MANIPUR: A disturbing video depicting a man being set on fire has sparked demands for justice from a minority tribal group in India’s northeastern state of Manipur. The region remains tense following violent ethnic clashes that erupted after a horrific video of two women being paraded naked on a road by a group of men surfaced in July this year.
Since then, as many as 180 people have been killed in these ethnic clashes.
Authorities in Manipur have launched an investigation into the incident of a man being set on fire, believed to have occurred on May 4, with federal police taking charge. The clashes originally erupted on May 3 due to tensions between the majority Meitei ethnic group and the minority Kuki tribals, primarily over the allocation of government benefits, employment quotas, and education.
Despite the deployment of tens of thousands of additional security personnel, sporadic violence has continued in the aftermath of the clashes, posing a rare security challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in a state governed by his Bharatiya Janata Party.
The seven-second video, verified by state police, shows a man with head injuries lying near barbed wire while part of his body is on fire. Voices and gunshots can be heard in the background, but it remains unclear whether the man was alive at that point.
Two Women Also Sexually Assaulted in Manipur
Authorities said that the victim, identified as 37-year-old Laldinthanga Khongsai belonged to the Kuki community, according to authorities. Kuldeep Singh, the state’s security advisor, revealed that the man was killed on May 4 during clashes when armed members of the two communities engaged in pitched battles. Additionally, two tribal women were subjected to stripping and sexual assault by a mob.
Authorities said that the body is still unclaimed, saying the Central Bureau of Investigation would handle the case.
Demographically, the Meitei constitute 53% of Manipur’s population, while the Kuki make up 16%. Government data from July revealed that both sides had suffered casualties, with 113 Kukis and 62 Meiteis reported as killed in the clashes. Modi’s government has turned blind eyes on the situation in Manipur despite protests and demands from opposition and human rights organizations.
