Two years on, women who became tragic symbols of Manipur horror live in shadows

Tens of thousands of people in Manipur will be out on the streets this Saturday, marking their protest on the second anniversary of the violence that has torn the state apart and killed 260 people.

- Prawesh Lama

Security will be on high alert, nearly 8,000 security personnel will be patrolling the streets, and leaders will be addressing rallies.

But two Kuki families will be away from the crowds, spending the day at small rented homes in Churachandpur town. They once lived in their own houses in Kangpokpi district, from where a mob pulled them out on May 4, 2023, killed two male members, stripped the two Kuki women naked, gang raped them, and paraded them naked—their plight caught on video becoming the emblem of the horrors that roiled Manipur.

"Our case is such that we don't come out in the open. My wife and the other young woman were paraded naked and violated while the mob recorded videos and later circulated it on social media. We want to forget everything, but this is a trauma that won't heal quickly," said the husband of one of the two victims, a 45-year-old woman. The other victim was 22.

In the last two years, the two families have changed houses at least four times, trying to live in places where they are not easily identified.

"But this is difficult. Until last year, my wife was suicidal. I cannot explain how I managed to convince her that it was not her fault, and how we needed to be strong.

The younger woman became a recluse. She would not step outside her house and refused to talk to any unknown man. Even today she does not speak to outsiders," said the 45-year-old's husband.