusive country. Mahatma Gandhi, who played a pivotal role in the freedom struggle of India, sacrificed his life for a secular India.

Rajendra Aneja,
Mumbai, India