Looking back at the May of 2023 Ghost of false narratives
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The Sangai Express condoles the demise of the young Kuki girl who passed away after battling an illness, an illness allegedly linked to the trauma she had to undergo after being ‘gang raped’ on May 15, 2023, after she was ‘kidnapped’ from near an ATM booth in New Checkon area. For two years she suffered from trauma and was undergoing treatment in a hospital at Churachandpur, is the line maintained by some Kuki-Zo students’ organisations and while the death of the young girl (she was only 20) is deeply unfortunate, the manner in which fingers of accusations have been raised at the Meitei community needs deeper introspection. A part of the false narrative that has been fed to the media all over the country is a line that comes to mind, for the fact is The Sangai Express also received the said report sometime in May of 2023, but it was put aside on the ground that it vastly digressed from the reality that was Imphal back in May 2023. May 2023 and none would have forgotten how road blocks, curfews, heavy security bandobast and all round tension ruled the roost in Imphal and it is hard to believe that any family, particularly from the Kuki-Zo community would have allowed a young girl, then 18 or less in 2023, to go out and try to withdraw money from the ATM. Forget about anyone from the Kuki-Zo community, movement around Imphal city was not easy for anyone back then. Even journalists, who otherwise are exempted from restrictions during any bandh or general strike, found it difficult to move around freely. And it was May 15, 2023 as the allegations have pointed out. Moreover New Checkon was more or less a gated locality during those days with heavy security bandobast and movement severely curtailed. This was the reality in Imphal back in May 2023 and it was amid this that a report of the young girl being abducted from just outside the ATM and taken to different places before she managed to escape, arrived at the office of The Sangai Express. It is tough to recall whether the report back then had mentioned ‘gang rape’ or not, but from what has emerged after the girl passed away, the rape allegation was raised. It is not clear whether the rape was confirmed or not and if confirmed where was it confirmed ? News of the death of the young girl complete with the line ‘trauma after being gang raped’ soon went viral on the social media and equally virulent too has been the manner in which some political personalities of the country have jumped in to condemn the assault but in all these feedbacks, no one bothered to raise basic, fundamental questions such as ‘how was the rape confirmed ?,’ ‘how was the situation like in Imphal during May 2023,’ ‘were ATMs really opened during those stormy days ?,’ ‘were anyone allowed to move out freely from a locality like New Checkon ? What were the security personnel detailed for duty at the New Checkon area doing back then ?’
New Checkon was a highly fortified area back then, for there still remained a number of Kuki-Zo people in the said area and it was only some time in September of 2023 that all the people from the said community were moved out under instruction of the State Government. The Sangai Express stands against all forms of violence, particularly gender violence and sexual assault and so too the Meitei society, best exemplified by the manner in which houses of the accused in the nude parade incident sometime in 2023 were attacked and pulled to the ground. Yet at the same time The Sangai Express also stands against any move to politicise or gain mileage to discredit the perceived foe by highlighting a ‘rape case’. Looking back, it is hard to believe that any parents or elders of the family would have allowed a young girl of 18 or 17 in 2023 to venture out and try to draw money from an ATM. It should also not be forgotten that Imphal was virtually under curfew round the clock during May in 2023 with the internet suspended. It is also still not clear whether ATMs were opened during the said period or not. All questions at the moment, but questions that ought to be raised before fingers are pointed at a community and which many, detached from the reality here, seem to have backed.
New Checkon was a highly fortified area back then, for there still remained a number of Kuki-Zo people in the said area and it was only some time in September of 2023 that all the people from the said community were moved out under instruction of the State Government. The Sangai Express stands against all forms of violence, particularly gender violence and sexual assault and so too the Meitei society, best exemplified by the manner in which houses of the accused in the nude parade incident sometime in 2023 were attacked and pulled to the ground. Yet at the same time The Sangai Express also stands against any move to politicise or gain mileage to discredit the perceived foe by highlighting a ‘rape case’. Looking back, it is hard to believe that any parents or elders of the family would have allowed a young girl of 18 or 17 in 2023 to venture out and try to draw money from an ATM. It should also not be forgotten that Imphal was virtually under curfew round the clock during May in 2023 with the internet suspended. It is also still not clear whether ATMs were opened during the said period or not. All questions at the moment, but questions that ought to be raised before fingers are pointed at a community and which many, detached from the reality here, seem to have backed.