Manipur Violence: On Thursday night (November 7), armed intruders reportedly attacked a tribal village in Jiribam district, Manipur, leading to a horrific assault on a 31-year-old mother of three. The woman was allegedly raped and subsequently burned alive in her home. Alongside the assault, armed attackers reportedly unleashed indiscriminate violence, setting 17 houses ablaze in a violent spree that left the settlement in ruins.According to a report from The Times of India, the victims husband filed an FIR with the Jiribam police, describing the assault as rape and murder on racial and communal grounds following criminal aggression. While the identities of the attackers remain unknown, they are suspected to be from the Valley.Manipur CM Mr N.Biren Singh Send his Radical outfit KCP and Arambai Tenggol last night at Jiribam kuki village and blaze houses and kill kuki women mother of 3 Mrs Zosangkim Burnt alive. @AmitShah @KirenRijiju @DelhiPolice @PTI_News @SCofIndia @LiveLawIndia @kartikeya_1975 pic.twitter.com/WqLgavNC2d— Jasvir Singh (@JasvirSing28579) November 8, 2024Husbands testimony and ongoing investigationsThe grieving husband recounted that his wife was brutally murdered after the assault, drawing painful parallels to the ethnic violence that swept Manipur last year. He stated that this incident mirrors the horrifying abuses experienced by women during the initial outbreak of ethnic conflict.Authorities have since decided to send the womans remains to Silchar in Assam for forensic analysis. The Jiribam SP explained that the ongoing ethnic tensions along NH-37 make it challenging to transport the body to Imphal, where the states forensic facilities are located.Response from tribal organizationsIn response, Hmar Inpui, the leading organization representing the Hmar tribe, condemned the attack as a horrific reminder of the ongoing ethnic cleansing campaign. The Indigenous Tribes Advocacy Committee and the Forum of Indigenous Tribal Leaders have both demanded immediate intervention from central authorities, urging for justice and safety measures to protect the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar communities in Jiribam and surrounding tribal areas. They called for the immediate arrest of those responsible for the assault.Renewed violence amid peace effortsThis tragic incident has shattered a fragile peace that lasted for nearly two months. The latest bout of violence follows a previous attack in September, in which six people were killed in Jiribam. In October, the Home Ministry had attempted to initiate reconciliation talks, summoning MLAs from the Meitei, Kuki, and Naga communities in an effort to broker peace. However, incidents like this continue to hinder reconciliation efforts in the region.
